By Levi Wright
University of Iowa graduate and undergraduate dancers are stretching for the annual Graduate/Undergraduate Concert, which showcases their talents in both choreography and performance.UI graduate student Ariana Ross, a dancer in two of the upcoming performance, said aaudiences would have the opportunity to experience a degree of “youth and freshness” at the concert and witness “movement that has never been done before.”
One of the graduate choreographers, Chafin Seymour, noted the amount of passion poured into the work by the performers.
“No one does because they believe they’re going to get rich doing it,” Seymour said. “[They do it] because they really believe in it and have this sense of irrational confidence that they have something that’s worth saying.”
The dancers and choreographers will perform pieces that cover the emotional spectrum from silly and carefree to emotionally charged and sobering, while staying true to the integrity of the original performances. Over the course of the process, students ensure their performances are culturally relevant so audiences won’t feel as if they’re watching the same concert as last year.
Autumn Eckman, another choreographer, noted that her goal is to create an environment in which the audience members can take something away from the performance that they didn’t have before — to have them experience something utterly new.
Everyone is welcome, Eckman said, whether they’re a dancer, choreographer, or just want to experience a truly impressive show. The lineup’s size and diversity could prove to be another appeal for potential audience members.
“There are eight different choreographers in one show, and you don’t normally get to see that,” Seymour said.
The pieces being performed are each unique to the choreographer and dance team that created them, and they display a collaborative creative effort from all members.
Ross said the overall importance of the showcase.
“It’s a collection of student work that gives students an opportunity to show what they’ve been working on,” she said.
But perhaps more importantly, the show can also provide a glimpse of what is to come in the world of modern dance.
“We’re the future of this field,” Seymour said.
It is also becoming less and less common for audiences to witness dance live, because the proliferation of videos on the internet has significantly deadened the perceived “need” to witness the art firsthand. Nonetheless, Seymour said, there is still a timeless appeal — and an unimpeachable benefit — to live shows.
“These shows are unique, because you have someone sweating and breathing, working hard on stage … that’s something that you can’t replicate [on video],” he said. “[The experience] creates an immediate emotional response for someone, when you see someone doing a move or a gesture you’re going to have numerous interpretations.”
So whether audience members have some grand epiphany or just want to enjoy the show, as long as they get something out of it these performers will consider their work to be a success.
Graduate/Undergraduate Concert
When: 8 p.m. today
Where: Space/Place
Cost: $0-$14 (Free for students)
