51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ Dance is proud to announce its 2020-21 season, "A Season of Change."
Statement on the season by Louis Kavouras, chair of 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ dance department
#BLACKLIVESMATTER and #BROWNLIVESMATTER, and if they do not, then no lives matter.
Let's only tolerate a world without racism. A world that respects and embraces difference. A world where all people move freely and belong equally without prejudice and hate.
Below the surface of our skin, we are all the same blood that flows, the same hearts that beat, the same bone that stands tall, and the same nerves that feel. And at the surface where we end and where the world begins, the tiny melanocytes produce melatonin at differing amounts and give us all our own unique color. Shouldn't we enjoy these differences the way we enjoy the colors of the rainbow, or the splendor of the garden in full bloom?
This is a tumultuous and pivotal time in the life of our country. At 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ Dance, we stand together in solidarity with our African American faculty, staff, and students in denouncing heinous acts of violence, in demanding accountability, and in demanding systemic change. Now is a time for change, and the change we desire in this world is not an ordinary change, it is a sea change.
We dedicate this year's season to this cause. And we know that our students, our faculty, and our choreographers will create an astounding body of dance works that celebrate and promote a world of harmony, social justice, equality, and change.
The Design
This year’s posters feature five dancers from the diverse 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ dance family. The color palette for these posters only includes colors found in human flesh. It is a rainbow of color, but not the typical jewel-tone spectrum; this is a spectrum of various shades of brown, a celebration of color, diversity, and difference. The department's hope is that within this palette of over 200 flesh tones, all people can see and find themselves. The female dancers are in simple contemplative reflective poses in simple leotards, a powerful celebration of women and color.
The Concerts
The 2020 season opens with Forward Motion, a concert of works by faculty in the department of dance featuring BFA performance and choreography majors. This performance premieres on the Friday, Oct. 16 at 7:30 p.m. It then becomes part of the YouTube video offerings.
Students in the Bachelor of Fine Arts program in performance and choreography present their BFA projects in This Moment of Movement. This concert will be filmed in Ham Fine Arts Dance Studio One (HFA 111) and will premiere on the Department of Dance YouTube channel on Thursday, Nov. 19 at 7:30 p.m.
We continue the tradition of end-of-semester dance performances with More Dance, a virtual dance concert of works premiering on YouTube on Friday, Dec. 4 at 7:30 p.m. These works will be filmed in social distanced spaces and will showcase choreographic classwork. Many of these works will be a reflection of the times we are living in and will allow dance majors the opportunity to create art in response to the world around us.
In spring 2021, we hope to resume live performances in the concert, Now is the Time. These performances will be for smaller socially distanced audiences in the Judy Bayley Theatre. It will feature the choreographic work by dance faculty and artists-in-residence. This concert will be presented on Friday, Feb. 26 at 7:30 p.m., and Saturday, Feb. 27, at 2:30 and 7:30 p.m.
Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow, a spring concert of dance works by Bachelor of Fine Arts performance and choreography majors, will be presented in Ham Fine Arts Dance Studio One (HFA 111) on Thursday, April 22 through Sunday, April 25.
The 2020-21 season will finish with Last Dance on Friday, May 7. A final concert of works and projects by dance majors, dance faculty, guests, and dance student groups.
In spring 2020, 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ Dance presented its first virtual dance concert. This filmed project was highly successful and highly viewed on 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ Dance YouTube Channel. Look for announcements about all shows on the 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ Dance website and on social media platforms:
- Facebook:
- Instagram:
- YouTube:
Note: Due to the coronavirus pandemic, all performance events in the department of dance are subject to change. The department's utmost concern is the safety and well-being of its performers, choreographers, and patrons.
