The University of Texas at Arlington Department of Theatre Arts and Dance to Present DANCE IN FLUX

The University of Texas at Arlington Department of Theatre Arts and Dance presents Dance in Flux, April 26-April 28, at the University of Texas at Arlington Fine Arts Building in the Mainstage Theatre. The program features new dance works choreographed by faculty and students. Student choreographed works include: Masked by Savannah Fennell; Solitude by Makenna Ostrum, and The Butterfly Effect by Aaliyah Smith.

UTA dance student and musical theatre major, Smith was inspired by how the butterfly effect represented patterns in her own life: "I love the idea of how one unsuspecting thing leads to endless possibilities. My training at UTA inspires me to always explore new ways of thinking and creating."

Under the artistic direction of UTA assistant professor of dance Laurie M. Taylor, Dance in Flux brings new works to the stage through innovative choreographic ideas, diverse movement vocabularies and artistic mentorship. The evening features Taylor's Let it Go (Higher Things), an abstract journey of young women who gain perspective after a major life disappointment, and in/emotion, a choreographic work-in-process collaboration with assistant professor of theatre design, Leah Mazur and senior lecturer in Computer Science Engineering, Shawn N. Gieser.

Dance in flux hosts the first iteration of the choreography and technology that Taylor, Mazur, and Geiser will use in their piece, premiering in Spring 2025. in/e motion will be an interdisciplinary, immersive, interactive performance installation--blurring the lines between experiencing and becoming, challenging the notions of accessibility, acceptability, artistry, and perception in performance. in/e motion will use projection, video mapping, motion-capture technology, and motion-responsive projections for participants to experience and engage with video, sound, and movement during choreographed performance.

Laurie Michelle Taylor is a Liberian American choreographer, creative culturalist, and entrepreneur. Her work centers around iterative and creative practices of "placeness," posing questions around the reconceptualization and functionality of "place" as a thinking-based movement practice - a practice deeply tethered to phenomenology, states of being, movement and culture. She is an expressionist of African diaspora consciousness in the world of the arts, business, and culture, rendering an interdisciplinary approach which allows for the exploration of various knowledge forms both in and beyond the studio.

Leah Mazur is a scenographer (scenic/lighting/costume design) and visual artist based in Dallas who heads the Design & Technology BFA program in the Department of Theatre Arts and Dance at UTA. Recent DFW designs include The Visit (Amphibian Stage), Artemisia, (regional premiere, Circle Theatre), and Head Over Heels (UTA). Upcoming designs include On the Town (UTA) and Hundred Days, (regional premiere Circle Theatre), a new play, Handless King, (world premiere, Amphibian Stage), Something Wicked (Altar'd Playhouse), and 3 Hams for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Dr. Shawn N. Gieser is a Senior Lecturer in the Computer Science and Engineering Department with a joint research appointment with the Smart Hospital and the Center for Rural Health and Nursing within the College of Nursing and Health Innovation. He has expertise in Human-Computer Interaction, Gamification, Extended Reality (XR), and assistive and wearable technologies. Dr. Gieser is especially interested in interdisciplinary projects and exposing students to the impact of Computer Science has on other disciplines.

Dance in Flux plays April 26 at 7:30pm, April 27 at 7:30pm, and April 28 at 2pm in the Fine Arts building Mainstage Theatre at UTA. Tickets are $16, $12 for UTA faculty, students, and seniors. You can purchase tickets at utatickets.com.

Please note that this production contains flashing lights.

The Department of Theatre Arts and Dance in the College of Liberal Arts at UTA provides comprehensive undergraduate education through theory, research, and practice in the performing arts, theatrical design, and dance. Theatre Arts and Dance's educational environment is characterized by shared values, unity of purpose, diversity of opinion, mutual respect, and a commitment to lifelong learning.

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