REBECCA HALE
Reverb Editor
This weekend, the annual production of Fredonia Dance Ensemble will make its last appearance in Marvel Theatre before the current RAC construction’s finish. Over 30 dancers will come together to perform seven new pieces in what Michelle Kirisits has called the most diverse show yet.
“A lot of it is very electric, very dynamic, very fast-moving, very in-your-face,” said Kirisits, a junior BFA dance major and an assistant director of FDE. “[It] will surprise the audience.”
The genres in this year’s production range from ballet, to jazz, to modern, to athletic, to comedic, to lyrical and musical theater.
Also new this year is the fact that almost all of the pieces feature extra props and projections.
“There’s scenery, there’s a lot of projections, and in the piece before intermission, there’s actually apple seeds falling from the sky,” explained Kirisits.
One piece features tires onstage, another piece choreographed by Kerry Ring features a bar which dancers will perform tricks off of, and Terry Beck’s piece features papers turning into a dress, apples all over the stage, apple seeds falling down from the sky, projections and even singing.
Speaking of singing, the Chamber Choir will be featured in Helen Myers’ piece. Myers, who is also the Director of the Dance program, explained the concept of her piece.
“[‘Pilgrimage’] is based on 12th-Century music from Spain. The idea is that we’re all on a journey at every step in our lives, but there is a famous pilgrimage route in Northern Spain that people walk from all over Europe, so the music is from the cathedral that’s at the end of that famous pilgrimage.”
This European music is going to be performed live by the Chamber Choir during the piece.
“The choir had to be choreographed, as well as the dancers,” Myers added with a chuckle, as she explained that the music will be performed a capella, with no one conducting them.
With so much going on in each piece, the production will be assisted by over 20 technicians, whose job it is to keep everything running safely and smoothly. These technicians are all overseen by David Stellhorn, who is the technical director.
Allen Wheaton, a senior technical production and design major, explained his role as a lighting designer for “Orien I,” a multi-series piece choreographed by Sam Kenney. Wheaton explained that he previously designed the lighting for “Orien II” and “Orien III,” as well.
“One of the obstacles was having to deal with [deciding whether to] re-mount the piece exactly the way it was or start new, and in the end, decided to start new.”
Wheaton also explained that one of the issues lighting designers often face when designing for dance is that it is a completely different concept from musical theater.
“We’re trained for theater, and in dance, you have new angles to work with,” he said. “The challenge is that it’s a different approach to lighting design. We’re part of the storytelling as a lighting designer in dance.”
Fredonia Dance Ensemble is a production that is put on every spring at Fredonia. Dance majors and non-majors alike audition in August in a competitive process and begin rigorous rehearsals shortly after.
Another feature of FDE is that each year, two guest artists are invited to choreograph a piece. This year, Jon Lehrer, a Buffalo-based dancer and choreographer, has returned to Fredonia to choreograph for the third time, as well as new guest Rosy Simas, who is a contemporary dancer and choreographer from Minneapolis.
Since Simas lives so far away, she was only able to spend a week teaching her piece, and the rest was left to Kirisits and Noelle Lazor, her rehearsal assistants.
Conversely, Lehrer has been able to rehearse his piece every other week since November.
Life for dancers like Kirisits can get hectic, especially when they are as involved as she is. Kirisits is dancing in four pieces, assistant directing and acting as a rehearsal assistant for another piece. She is also the treasurer for Student Dance Organization, and she is an active member of Orchesis, Fredonia’s student-run dance company. She was seen two weekends ago dancing a solo piece she choreographed herself in Orchesis’ Spring show, “Synergy.”
“Over the past few years I’ve learned how to manage everything: class, meetings, rehearsals. Of course it gets stressful at times, but it’s all worth it when I get here,” Kirisits said.
And Kirisits, as the only junior dance major, is even more excited that next year, she will be one of the first dancers to perform in the new spaces in Rockefeller. The additions should be ready by next spring, and when that transition takes place, Marvel is going to be renovated, as well.
“Each year keeps getting stronger and stronger,” Kirisits exclaimed.
Productions of Fredonia Dance Ensemble are Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets are $18 general admission and $12 for students, and can be obtained through the Fredonia Ticket Office.