Dance Montage celebrates 40
|
|
“I was in a jazz number and I had never before performed to an audience in the dance theatre,” the U of C alumna and retired school principal recalls with a laugh. “We had worked on this crazy little Barry Manilow piece and I was so nervous that I thought the record was playing at the wrong speed. I felt like I was dancing in slow motion to keep time with the music. It took me a couple of minutes to realize that it was just the adrenalin running through my body!” So began Adams’ four-decade association with Dance Montage, one of Calgary’s longest-running dance productions and one of the longest-running events of any kind at the U of C. It will celebrate its 40th anniversary with performances in late November. Since its inception, Dance Montage has integrated more than 1,800 dancers and nearly 200 choreographers with experienced professionals to facilitate the creation of new dance work. Dancers of all abilities audition to be part of this exciting community event. This year’s production is led by artistic director Anne Flynn, a professor of dance in the faculties of kinesiology and fine arts, who has been involved in Dance Montage since 1979. “The role of Dance Montage in Calgary’s dance community has been significant, providing opportunities for future professionals, public school dance educators and members of the general public,” says Flynn. “Long before the fitness boom and hit television dance shows, Dance Montage was providing access to recreational dance classes for hundreds of dance enthusiasts each year.” Adams, a veteran of the first, 25th and 35th anniversary presentations, among others, will be performing in two pieces in the 40th anniversary production. One is a new piece choreographed by Professor Emeritus Shirley Murray. “Shirley is celebrating the physical education faculty and sports in general,” Adams said. “It will incorporate sports movements with dance themes, including classical music, ballet, jazz, tap and contemporary dance.” In addition to that piece, Adams will also perform in Classical Shuteye, a piece by choreographer Paula Steinburg, first performed in 1982 and repeated for the U of C's 25th anniversary celebration in 1991. Adams says it will feature all but one of the original performers.
The 40th anniversary show will highlight repertoire from each decade of the 40 years created by choreographers Annalisa Bentzen, Kory Ireland, Lisa Ryan and Steinberg. There will also be new work featuring 43 current and former U of C kinesiology students, a piece for an all-male cast created by W&M Physical Theatre’s Wojtek Mochniej and a Bob Fosse-inspired dance created by Jessalyn Britton and Laura Reed, students in the dance major program.
|
October 29, 2009