About the Production
The University of Akron (UA) School of Dance, Theatre, and Arts Administration presents “Spring into Dance.” The fully-virtual concert will include pre-recorded works and behind-the-scenes footage and will be available to stream via YouTube on Saturday, April 10 at 2:00 P.M. and 7:00 P.M.
“Spring into Dance” will feature works by seven student choreographers in Terpsichore, UA’s student-led dance organization, as well as a piece by dance faculty member Jennifer Lehaney. Guest choreographer Dominic Moore-Dunson of Inlet Dance Theatre will also present a work in conjunction with The Dance Institute.
Faith Coleman, a student choreographer with Terpsichore, says she “couldn’t have asked for better dancers” reflecting that “they took my vision and turned it into reality.” Coleman’s piece “To the Last” is a reflection of a difficult time in her life. The dance explores themes of depression and the struggle of balancing good and bad thoughts.
Other Terpsichore choreographers took this opportunity to create works that offer some lightheartedness after this challenging past year. Zakiah Davis, found inspiration for her piece “Triple Threat” from the positive idea of her future. Featuring energetic music by Rihanna, Ariana Grande, and Beyoncé, Davis’s goal with her piece is to make the audience have fun and want to get up and dance. Similarly, Lexi Hartung’s dance film “Burlesque” is intended to be entertaining and upbeat.
Guest choreographer Dominic Moore-Dunson created his piece “Bitter Earth” in collaboration with the dancers, students from UA’s Dance Institute. Moore-Dunson says that he has enjoyed the creative process and finds himself “impressed by the students’ desire to have authentic conversations about real-life experiences.” His work is a response to the world’s experience due to the COVID-19 pandemic and rests upon the balancing themes of isolation and resiliency. The piece is driven by a phrase that he and the dancers have used throughout the process—“It’s okay not to be okay.”
The University of Akron Dance Program offers both a Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) in Dance and a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Dance. Students receive extensive training in technique, performance and choreography, which is supported by academic coursework in dance history, pedagogy and physical analysis.