BYU DancEnsemble will bring their voices to the stage and celebrate student choreography Nov. 5 and 6 in the Richards Building.
DancEnsemble president Madelin Jamison loves this show for the variety and opportunities it provides the students. The voices of the choreographers stand out more this year than ever before, she said.
“Each piece has a very specific voice and intention, and they are all totally different from each other,” Jamison said. “Dancers have specific things they want to say and they know how to say it.”
The performance this weekend will feature eight student choreographed pieces and four dance numbers choreographed by guest artists. Kate Monson oversees DancEnsemble and she said that the main mission of the show is to produce student choreography.
This year’s show embraces the variety rather than setting a specific theme. Monson hopes this will help students develop their voices.
“It’s hard to figure out who you are as an artist with extra boundaries,” Monson said. “You become a choreographer by choreographing.”
DancEnsemble vice president Baylee Van Patten said that the dance she choreographed this year focuses on finding peace in pieces. Van Patten’s experience overcoming an injury is at the heart of the performance, but everyone in the performance adds their own perspective to the dance.
“I just had this moment of realization: even though I feel physically broken, everyone else is broken in their own way,” she said.
This concert includes guest choreographers Jesse Obremski from Gibney Dance Company in New York, Ruger Memmott from Odyssey Dance Company and Keely Song who is the artistic director of BYU’s Contemporary Dance Theatre. Song’s performance will seek to include and represent injured dancers.
Those interested in the performance can buy tickets on the BYU Tickets website. Jamison said this show is really accessible and should be enjoyable for everyone.
“The show is for everyone and dance is for everyone,” Jamison said.
