UCSB Department of Theater and Dance to Host Fall Dance Concert

Listening to Rufus Wainwright's rendition of his own "Oh, What a World," choreographer Cherice Barton envisioned the songwriter sitting on a train or in an airport and putting pen to paper as he found beauty in the mundane. Struck by the simplicity of the song's lyrics and by the music that reached a powerful crescendo, she expressed her feelings in her own way - through dance.

That piece - Oh What a World! - is part of Meraki: soul | creativity | love, the fall dance concert presented by UC Santa Barbara's Department of Theater and Dance and Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Dec. 4 and 5, and at 2 p.m. Dec. 5 in UCSB's Hatlen Theater. Tickets are $13 for UCSB students, alumni and faculty and staff members, and $17 for all others.

Barton is known for choreographing Katy Perry's enthusiastically received appearance at the Staples Center in Los Angeles for the 2015 Grammy Awards. Barton recently joined the creative team of America's Got Talent as Choreography Associate following her work with George Lucas, choreographing Disney's Strange Magic, by Lucasfilm Animation/ILM. As a choreographer and creative consultant, Barton has a unique eye for transforming dance into inspired, emotional and visually stunning work, from the stage to the screen.

Directed by UCSB's Christina McCarthy, the concert also showcases the work of five student-choreographers, four of whom are completing their Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees. The other is completing a Bachelor of Arts degree. "Student-choreographers, working in collaboration with student lighting and costume designers, have made bold artistic statements and created vibrant stage pictures as their pieces unfold," said concert director Christina McCarthy. "We are privileged to have an opportunity to see the rise of these young talented people."

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