Neitzche is credited with saying, “I would believe only in a God who knows how to dance.” This weekend at Russell Hall, the wide world of Southern Maine has an opportunity to see firsthand just what inspired such a bold statement, when the USM Theatre Department presents Dance USM!, an annual event showcasing performances by students, faculty, and guest dancers and choreographers.
While USM does not, as yet, have a major or minor devoted to dance, according to faculty member Maria Tzianabos, director of this year’s Dance USM!, that may not be the case for long. Talks have been in the works about integrating a dance component into the musical theatre major and, according to Tzianabos, the prospect has definite possibilities. Before any definitive step is taken, however, Tzianabos is doing what she can to ensure that what little dance there is at USM, is as professionally presented as possible. That means taking this weekend’s event very, very seriously.
According to Tzianabos, “[Dance USM!] used to be sort of a free for all, where there was no formal process whatsoever, and it was more of a talent show.” Tzianabos has worked to change that, making auditions part of the process and striving to make the entire event “…more up to the collegiate level.” A critical part of that is encouraging outsiders from the Maine dance community to get involved with both this weekend’s event and the dance program in general.
This year, the guest performers include Bowdoin College adjunct faculty member Louis Gervais, Portland’s New Dance Studio Company, Bates College Dance director Carol Dilley, and New Dance Studio instructor Jill Eng. All of the guest performers this year are professional dancers and choreographers with a passion for their craft and strong ties to the dance community in the Portland area. Gervais, a Lewiston native, has performed his unique blend of storytelling, movement, and dance around the world, with original creations presented by the Canada Dance Festival in Ottawa, and Dancing on the Edge in Vancouver; Gervais has been the grand prize winner of the Dance Portland Choreography Competition on two occasions. Carol Dilley’s storied past includes eight years dancing professionally in Barcelona, where she formed her own dance company and was recipient of the prestigious Ricard Moragues Choreographic award; Dilley maintains ties with the dance communities within Australia, Spain, Costa Rica and, of course, Portland. Jill Eng has performed around the country, receiving scholarships from America’s premier dance festival Jacob’s Pillow and the American Dance Festival; Eng founded a dance collective in Durham, North Carolina, and is currently an instructor at New Dance Studio in Portland.
Professor Tzianabos maintains a rigorous schedule as a dance instructor at not only USM, but also Bates College and the New Dance Studio, at the same time serving as artist in residence and ballet instructor at Portland’s Arts Academy. As a professional dancer and choreographer herself, Tzianabos has been instrumental in establishing and maintaining ties to the dance community in Maine. That means an increased support network from not only her peers in the dance world, but at USM, as well, with President Richard Pattenaude as one of the key proponents in the effort to make dance either a delineated minor or major at USM, or a recognized component of the musical theatre major. According to Tzianabos, “The president is really on board with this project…Usually, the arts is the last place to get the funding-that’s true everywhere in our country. We’re lucky to have the support of the upper administration.”
With all this talk about guest performers and faculty and the like, it may be easy to forget that Dance USM! is, in fact, a student-oriented production, with students both choreographing and performing pieces, however, that is absolutely the case. Integrating music ranging from Infected Mushroom to Damien Rice, USM students have an opportunity to experience the creative process of dance in its entirety, from conception to execution, with Dance USM! Tzianabos has stressed the importance of the conception and creation end of things, noting that this is an opportunity for students to “…learn the skill of choreography, because choreography is an art-form unto itself. Even though you may be a dancer, not all dancers are choreographers.”
This weekend, however, students have an opportunity to become both. With themes revolving around war, chaos, the intricacies of human relationships, and self-discovery, choreographers for Dance USM! have worked to encapsulate what it takes to navigate our world today, and express that physically. Whether or not they succeed, the experience is certainly one worth viewing firsthand.
Dance USM! will be at Russell Hall this weekend, with evening performances on Friday and Saturday nights, April 29 and 30, at 7:30 p.m. A matinee is scheduled for 5 p.m. on Sunday, May 1. Not all guest performers listed in this article will be appearing in every performance; call the Box Office for reservations and a complete schedule, 780-5151.