Diverse music, dance styles mark Dance 2008

A vibrant and dynamic series of performances marked PLU’s Dance 2008 in Eastvold Auditorium.

The night’s program featured students, alumna and faculty choreographers, and a guest choreographer. The Dance Ensemble performed a collection of dances in the style of jazz, modern, ballet and hip hop.

Directed by Maureen McGill, associate professor of dance and theater, the performance marked her 30th academic year at PLU. She presented “Bird Prints,” a solo piece set to original music by composer Ron Fein. Co-director and alumna Tara Holliday showcased her talents with a lyrical dance about crossing over.

The performance featured guest choreographer Amy Weaver, co-artistic director of the Weaving Dance Company and a freelance artist, choreographer and teacher. Weaver presented a modern, upbeat number set to the sounds of “Deep Forest” that includes partnering and challenging dance combinations.

A Washington native, Weaver moved from Wenatchee to Seattle to earn her Bachelor’s in Fine Arts from the Cornish College of the Arts. She toured extensively with the off Broadway show “The Masterpiece,” which included appearances in China for the International Festival of the Arts.

In all, the performance featured 13 choreographers, 57 dancers and musicians, with lighting design by Dave Wehmhoefer. The additional pieces featured in Dance 2008 were arranged by student artists and include:

• PLU dance team co-captain Kristen Martensen, whose hip hop dance included break dancers and was set to music by Christine Aguilera, Busta Rhymes, Aceyalone, Timbaland and Pit Bull
• Liz Erie, dance team co-captain, who created a number titled “Diamonds” accompanied by the music of Eve, Gnarles Barkley and Janet Jackson
• Dmitry Mikheyev, who choreographed a dramatic dance that included the use of props
• Rachael McWilliams, whose number was set to a song from Andrew Lloyd Weber’s “Phantom of the Opera”
• Clare Edgerton and Justin Huertas, who incorporated live musicians and vocalists into their dance set to a song from the musical “Spring Awakening”
• A ballet work choreographed by Elizabeth Long and set to the music of Aaron Copland
• Maurice Eckstein, whose lyrical, ritualistic dance was accompanied by the sounds of Ella Andell
• Senior Jenna Calhoun, who used the music of Imogen Heap as the background for her abstract modern work
• Rebecca Sharp, whose jazz work featured “Guess Who” and “American Woman”

The performance was sponsored by the School of Arts and Communication and the Office of Admission.