Orange Coast College Dance Department Will Perform Virtual Spring Dance Concert DANCES FOR THE CAMERA

The Orange Coast College dance department will present its annual Spring Dance Concert virtually, via Zoom, on Saturday, May 22 at 7 p.m. The show, titled "Dances for the Camera" is the culmination of the spring Repertoire course taught by dance department Chair Rachel Berman.

The evening of dance will feature choreographic premieres by OCC students and two faculty members - Shana Menaker and Angelika Nemeth. The program will offer an array of diverse dance styles, including Polynesian, tap, contemporary, modern, hip hop, and Middle Eastern, all through the lens of the camera.

"These dances could not exist in real time and space," says Berman. "Artistic expression is encouraged in OCC's developing student choreographers and this concert provides an opportunity to realize their individual visions in new and exciting ways."

The highlight of the concert will be a re-staging of an iconic work of Mexican modern dance choreographer José Limón. The work is entitled "Chaconne" and is set to music by J.S. Bach. Originally a solo for Mr. Limón, OCC students learned the 1942 work over Zoom during the Spring 2021 semester.

For OCC's spring concert, "Chaconne" was filmed, socially distanced, in the Robert B. Moore Theatre in April. The performance was staged by Colin Connor of the Limón Company and overseen by faculty member José Costas.

The spring concert is free of charge, and audience members can view the production via this link. After the concert there will be a presentation of OCC dance scholarships and a celebration to mark the end of a tumultuous year. OCC's dance department will begin to offer classes in-person and on campus this summer.

For more information, please contact Rachel Berman at rberman3@occ.cccd.edu