Original Faculty Work in the Spotlight for USC Dance Spring Concert in February

USC’s Betsy Blackmon Dance Company will present its Spring Concert, featuring a repertory of faculty choreographed dance works, February 13-15 at Drayton Hall Theatre.

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

The evening will include premiere works spanning ballet and contemporary dance from Associate Professor Jennifer Deckert, Senior Instructor Olivia Waldrop, Instructor Christopher Anderson, and Adjunct Instructor Christopher Aldeguer.

Among the works being presented are:

• if we listen by Jennifer Deckert, a piece which utilizes contemporary movement to explore similarities between humans and the nature that surrounds us. “This piece was motivated by observation and readings about trees,” she explains. “Understanding their root systems, the way they communicate, and how the community of trees supports one another led me back to a reflection upon our own network of roots, and the ways we are connected through friendships, family, and experiences. Ultimately, we are not all that different.”
   
• Keeping Time by Olivia Waldrop, a contemporary ballet work built from sections of previous choreography. “I’m revisiting old creative works and thinking about how they can be rearranged and reworked to create something new,” Waldrop says. “I've never approached a new work this way, but it has been exciting to see how I have grown as a choreographer, while also seeing the similarities in the themes that interest me.” 
   
• Blume by Christopher Anderson, a work described by the choreographer as a contemporary piece exploring themes of expansion, courage, and beauty. “My creative motivation is to challenge the dancers technically and artistically,” Anderson says. “I am trying to develop this work in service of the dancers, allowing them to transcend the ideas and movements on stage and in performance. I enjoy working this way because it centers the dancer as an artist and as a performer. It also challenges me and maintains an energy of creative risk throughout the process.” Blume marks the first original choreography created for the dance program by Anderson, who joined the faculty in August 2024.
   

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