WSU to Present Spring Dance Concert, COME TOGETHER

WSU's Maggie Allesee Department of Theatre and Dance has announced its 88th annual Spring Dance Concert, entitled Come Together, on Friday March 3rd and Saturday March 4th at the Bonstelle Theatre. Come Together celebrates a range of cultural influences that define our artistic diversity.

Students perform 2016-2017 Allesee Guest Artist Ronald K. Brown's elegant "Dancing Spirits," a tribute to legendary dancer Judith Jameson with movement from Cuba, Brazil and the United States. "Dancing Spirits" will also represent the department at the 2017 American College Dance Association (ACDA) conference this Spring. The African Dance Company To Sangana presents "Work/Kosala," choreographed by Detroit's cultural ambassador Haleem "Stringz" Rasul, and performed to the live drumming of 2016 Kresge Fellow Chinelo Amen-Ra. This work traces hip-hop's African roots by connecting the footwork of Detroit's signature Jit dance to its origins in central Africa.

In addition to our guest artists, four faculty members have also contributed pieces to Come Together. Inspired by aesthetics of his Filipino-Hawaiian heritage, Jeffrey Rebudal premiers "Aloha Oe," which explores the personal process of bidding farewell and embarking upon new journeys. Meg Paul, who spearheads contemporary ballet in Detroit, creates a new piece titled "The Sitting Room," describing a shifting landscape in a timeless space that evokes the fear, hope, despair and courage of the huddled masses yearning to breathe free. Chicago-based visiting faculty member Molly Shanahan continues her innovative choreographic research, presenting a group work investigating the relational, collaborative process of dance making through the lens of forgiveness and spontaneity. Finally, 2016 Kresge Fellow Biba Bell creates a new piece drawing connections between the force of language and the potency of graceful dissent.

Come Together also includes the work of powerhouse contemporary dancer Jenn Freeman, who is a guest artist with the student run Dance Workshop, and NYC-based Nicholas Leichter, whose new piece for the WSU Dance Company will be touring Detroit schools later in the spring. Ms. Freeman's piece will be performed on Friday night, Mr. Leichter's piece on Saturday,

Finally, Come Together showcases the work of two of the department's exceptional student choreographers, Bailey Allshouse and Miranda Smith. Each of these student works have been developed extensively through the school year and both will be representing the department at ACDA. Allshouse explores the bonds between dancers and choreographer manifest through the labor and time of collaboration, and Smith investigates the power of expression, femininity, and identity.

Tickets for Come Together are $20; discounted tickets are available for senior citizens and Wayne State faculty and staff for $15. Student tickets are available for $10 with a valid student ID. Tickets may be purchased online at wsushows.com, by phone at (313)-577-2972, and in person at the Box Office at 4743 Cass Avenue, inside the Hilberry Theatre.

Wayne State University's Maggie Allesee Department of Theatre and Dance serves students as a nexus of performance, production, and research in the fields of dance, theatre, and performance studies. It provides a wide variety of degree programs that allow students the flexibility to study these disciplines broadly or to concentrate more specifically in performance, design, or management.

The department has been a force on the national dance scene since the early 1900s, when Wayne State University was one of the first educational institutions to incorporate dance into its curriculum, guided by founding director Ruth L. Murray. Today WSU students enjoy the dynamic atmosphere of a vibrant and diverse department that concentrates on performance, choreography, dance technology, and dance education. Notable alumni include Garth Fagan (The Lion King on Broadway) and Sonya Tayeh (Fox's So You Think You Can Dance). The Allesee Artist-in-Residence Program provides a wide range of national and international performance and choreographic opportunities for dance majors, enriched by the dynamic cultural diversity of the city of Detroit.

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