Theatre and Dance at Wayne State Presents Annual December Dance Concert

Wayne State University is proud to present the Maggie Allesee Department of Theatre and Dance December Dance Concert on Friday, December 5th at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, December 7th at 2:00 p.m. The December Dance Concert highlights the work of renowned guest artists, faculty, and select students. Performances are at the Bonstelle Theatre, 3424 Woodward Avenue, in midtown Detroit. Tickets range from $10-$20 and are available by calling (313) 577-2960, online at Bonstelle.com, or at the Hilberry Theatre box office, temporarily located at 4841 Cass Avenue on the corner of Hancock Street on the 3rd floor of Old Main.

The 2014 December Dance Concert features eight diverse works, including the relentlessly energetic Of the Earth Far Below, choreographed by the 2014-15 Allesee Artist in Residence, Doug Varone, director of Doug Varone and Dancers in New York City. Biba Bell's assembly illuminates dance as more than the sum of its parts, as a single dancer sets the ensemble into motion. The program also features Haitian Suite, an African dance offering by To Sangana, the Wayne State African Dance Workshop Company and Doubt, a hip hop piece by faculty member Travis Staton-Marrero.

The concert features select student choreography by Samuel Horning, Christina Chammas, and Lydia Di Iorio. Horning, a senior and president of the Dance Workshop Company, presents a skillfully crafted group dance investigating family dynamics and connection. Chammas draws inspiration from poetry, weaving text with physical partnering and full stage pictures to create touching landscapes. Soloist Di Iorio's delivers poignant spoken word while dancing, adeptly engaging the viewer.

The Maggie Allesee Department of Theatre & Dance has been a force on the national dance scene since the early 1900s, when Wayne State University was one of the first educational institutions to incorporate dance into its curriculum, guided by founding director Ruth L. Murray. Today WSU students enjoy the dynamic atmosphere of a vibrant and diverse department that concentrates on performance, choreography, dance technology, and dance education. The Allesee Artist-in-Residence Program provides a wide range of national and international performance and choreographic opportunities for dance majors, enriched by the dynamic cultural diversity of the city of Detroit.

The Production Team Includes:

Jeff Rebudal (Dance Area Head & Artistic Director); Eva Powers (Asst. Artistic Director); Sean Hoskins (Production Coordinator); Mary Copenhagen (Costume Designer); Heather DeFauw (Lighting Designer); Valerie Frawley (Sound Designer); Ryan Jones (Stage Manager); Brian Dambacher (Technical Director); Mark Sharrow (Costume Coordinator); Amy Schneider (Assistant Lighting Designer); Peter Lawrence (Apprentice Lighting Designer); John Schmidt (Apprentice Lighting Designer); Patrick Field (Master Electrician/Sound/Light Staff); Jason Goldman (Publicist)

About the Bonstelle Theatre

The Bonstelle Theatre is a Broadway-style House with a 1,035-seat auditorium featuring a balcony, owned by Wayne State University. Here, future stars of theatre, film, and television follow in the footsteps of such successful alumni as Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning S. Epatha Merkerson (NBC's Law and Order, Lackawanna Blues), Lily Tomlin (9 to 5, ABC's Desperate Housewives) and Ernie Hudson (Ghostbusters, NBC's Heroes). For box office hours and information on performances, tickets, group discounts and corporate packages, please call the box office at (313) 577-2960 or visit the theatre's website at www.bonstelle.com.

The Bonstelle Theatre. Where Wayne Plays.

Wayne State University is a premier urban research institution offering more than 370 academic programs through 13 schools and colleges to nearly 29,000 students. The Maggie Allesee Department of Theatre and Dance is a vital division of Wayne State's College of Fine, Performing and Communication Arts and carries on an 86-year tradition of leadership in dance education.

Season sponsored by CBS Outdoor, Between the Lines, and Encore Michigan.

Thursday, December 5 @ 7:30pm

Sunday, December 7 @ 2:00pm

Photo: Dancers Samuel Horning, Andrew Sanger, and Kara Brody. Photo by Scott Lipiec.