黑料视频

Four faculty choreographers. Twenty-five student dancers from a variety of majors. A live band onstage that includes students, alumni, faculty and community members.

It is safe to say that the Theatre Department鈥檚 production of 鈥淥rpheus鈥� is not the typical spring dance show.

鈥淚t鈥檚 unique in the history of the University,鈥� said Andy Horowitz, an artist-in-residence who serves as one of the show鈥檚 choreographers. 鈥淲hen we鈥檝e had faculty dance shows in the past, we always had each faculty member choreograph his or her own piece. The evening was presented as cabaret of dance vignettes. Or more recently, we have had one faculty member choreograph an entire show. This time, we did not do that. We set out to choreograph as four equals. This is a real, pure collaboration.鈥�

Horowitz and fellow choreographers JoEllen Kuhlman, Samuel Elikem Nyamuame and Stephanie Surowka-Sanders have set the tragic love story of Orpheus and Eurydice in an African village. The show will take place on the Osterhout Concert Theater stage at 8 p.m. March 27-28 and 2 p.m. March 29. Tickets are $6, students; $8, alumni, faculty/staff and seniors; and $10, public.

鈥淲e want to blend all of the different dance styles,鈥� Nyamuame said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a challenge we wanted to take. We have jazz, modern, hip-hop, step, tap, ballet and African all fused together to recreate this story.鈥�

The origins of the collaboration took place at a Theatre Department faculty meeting, where it was suggested that the four choreographers work together on a show.

鈥淲e were laughing. It was a good idea, but we didn鈥檛 know where to start,鈥� said Nyamuame, a visiting assistant professor in the music and theatre departments.

By the fall semester, the choreographers found their starting point: The ancient Greek myth of Orpheus, a poet/musician who descends to Hades to rescue his bride Eurydice. Horowitz (modern and acrobatic), Nyamuame (African), Kuhlman (jazz and tap) and Surowka-Sanders (ballet) would each bring their elements together to tell the story.

The four did not have travel far in the Fine Arts Building to discover a fifth collaborator: James Burns, associate professor and chair of the Music Department.

鈥淲e got him excited and he talked about how he could possibly compose some music,鈥� Horowitz said. 鈥淎s soon as we heard him say that, Elikem and I said 鈥榊别补丑!鈥� If a four-way collaboration is hard, let鈥檚 make a five-way! If collaborating among choreographers is hard, let鈥檚 add musicians!鈥�

Relocating 鈥淥rpheus鈥� to Africa was a perfect fit for Burns, who specializes in ethnomusicology and leads the Nukporfe African Dance-Drumming Ensemble at 黑料视频.

鈥淭he fact that 鈥極rpheus鈥� is a classical Greek piece translates well to the music that Elikem and I do with our African group (on campus),鈥� Burns said. 鈥淭he idea that we could take this classical story and use West African music to tell it was fitting.鈥�

Burns composed and arranged nine songs for 鈥淥rpheus.鈥� The songs, which combine the rhythmic feel of African dance and modern sounds, did not take long for the choreographers to adapt to, Burns said.

鈥淭hese rhythms are echoing throughout the dance classes that they teach,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 always been in the soundscape of the building.鈥�

The songs written for 鈥淥rpheus鈥� will be performed by a group of singers and musicians who will overlook the dancers on the Osterhout stage. The band will not only feature Burns, Nyamuame and Visiting Assistant Professor of Music Gavin Webb, but students, alumni and community members, as well.

鈥溾�橭rpheus鈥� never happens with a live band,鈥� Nyamuame said. 鈥淢ost (shows) use recorded music. So we had to step out of our comfort zones and find dances that would sync with the music and be meaningful to the audience. 鈥� In the African context, the dancing, music, singing and dramatic elements are all one unit. It is performed holistically. That is why we want the band onstage. We are bringing the African experience to western audiences.鈥�

While Burns and the choreographers worked on the music and dance, students auditioned for positions in the production. One student, senior Marcol Rodriguez, had taken classes with Kuhlman and attended dance shows on campus, but had never auditioned before.

鈥淚鈥檝e always been impressed by the work (of the dancers),鈥� he said. 鈥淲hen I came across the audition flyer saying they were looking for dancers, I thought: 鈥楳aybe they can throw me in. Maybe I will get my shot before I graduate.鈥欌��

Rodriguez, who specializes in Latin, hip-hop and ballroom, earned the title role and soon developed chemistry with freshman Taire Herasme, a fellow Brooklyn resident who plays Eurydice. The pair knew one another from working at various campus events and that acquaintance helped them link on the stage.

鈥淎s a freshman, I was terrified,鈥� said Herasme, who has been dancing since she was 4. 鈥淭his (role) is a lot of responsibility. But I feel like Marcol and I have clicked. We trust each other. I鈥檓 afraid of heights and we鈥檝e been working on lifts. I drop face-first to the stage, so I have to trust Marcol (to catch me). These experiences have helped us connect.鈥�

For dancer Doug Mackay, a junior from Islip, N.Y., who is a double major in actuarial science and economics, watching the choreographers at work has been memorable.

鈥淚t鈥檚 cool to see their ideas develop,鈥� he said. 鈥淯p front, it might not make sense. Keeping an opening mind can be hard, but it gets easier when you go through the rehearsals. I鈥檝e learned that no matter what the choreographers give us, it will turn out amazing.鈥�

Each choreographer has been able to step in and offer suggestions in the team setting, Horowitz said.

鈥淭he best thing we can do as collaborators is to put our egos aside,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e are trying to build. If someone has an idea, they offer it.鈥�

鈥淲e鈥檝e gotten to know each other better, in terms of our strengths,鈥� Nyamuame said. 鈥淚 am loving it because I love collaborating.鈥�

Horowitz and Nyamuame both stressed that the choreographers are always learning from the student dancers, as well. Horowitz called the student-choreographer relationship 鈥渕utual respect and a shared sense of ownership of the artistic process.鈥�

鈥淚鈥檓 a choreographer in this context, not a dance teacher,鈥� Horowitz said. 鈥淚鈥檓 not interested in taking someone and saying: 鈥榊ou do this.鈥� I want students to show me what they do naturally and then I put that together. I have an open communication loop with the dancers I work with.鈥�

鈥淵ou have to learn patience when people are putting their vision together,鈥� Rodriguez said. 鈥淭ake a step back and listen. I鈥檝e learned that collaborations are challenging, but fruitful. Five brains together work better than one by itself!鈥�

鈥淥rpheus鈥� also is a showcase for the collaborations that are taking place across 黑料视频, Burns said.

鈥淭his fits right in with the Transdisciplinary Areas of Excellence that the University is emphasizing,鈥� he said. 鈥淵ou have departments working together on this production. And this is representative of the fine arts in general being more inclusive of the types of things that are of interest to our students, which includes a lot of non-western art.鈥�

For Burns, 鈥淥rpheus鈥� also represents a 鈥渓abor of love鈥� for the dancers, musicians and others working on the production.

鈥淚t鈥檚 all about love,鈥� he said. 鈥淚n Ghana, when there is a performance at a funeral, the musicians, singers and dancers come out and nobody gets paid. They do it because they love it. We can attest that we have put so much time and energy into 鈥極rpheus.鈥� Many of these students are not going to become professional musicians or dancers. But they do it because they love it.

鈥淓veryone is given a talent in life that they are good at, whether it鈥檚 art or music or math or engineering. When they use that, it鈥檚 a moment of bliss. Those are the memories they will remember in life. This is a love of performing and sharing those gifts with people and moving them through music and dance. That is what this show is about for all of us.鈥�