USC Dance Company to Perform at Drayton Hall Theatre in February

USC's Betsy Blackmon Dance Program will present the USC Dance Company Spring Concert, featuring an exciting program of original contemporary choreography by dance faculty, February 8-10 at Drayton Hall Theatre.

Show times are 7pm nightly, with an additional 2pm matinee performance on February 10.  Admission is $15 for students, $20 for USC faculty/staff, military, and seniors 60+, and $22 for the public. Tickets may be purchased online at sc.universitytickets.com or at the door. Drayton Hall Theatre is located at 1214 College St., across from the historic USC Horseshoe.

The concert's innovative repertory has been choreographed by USC dance faculty Jennifer Deckert, Eduard Forehand, André Megerdichian, and Olivia Waldrop. 

Megerdichian's Belly of the Whale, originally commissioned for Indianapolis-based contemporary dance company Dance Kaleidoscope, was inspired by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. It premiered as a virtually-presented filmed work in December 2020.

Megerdichian, a former DK company member, recalls, “This piece was extremely challenging to create for the simple reason that COVID had hijacked my creative life, just as it had for everyone else. Finally, it occurred to me we are in the belly of the whale – the moment in the hero's journey when the hero is separated from all the things by which they define themselves, like friends, family, work, etc. While it appears lonely and forsaken, what if we knew we did not walk alone?”

Olivia Waldrop describes her original contemporary ballet, moments for breath, as a “collage of dance” made up of vignettes that evoke the “lightness” of the work's minimalist soundtrack.

“I really enjoyed the lightness of the music I found,” she explains. “Usually, I like to explore more weighted movement with a moodier tone, but this work explores the idea of breath alongside movement with a lighter feel.”

Jennifer Deckert's joyous Doppler Effect is inspired by a playful score by composer Oliver Davis and explores the impacts of constant motion.

“I was motivated by my recent explorations of sequencing movement quickly from one dancer to another,” Deckert says, “allowing the constant flow of shapes and movement across the space.”

Eduard Forehand's still-untitled original work is an exploration of how movement can convey human emotion and reactions. 

“I have always been interested in the human side of dance – how to shed light on how we are connected by the complicated aspects that make us human,” Forehand says. “I want [the audience] to see that dancers are more than just dancers. We feel, we cry, we care… We are all complicated and that's wonderful.”

Throughout the academic year, the USC Dance Company performs works by a wide variety of choreographers – from dance legends like George Balanchine and José Limón, to notable guest choreographers like recent contributors Janis Brenner and Christian von Howard, as well as USC dance faculty and students. The Company will next perform alongside groundbreaking Complexions Contemporary Ballet for a one-night-only concert at the Koger Center on April 6.

For more information on the USC Dance Company Spring Concert or the Betsy Blackmon Dance Program, contact Kevin Bush by phone at 803-777-9353 or via email at bushk@mailbox.sc.edu.

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