The Many Signs of Dance :: essays research papers

The many signs of Dance "To learn the language of dance, one must perform." That quote is taken from C. Nicholas Johnson, director of dance. In the following paper, I will review the Wichita Contemporary Dance Theater performance that took place April 8-9 at 7:30. I will be reviewing Friday nights performance. As C. Nicholas Johnson said, "In doing so, we hope to encourage personal growth beyond the art itself. Ever since I heard about the Spring Dance Concert, I was very excited to go and be part of that. For some reason that night I thought I was going to be seeing a Ballet concert. So when the first piece came on "Dear Me" choreographed by Cheyla Cabrales, I was in for a real shock. Soloist Stephanie Davis started the show out with a very modern dance, by doing all her moves by simply sitting in a chair. The audience was then surprised with a outburst of dancers right beside them. All over the room there were breaths that were taken at the same time and complete surround dancing. I enjoyed this piece not just for the uniqueness, but for the music and the openness affect it had on me and the audience. The second piece, "Warfaring" choreographed by Janice Garrett, was much more different from the first piece. It was much more brighter, the girls wore green dresses, and the music was fiddles and guitars. It involved 4 dancers, but it seemed like more because they were doing so much work throughout the movement. I liked this piece, it made me smile, because the girls had smiles on their faces as they were dancing. They looked as if they could have danced all day and be completely satisfied. The third piece "Inside Out" choreographed by Nick Johnson, was one of my favorites. "To all my female dance majors...I understand!" That was the quote that was under the piece's title. In my head I was thinking that this was probably going to be a slow emotional dance with soft music. But instead it was very humorous. Nick Johnson was half a women and half a man. The costume was perfect, it was literally haft women and half man. I thought of the act as a "dating" scene. The man being all nervous and wanting the women, but the women showing that she likes him, but making sure he knows that she is in charge.