Move! at Oscar G. Brockett Theatre

Under the direction of Charles O. Anderson, Andrea Beckham and Yacov Sharir, The University of Texas at Austin’s award-winning dance company Dance Repertory Theatre is going “downtown” this season, presenting experimental, contemporary works inspired by New York City’s “downtown dance” scene.

“The works of this concert run the gamut in terms of movement – pedestrian, idiosyncratic, neo-classical, virtual and virtuosic. As an expressive art form, dance has always been a means to record history, shape culture, cultivate imagination, and harness individual and social transformation,” shares Co-Artistic Director Charles O. Anderson. “It is not only a means to generate awareness or to celebrate classist notions of ‘beauty’ or to entertain; it can also be a catalyst to engage community members to take action around a social issue.”

Highlights include Kate Watson-Wallace’s Wildness: a requiem for Jamaal Muhammad, a reflection on the murder of a young African American man. Sidra Bell’s schematic focuses on pure movement, showcasing the dancers’ exploration of self from the inside out. And University of Texas at Austin Professor Yacov Sharir’s AdMortuos examines virtual environments, cyberspace and computerized choreography. In addition, the talents of Dance Repertory Theatre ensemble members shine in new works by University of Texas at Austin students Jun Shen, Jessica Gray and Kelsey Oliver.