Dancin’ dancin’ dancin’. They’re all dancin’ machines, but it’s no Saturday Night Fever. It’s Dance USM!, the only annual dance show on campus. Maria Tzianabos, lecturer in theater, is directing a crew of choreographers and performers in this year’s culturally diverse program that aims to create meaning out of movement.
Tzianabos described the show as more of a festival open to the Portland community–dancers, non-dancers, students and non-students alike. Though there were open auditions, the majority of the performers were drawn from Tzianabos’s choreography class. Many of the choreographers are first-timers who haven’t previously worked in theater.
Dance USM! will showcase original student choreography. The lineup includes works from around the globe. An Irish step dance, three Middle Eastern belly dances, and an ancient Sanskrit piece are all included in the program. All the pieces convey some kind of story or meaning using movement rather than language. Each piece uses different methods to achieve meaning.
Students in Tzianabos’s class will take part in improvisational pieces that hand gestures as a bridge to communication. The students have created a code using hand movements that correspond to different body movements. Tzianabos’s role will be to stand on the stage and direct with coded hand gestures. This is where the improv comes in. Tzianabos is free to change the sequence of gestures, varying the performance nightly.
One of these improvisational pieces will portray the “meaning of truth,” said Tzianabos. The silent piece allows for a highly-individualized performance because the movement is very loosely organized. The students created what Tzianabos referred to as a “movement paragraph,” which encompasses agreed-upon movements to relay the message but is open to individual interpretations of how those movements are expressed.
“The piece is not completely off the top of their heads, but we work on the idea rather than the movements,” said Tzianabos.
Associate Professor of Theatre Assunta Kent, who is participating as a guest choreographer, will present a piece she described as a “teaser” because it is a preview of a larger production to be performed next year. The piece is part of a Cambodian/Indian dance called “Shakuntala.”
Local musician Amos Libby will provide the music and lyrics for the piece performing on his Tabla, which are Indian drums. A part of the language of the piece will be presented in hand gestures (or mudra). This piece tells the story of two lovers’ first encounter.
Kent, who has been involved in Dance USM! for over five years, remembers senior theatre major Kellsy Mackilligan’s first experience with belly dancing.
“She was one of the best dancers and now she is teaching her own class,” said Kent. “There was this fusion made within the community … [and] that’s what’s supposed to happen.”
Mackilligan will perform three pieces conveying a “short version of belly dance history,” she said. Belly dancing, which is commonly interpreted as a sexual dance, originated as a birthing ritual and goddess worship dance, said Mackilligan. The first two pieces chronicle the transformation from birthing ritual to sexual dance. The third piece, Mackilligan said, “reflects what belly dance is, which is just a celebration of life, movement, and the body.”
Dance USM! will be performed on the Main Stage in Russell Hall from April 24 to April 26. All shows begin at 7:30 p.m., and tickets can be obtained by calling 780-5151.
Christy McKinnon can be contacted at [email protected]