After a two-year hiatus, the Department of Dance at SUNY Brockport returns to presentations of their graduate students’ MFA Thesis Works in several locations on campus and throughout the region this spring. Each of the events will be free, with donations accepted at the door. For additional information, contact the dance department at 395-2153.
The choreographers showing their works include:
•Carey Barnette – April 13, 7:30 p.m., Hartwell Dance Theater, Hartwell Hall, Kenyon Street, Brockport. Inspired by the history of sideshows, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and disability dance, this thesis work reimagines the script of how we view the body on display. This work uses both dance film and live performance to bring together dancers of varying abilities from around the U.S. and Canada.
•Natalia Lisina – April 16, 1 and 3 p.m., St. Joseph Park, 108 Franklin Street, Rochester. In this thesis project, Natalia Lisina, together with other students and alumni of SUNY Brockport, invites the audience to participate in an experiential, multisensory site-specific dance performance amidst the ruins of St. Joseph Church, now maintained as a park. The audience will be taken for a tour around the ruins and will explore themes of memory and loss as we engage in a creative transformation of a “dead space” into a “live place” in a movement dialogue. Lisina will engage with the audience for comments, questions, and feedback following the show.
•Megan Deshotel – April 29 and 30, 7:30 p.m., Rose L. Strasser Studio at Hartwell Hall, Kenyon Street, Brockport. Athleticism and balance drive the athletic artists in this work. In addition to the piece, the choreographer, Megan Deshotel, created a cross-training program that catered to the overall fitness and wellness of the dancer, emphasizing building strength. After the performance, there will be a Q&A session to discuss the cross-training program.
SUNY Brockport’s up-to-date COVID-19 prevention guidelines can be found on the ticketing website, the Fine Arts Series Facebook page, and at https://brockport.edu/coronavirus/spring_2022.html
