Dance students and faculty join forces for 'The Current'
Each year, CU-Boulder dance students and faculty come together for āThe Current,ā an annual showcase of brand-new pieces. This yearās performances take place April 15-17 and feature evocative, original work by dance professors Erika Randall and Donna Mejia, lecturer Larry Southall, alumna Megan Odom and Roser Guest Artist Faye Driscoll.
āEvery year at this show, I fall in love with our department all over again,ā said Mejia, an assistant professor in dance. āIām in awe of the artists here, and Iām unbelievably honored to be part of this crew. The work of my colleagues brings me to tears.ā
Mejia, a self-described transnational fusion artist, has choreographed two works on the program: a longing solo exploring the theme of human intimacy, which draws on moves from Northern Africa and hip hop communities, and an ensemble work called āThe Amplified Field,ā an uptempo, highly athletic exploration of what itās like to negotiate overlapping identities in the digital age.
āIāve got blue eyes, African features and dreadlocks,ā she said. āMy multi-ethnic physical appearance is definitely provoking and disruptive in social situations, and people frequently approach me asking āWhat are you?ā But in truth we all manage overlapping identities, to some extent. Maybe weāre mothers and also professionals. I happen to broadcast my overlapping identities in a very obvious way, but I observe everyone to be negotiating these cultural collisions within themselves.ā
Randall, the dance divisionās director, also choreographed two pieces in āThe Current:ā a driving, bombastic seven-person work inspired by composer David Langās piece ācheating, lying, stealing,ā and an ensemble piece called āThere I Still Hear,ā created in memory of a close friend.
āThe whole piece is about whatās carried inside someoneās last breath,ā said Randall. āIt weaves together memory and nostalgia, and the dancers are meant to represent children who died from scarlet fever in the Victorian era.ā
She will also perform a solo piece created by alumna Megan Odom after she read a draft of Randallās novel, āThe Secrets of the Dashboard Hula Dancer.ā In the novelās last chapter, a plastic hula dancer comes to life and finds out what happens when, instead of looking out the rear window, she turns around and glimpses the future.
This yearās Roser Guest Artist Faye Driscoll says she looks forward to visiting Boulder for the first time and collaborating with dance students on a whole new piece.
āItās a fantastic opportunity for the students to use creative agency and work together to make something,ā said Driscoll. āThatās what most of my pieces are about, too ā¦ the very fact that weāre interdependent and interconnected. Being able to connect with each other in person and in real time ā¦ that just doesnāt happen much these days.ā
āThe Currentā showcases more than just physical talent. During the performance, audiences can feast their eyes on beautiful Victorian silhouettes created by CU-Boulder costume designer Markas Henry, music arranged by Daniel Beahm and light design by Jim Doyle, a CU-Boulder alumnus who lit up the Bellagio fountain in Las Vegas, the Lincoln Center fountain in New York and Michael Jacksonās āThrillerā music video.
For more information or to purchase tickets, visit the .