[NEohioPAL]Dance 2001 at Kent State University

[emadden]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
DANCE 2001: NEW FACULTY WORKS
Kent State University Faculty presents the latest in modern dance and jazz 
choreography

The Kent State University Dance Division will be presenting Dance 2001 on 
November 30 and December 1 at 8:00 PM and on December 2 at 2:30 PM in E. 
Turner Stump Theatre in the Music and Speech Center off Horning Road in Kent. 
The concert features choreography by KSU Dance Faculty and Guest Artists with 
performances by faculty and students alike.

Dance Division Artist-in-Residence Chung-Fu Chang will be presenting two 
works. =93Fei-Tian=94 is a solo work inspired by one of the paintings in the Cave 
of Tunhwang, on the Silk Road during the Tang Dynasty in China (618-907 A.D.) 
Additionally, Mr. Chang will be premiering =93Pages,=94 a work performed by 
students, which incorporates the use of paper as a scenic and metaphorical 
element in the piece. Chang is originally from Taiwan, where he was a member 
of the renowned Cloud Gate Dance Theatre and the Kaoshiang Dance Company.

A featured work will be =93Take It Out,=94 a jazz piece originally choreographed 
by Kimberly Karpanty in1999. The dance was revived for a performance this 
summer in Monterrey, Mexico when it was chosen as a finalist in the 2001 World 
Jazz Dance Congress Choreography Competition. Karpanty has also created =93Walk 
with a Child,=94 a new duet for herself and senior dance major Karen Hewlett. 
The piece blends live and video dancing with the timeless "Canon in D" by 
Johann Pachelbel.

Tommy Parlon will perform "Pas de Brouhaha" choreographed by University of 
Maryland/Maryland Youth Ballet faculty member Alvin Mays. The work 
commemorates the centennial of the birth of Langston Hughes. Reflecting the 
spirit of "Good Morning Revolution" (1932), the choreography is direct, 
uncompromising and depicts the dancer as willing to stand for what he believes 
is true. Funding for the work comes from a 2002 grant from the Prince George=92s 
Arts Council. Parlon is also collaborating with KSU Professor of Art Janice 
Lessman-Moss on =93Bending Lucidity,=94 a quartet that will incorporate 
Lessman-Moss=92s fiber art as part of the stage design. The piece follows the 
breath of the body and the inescapable force of gravity. Organic opening 
images are contrasted with the propulsive and athletic choreography that are 
trademarks of Parlon's choreography.

Also on the program will be =93Bridges,=94 choreographed by Darwin Prioleau. 
Inspired by the African influence of music and dance on American jazz dance 
and music, this piece explores the threads that build bridges and connect 
people who may be different from one another. The piece is set to music by 
Diane Reeves. KSU Theatre Major Yolanda Davis will interpret Frederick Tillis' 
poem, "Jazz and Blues" while Matthew Gorris' set design will provide powerful 
support for the work.

Julie Raabe Gentry will offer "Lyvira!" which features solo, partner and 
ensemble improvisation accompanied by live percussion and marimba playing by 
Matthew Apanius and E.J. DeBlois. Gentry's dance "score" allows the dancers to 
move liberally within the structure of the piece so that each performance will 
provide a unique interpretation of the work.

Andrea Shearer's =934X4 on the Floor=94 is a dance about cars and the people who 
choose them, drive them and, sometimes, resemble them. Choreographic motifs 
were inspired by mechanical components, traffic patterns and road signs, such 
as "Caution: Curves," "No Passing Zone" and "Rough Road Ahead." The piece is 
set to the music of the Beach Boys, Chuck Berry and Bachman Turner Overdrive 
and features a cast of 16 student dancers.

Tickets range from $7 - $10, with discounts available for students, seniors 
and KSU Faculty & Staff. Box-office hours are 12 PM =96 5 PM, Mondays =96 Fridays 
and one hour before performance times. The box office will also be open on 
Saturdays from 2:30 PM =96 6:30 PM during the week of production. Tickets can be 
purchased by calling 330-672-2497. The box office accepts Visa, MasterCard, 
and Discover.

For more information: Elisabeth Madden
Management Associate
ElisabethMadden at msn.com
330-672-0103 (Phone)
330-672-2889 (Fax)

Elisabeth Madden
Management Associate
School of Theatre & Dance
Porthouse Theatre