Thank you for attending today's performance of the 2023 Fall Dance Concert: Moving Forces.

This evening, we are incredibly excited to share with you new and re-staged works for you by faculty members Ting-Yu Chen, Tiffanie Carson, Lisa Startsman and guest choreographer, Mike Esperanza. Ting-Yu Chen restages her works In Mind’s Eye (2004), Into Fire (2005) and Vamos (2005). In Mind's Eye is influenced by Zen-like meditation that moves the dancers’ energy to contrasting extremes; Into Fire is pure movement drama showcasing virtuosic dancing and expanding kinetic power in space and time; and Vamos illustrates six individuals of various backgrounds finding themselves in one another’s lives. Tiffanie Carson presents Say My Name, which is inspired by pop songs of her youth that heavily influenced her interest in commercial dance, and Perpetual Motion, which is a new version of her originated 2017 work. Ballet faculty Lisa Startsman presents Phases of . . .  where she examines how our lives, emotions and development are continuously shifting in and out of phases, and where the observer is free to choose what phases(s) this work brings forward in their mind. Lastly, guest choreographer Mike Esperanza has created the work Motives and Thoughts for members of Sigma Rho Delta. We were very happy to have his work back on our stage after so many years.

Dance is a universal form of expression that strives to communicate; be it to form community, worship, philosophize, entertain, share stories, express emotions or give visualization to aspirations, struggles and triumphs. In all cases, there is a sharing of information that happens when the performing body moves and is viewed by others . . . and the identification of meaning is based on the many individual and unique factors that each viewer, (including you!), brings to the “performance experience.”

I hope you enjoy tonight's performance and I invite you to become a Friend of Dance by donating to the Friends of the Conservatory and help support this, and future, dance initiatives that provide current and impactful experiences for our students.

Enjoy the performances!

– Maurice Fraga