UofSC Dance and Guests Perform 'R/Evolutions In Movement' in April

Legendary dance works and internationally renowned performers will take the spotlight as the UofSC Dance Company presents R/Evolutions in Movement, April 9-10 at the Koger Center for the Arts.

Show times are 6:30pm, April 9 and 2pm, April 10. Admission is $15 for students, $20 for UofSC faculty/staff, military, and seniors 60+, and $22 for the public. Tickets may be purchased online at kogercenterforthearts.com or by calling 803-251-2222. The Koger Center is located at 1051 Greene St.

The star-studded concert will feature the UofSC Dance Company performing Jerome Robbins' dramatic ballet Antique Epigraphs (staged by former NYC Ballet dancer Jenifer Ringer), Antony Tudor's iconic Fandango (staged by American Ballet Theatre veterans Amanda McKerrow and John Gardner), and an original work by NYC choreographer Caroline Fermin (Gallim Dance).

The student dancers will share the stage with three special guest stars from the professional dance world, who will perform additional works in the concert. Featured are Petra Conti and Eriz Nezha, Principal Dancers with L.A. Ballet, performing the iconic White Swan Pas de Deux from Swan Lakeand their signature piece Blackstone, a contemporary work by Italian choreographer Gianluca Schiavoni. Charlotte Landreau, who performed as Principal Dancer with the Martha Graham Dance Company for nearly a decade, will perform two solo originals: a 2020 work entitled Grief and a brand-new work co-created with Francesca Romo (Gallim Dance Company) titled Reckoning. The three guest performers will also offer master classes to UofSC dance students during their time at the university.

Giving students such opportunities to work with professional dance artists is part of the mission of the university's Department of Theatre and Dance, says associate professor Jennifer Deckert.

"It's a commitment of our program and department to bring in guests for our students and our community who are of the highest caliber and support the diversity of dance," says Deckert. "When you watch a professional performer, you understand that it's about more than technique, it's about their approach and their story. Being able to hear and talk to them about what their journey has been is so important because every artist's journey is different."

An elegant gala fundraiser will accompany the April 9 performance. A special ticket will admit guests to the gala, which will include pre-show cocktails and a post-show party featuring delicious cuisine by Horseshoe Catering and music by Heart 'N' Soul. Gala guests will also receive complimentary valet parking and preferred seating during the concert. Gala tickets are $150 per person and are available by contacting Susan Anderson by phone at 803-777-0704 or by email at susanea@mailbox.sc.edu.

Sponsorship opportunities for the evening are also available, with levels ranging from $500 to $10,000. All proceeds benefit scholarships for students in the university's dance program, cited in Dance Magazine as "one of the top three university programs to consider for classical ballet training." The concert and gala fundraiser are made possible in part by the generous assistance of Presenting Sponsor Nephron Pharmaceuticals, the Robert S. Handler Foundation, and the University of South Carolina College of Arts and Sciences.

With its wide-ranging repertoire and internationally renowned guest artists, the concert promises to be a special experience for audiences, says Deckert. "The audience is going to see everything from a classical tutu piece in the White Swan Pas de Deux to the calm and meditative Antique Epigraphs and then really contemporary, performance dance theatre," she says. "You'll definitely go through the emotional spectrum."

"Having a concert that covers this much ground is really unique," she adds, "and only possible by bringing in these types of guest artists."

For more information on R/Evolutions in Movement or the dance program at the University of South Carolina, contact Kevin Bush by phone at 803-777-9353 or via email at bushk@mailbox.sc.edu.