Imagatorium, Spring 2024 The Department of Dance at Case Western Reserve University announces its final production of the 2023-2024 season, Imagatorium. The concert runs April 18-20 at 7:30 pm. The production will feature original works by second-year graduate students Claire Christie, Mikayla Heinrich-Wong, and Zhaonian Li along with senior capstone projects by Noah Hardy, Luke Koski, and Lucia Mancha. Choreographed by Claire Christie, 333 is a trio that explores the relationship of disconnection to connection through a variety of contemporary dynamics. The dancers represent their individuality, commonality, and intuitive connection through the abstract choreography. Allassō, choreographed by Zhaonian Li to the music of René Aubry, draws inspiration from the philosophical paradox 'The Ship of Theseus.' The performance delves into the continuous and evolving nature of change, unveiling the subtleties and uninterrupted flow of transformation through a dynamic interplay of solos, duets, trios, and quartets. Collective Experiences by Mikayla Heinrich-Wong highlights how myriad forms of strength can be found through unity and independence and from one’s collected and shared experiences. This discovered strength is portrayed through grounded, intricate movements and sustained stillness, with a soft, yet striking and powerful presence. With a focus on the dynamic interplay of shared strengths and experiences and of being connected or disconnected, the work reveals how both departures and returning intersections can inform and heighten the individual’s and group’s strength. Lucia Mancha’s Conversation with Silence is a collaboration with four other dancers that expanded on a solo previously choreographed by Mancha. It is set to a sparse and minimalistic suite of music composed by Xiaoyong Chen that includes long stretches of silence, giving space for physical sounds made by the performers to become part of the music composition. Those sounds act both as a response to the music and an adversary to the quiet while the movement explores restrictions in space and strength in stillness to yield a foreboding and haunting exchange between music, dancer, and silence personified. Moira, choreographed by Noah Hardy, is a trio centering around the theme of the three Fates from Greek and Norse mythology, and how the past and the future can influence the work of the present. Featuring integration with LIDAR tracking technology and projection to characterize and expand the dancing space, the piece is set to music composed by Terry Riley, and performed by the Kronos Quartet. Vivere è Volare, choreographed by Luke Koski, is a solo narrative work inspired by the myth of the phoenix, a powerful symbol of rebirth and renewal in many cultures throughout history. In this exploration, the phoenix’s story mirrors the complexities of healing from trauma, highlighting the resilience of the human spirit as the purest form of strength. The piece involves the interplay between movement and musical accompaniment and is set to a composition by Kaija Saariaho. Tickets are $10 for general admission. No reservations are accepted. Visit case.edu/artsci/dance for information.