Ohio State University Department of Dance's DANCE DOWNTOWN Set for 11/22-23

Four award-winning contemporary choreographers take inspiration from expressive guitar music to create this year's Dance Downtown, the annual concert that showcases the talents of undergraduate and graduate dance majors in The Ohio State University Department of Dance. The production will be staged at 8 pm Friday, November 22, and Saturday, November 23, at the Capitol Theatre, Riffe Center, 77 South High St. in downtown Columbus.

In addition, Ohio State will present a young people's version of the production at 10:30 am on November 22 as an outreach project for local schoolchildren. More than 800 students in grades 3 to 12 will see the performances at the theatre.

"As Columbus re-energizes its downtown core, and as the university re-invigorates its town and gown relationships, we are thrilled to continue the tradition of Dance Downtown, which started more than a decade ago," said Susan Petry, chair, Department of Dance. "The event mixes professional world-class choreographers, stellar dance students, and audience members from the university and the community."

On the program:

• Acclaimed dance artist, Ohio State dance alumna and modern dance icon Dianne McIntyre presents a new work for 14 dancers in response to the sounds of early blues. McIntyre is highly regarded for her choreographic musicality and her dedication to dancers creating a relationship to the music.

• Legendary choreographer, Ohio State dance alumna and Distinguished Professor of Dance Bebe Miller reprises her 1991 creation with "The Hendrix Redux," a chaotic, yet ordered visualization of the music of the legendary guitarist. Eleven dancers will perform.

• With his piece "Holometabolo," visiting artist from Costa Rica Jimmy Ortiz constructs movement material for 15 dancers, inspired by the concept of radical transformations. The original sound score composed for his work harnesses the versatility and virtuosity of electric and acoustic guitars.

• Choreographer Abby Zbikowski creates a new work with an all-female cast of 13 dancers exploring her rhythmically driven, hard-edged movement vocabulary, drawing from the rawness and vitality of punk and hip-hop cultures.

For ticket information, go to dance.osu.edu/events/downtown or call the Ohio State theatre box office at (614) 292-2295. Tickets also available from Ticketmaster.com, Ticketmaster charge by phone at (800) 745-3000, or the CAPA ticket office, (614) 469-0939. For directions, parking, accessibility information and more, visit capa.com.

Image: Catherine Proctor, photographer; Kathryn Sauma, dancer

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