Dance company to present Winter Works concert
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Purdue Contemporary Dance Company will present its Winter Works dance concert on Dec. 9 and 10.
The dance company, which is housed in the Patti and Rusty Rueff School of Visual and Performing Arts in Yue-Kong Pao Hall, will present seven new selected works by faculty and student artists. The concert will be in the Nancy T. Hansen Theatre.
Performances are at 7:30 p.m. each evening, and there also will be a 2 p.m. matinee on Dec. 10. Tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for students and $6 for those 12 and under. Tickets can be purchased at all Purdue box offices (765-494-3993 or 800-914-SHOW) and through Ticketmaster (https://www.ticketmaster.com or 765-743-5151).
"The performance includes both the deeply personal and the totally abstract," said Carol Cunningham-Sigman, Purdue faculty member in the School of Visual and Performing Arts and choreographer. "Dancers will mesmerize the audience as they evolve and revolve, and later even bring a chuckle when they emerge in bright white wigs, talking about their difficulties of talking while moving."
Winter Works performances include:
* "Aerial Rings," choreographed by Carol Cunningham-Sigman, is a contemporary dance set to Vivaldi choral music. The work is inspired by the baroque musical score and explores the interplay of individuals' attitudes, those who have their nose in the air, and those who have their feet firmly grounded in the earth.
* "MOON," presented by Sally Wallace, a Purdue faculty member, is inspired by the moon as a mystery, and its presence and impact. It can be romantic or peaceful, but also is blamed for the escalated violence that occurs during the full moon phase. Wallace explores these subtle and not-so-subtle energies through movement with her group of eight dancers.
* "In Translation," choreographed by Mary Beth Van Dyke, a faculty member in the School of Visual and Performing Arts, explores the often-tumultuous journey from adolescence to adulthood. The dance is inspired by her experience as a parent and by her dancers' journal entries.
* "Awkward Barbie," is presented by Holly Jaycox, a Purdue faculty member. The dance playfully explores the ways in which we respond to our desire to be more like our friends, and yet we do not really know why we do the things we do. The score, an original created by local musician Jamie Newman, is created by using only voices, no instruments.
* "Façade of the Temple," is choreographed by Kelley Jones, a senior majoring in aeronautical and astronautical engineering and minoring in dance. This piece takes you into the world of ancient Greece, where a poor soul is being tormented by the gods who are simply playing a game.
* "Sweet Dissolution," is choreographed by Monica Wagner, senior majoring in neurobiology and physiology with minors in psychology and dance. This piece explores how people react to and recover from interpersonal conflicts. Through the tension, dancers are able to find a sense of freedom, expressing how a friendship falling apart can be the best thing for everyone involved.
* "(in)direct," is choreographed by Kara Yoder, a dietetics and nutrition, fitness and health double major and dance minor. She investigates the quality and transition between indirect and direct movement, creating visually pleasing patterns with eight other dancers.
Writer: Rebekah Piotrowicz, 765-496-3006, rpiotrow@purdue.edu
Source: Carol Cunningham-Sigman, 765-494-5993, carolec@purdue.edu