By Sean Goodwin
A unique dance show that aimed to break boundaries was showcased over the weekend.
The Department of Theatre and New Dance presented ‘In Liminal Flux.’
The show’s artistic director, professor Gayle Fekete, is always looking for a way to make every show feel new.
This quarter, Fekete tried to make the show more focused in certain areas to convey a powerful message to the audience.
“What’s kind of interesting about this concert, and I think we’ve been doing this over time, is shifting our interests more interdisciplinary,” Fekete said.
The performances over showcased this approach in its focus in making the viewer look beyond just what was being shown.
This is partly due to the ensemble of dancers coming from different majors.
The show’s creative director, Professor Jeremy Hahn, described how having such a varied cast influenced the show.
“We could be creating a piece with a biochemistry major, an engineering major and a gender studies major,” Hahn said.
“You have all of this in one room. Each one has their skill sets, their connection to dance, and their history.”
Every dancer was able to bring their own personality into their dancing which vastly improved how complex the show felt.
To let this creative freedom thrive within the show, Fekete and Hahn encouraged every dancer to collaborate with each other creatively, while learning the choreographies.
The show has been in production since fall 2017 quarter to have enough time to grow into what was it is today.
“It’s definitely process-driven. It’s challenging and fantastic for us,” Fekete said.
“It’s very personal and intimate.”
The show had no divide between choreographers and dancers.
Every person involved in the production had their own time to express themselves creatively.
The department is very focused on allowing anyone that wants to express himself or herself the opportunity.
No auditions were held regarding this show.
Every performer could potentially change how the show was performed no matter the experience level.
“That’s taking a huge chance and risk,” Fekete said.
“There’s an investment and trust from the choreographers to the students and the students to us.”
This method of recruitment is important because it showcases how the directors care more about what somebody can bring into a performance, instead of what he or she can’t.
However, challenges can arise in this situation when it comes to time and choreographies.
A guest choreographer of the show, Manuel Macias, explained how this affected his section of the show.
“We’re dealing with a lot of people from other majors,” said Macias.
“In other places you’re dealing with this dominant way of doing things, and we don’t do that here. There’s an expectation at first when they’re brand new, but we break that down and show them that we’re movers here.”
The department was able to create a creative environment where dancers could feel free to express themselves through movement, and it culminated as “In Liminal Flux” as it left the audience applauding well after the lights went on.
Courtesy of the Department of Theatre and New Dance
No auditions were held for the show, and performers included all majors from biochemistry to engineering
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