USC Dance Students Premiere Original Works This Month

USC's Betsy Blackmon Dance Program will present the Spring Student Choreography Showcase, featuring original dance works conceived and choreographed by dance majors, April 25-26 at Drayton Hall Theatre.

Performances are at 2 p.m. daily.  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.

Senior Instructor Olivia Waldrop and Instructor Christopher Anderson are directing the concert, which is a culmination of their work guiding the students' creative development throughout the semester. Through mentorship sessions, rehearsal feedback, and in-progress showings, each student has been guided through refinement of their choreographic vision while fostering collaboration and peer input. Eleven works spanning a diverse array of styles will be featured in the concert.

“There's such a wide range of work and every piece brings something different,” says Megan Bunkley, a senior Dance Performance major. “There's a lot of heart behind every piece and I think that makes it really special to watch.”

Bunkley's Not Quite Over is a contemporary ballet set to the romantic “Mia & Sebastian's Theme” from the film La La Land that she says “follows two people who keep circling back to each other – not fully together, not fully apart.”

“I want the audience to walk away with something personal,” Bunkley says. “Whether it reminds them of a relationship, a friendship, or just a feeling they've had before, I hope it resonates in a way that's bittersweet, but still hopeful.”

Senior Dance Performance major Leah Parks, a first-time Showcase choreographer, has drawn inspiration from the iconic ballet Swan Lake for her contemporary pointe piece, Swans. “There are no distinct characters or narratives,” she says, “but rather sequences that are visually appealing and aim to be artistically interesting.”

“Choreographing for the Showcase has allowed me to explore my creative approach to designing movement,” Parks says. “I've really enjoyed getting to create something and work to bring my vision to life.”

“Participating in the Showcase has been completely transformative to my college career and personal growth,” says senior Dance Performance major Olivia Sherman, whose work Daybreak is inspired by the serene beauty of South Carolina's rural landscapes in the springtime.

“I took a leap to choreograph last semester, even though it was never something I had planned to do. It ended up unlocking a creative side of myself I didn't know existed and has motivated me to continue nurturing that creativity going forward,” she says.

Additional choreographers for the concert include Amy Brooks, Honesty Cunningham, Aliya Dalecki, Avery Gates, Maira Honjiyo, Bentley Kemble, Marsh Kral, and Delaney Narron. Lighting design for the works is being created by 2nd-year graduate lighting design students Garreth Hayward and Victoria Rickards, and Senior Instructor Eric Morris. 

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