Dance faculty to present annual concert April 19 to 22

Western Washington University’s Department of Theatre and Dance presents its annual Dance Faculty Concert entitled “Dances of Laughter and Oblivion” at 7:30 p.m., Thursday through Saturday, April 19-21, and at 2 p.m. on Sunday, April 22 in the Performing Arts Center (PAC) Mainstage Theater.

The concert will feature five pieces with world premieres by WWU Dance faculty Susan Haines, Penny Hutchinson, Rick Merrill, and Nolan Dennett.

“This year’s Dance Faculty Concert is movement theater as ravishing as a Bach Cello suite played in the style of Rachmaninoff,” shared Artistic Director Nolan Dennett. “It is as thought-provoking as a disturbing dream that lingers long into the daylight hours.”

Dennett will showcase two pieces during the concert. Inspired by the photographic art of Robert Parke-Harrison, “Conventicle of Curiosities” takes on the logic of a dream in which the characters split, vanish, reappear, and singularly transform themselves while interacting with one another. His second work, “Aphelion/Perihelion” depicts the motion of a constellation in the firmament and refers to the points of closest proximity and furthest distance in the orbiting of one heavenly body around another.

Choreographer Susan Haines will provide an enhanced sensory experience by utilizing live music to accompany her work. Her piece is set to J.S. Bach’s “Suite #1 for Solo Viola,” which will be performed by WWU Music professor Eric Kean.

Penny Hutchinson will debut “Bacchanale,” a piece for 11 dancers that reflects on the human connection to nature and wilderness and the process of initiation into new states of being.

Audience members attending the Friday, April 20, performance are invited to remain after the concert for a special “talk back” with the choreographers about creating and performing time-based art.

Tickets are available through the WWU Box Office and are $12 general admission; $10 seniors, WWU faculty and staff; and $8 students.

WWU Box Office hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and one hour prior to the performance. For individual tickets or disability accommodations, contact the WWU Box Office at (360) 650-6146 or visit http://www.tickets.wwu.edu.

For more information, visit http://www.wwu.edu/dance/ or contact (360) 650-3879.