Dance Concert Features Selections from 'Paquita'
Selections from the classical ballet “Paquita,” a heart-warming tale about a Spanish girl who is raised by gypsies, along with original student and faculty choreography will highlight the annual spring concert by the Alma College Dance Company.
Performances take place at 8 p.m. Friday, March 25 and Saturday, March 26 and 3 p.m. Sunday, March 27 in the Remick Heritage Center. Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for seniors 62 and up, and free for Alma College staff, students, and youth 18 and under. Seating is reserved. Call 989-463-7304 for ticket information.
Paquita is a girl of noble birth who is raised by gypsies after they save her from a pirate massacre. Her upbringing is not a problem until she falls in love with a French nobleman, at which point her gypsy family reveals her true heritage.
Jackson first-year student Lindsay Walsh and and Indianapolis junior Simone Boos perform lead solos in the ballet.
“I didn’t know much about ‘Paquita’ until we started learning it,” says Macomb junior Angela Flynn. “It requires the dancers to dance beautifully and gracefully while executing movement with extreme power. It is a very high-energy ballet.”
While "Paquita" features classical dance styles, later
dances in the concert transition into more modern works. The program features dances choreographed by dance company members Tyler Sheets and Jaclyn Bodary, originally featured at the Student Choreographers’ Concert in January.
“Was Lost But Now Am Found,” choreographed by Sheets with music by Tracy Chapman, is a dark piece set around the issue of spousal abuse, while Bodary’s “Kaleidoscope Heart,” set to music by Sarah Barelis, is described as upbeat, colorful, positive and beautiful.
“These pieces really show off the skill of our dancers as choreographers,” says Boos. “We're a multifaceted company, and that shows in this concert. “
Two additional works are featured in the concert program.
“Splash!” choreographed by dance faculty member Carol Fike with music by Steve Reich, is a “fun, exuberant, energetic, aerobic and colorful piece with 12 dancers that features jumping, leaping and soaring,” says Fike. “It’s all about the joy of movement.”
“Demanding Such a Penance,” choreographed by adjunct faculty member Kristen Bennett, with music by Caedman’s Call, is described as a darker work that contemplates the value of life.
Posted: Wed, March 16th, 2011 at 4:32PM
