Master Class with June Omura

Dance majors were treated to a beautiful master class by Bessie-award winning dancer June Omura from the Mark Morris Dance Group.

The group is being presented by the University Musical Society in Ann Arbor, and will present two programs--one Friday, September 19 and one Saturday, September 20 at the Power Center in Ann Arbor.

Dates for Dance Workshop and CoOne/Noel Night

Please note the change in performance dates/times for Dance Workshop and CoOne.

December 5, 7:30 PM  Dance Workshop

Decmeber 6, 7:00 & 8:00 PM CoOne premiere of Rolling on the River, A Time to Dance

December 7, 3:00 PM  Dance Workshop

Taylor Winter Intensive

December 27-January 6

Directed by Lisa Viola, this winter intensive at the Paul Taylor Studios in the New York City SoHo district is an excellent enhancement to your university studies as you build bridges to other dancers and the dance community.

Use your Christmas break to hone your skills and build your career!  Applications can be downloaded here, and dancers will be selected on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Wellspring/Cori Terry & Dancers is holding auditions for the 2008/2009 season.  This professional modern dance company is celebrating 29 years in Michigan.  There are positions for both male and female dancers with strong modern backgrounds for paid performance, teaching, and tours.

Click on the image for a full-sized version.

Will Power, award-winning actor, rapper, playwright, and educator, will be at Wayne State University for a week-long residency with the Department of Theatre, September 8-13, 2008.

All three of the events listed on the poster to the right are free--paid for by a grant from the National Performance Network and the Network of Cultural Centers of Color.

The forums listed will be in workshop format, so expect a high amount of participation in this fusion of art forms.

Click on the poster to view a larger version.

Summer Classes

Take some classes to continue your development during the summer, even if you aren't traveling! The Boll Family YMCA and the Detroit Opera House each have summer classes, as follows:

• The following are located that the Boll Family YMCA on Broadway in Downtown Detroit. All classes are $10 a piece and are taught by Aimee Cox who is a former Ailey dancer and fabulous teacher!
  Wednesday: Intermediate Jazz- Teens and Adults 7:30-9pm
  Saturday: Pre Ballet (4-6 y.o.) 12-1pm Beginning Ballet (Teens and Adults) 1:15-2:15
  Intermediate/Advanced Ballet (Teens and Adults 2:30-4
• Detroit Opera House- 1526 Broadway, on the 5th floor.
  Thursdays: Horton Technique- Taught by Michael Means $15 a class

SPIKE in Cincinnati

Jan Van Dyke invited her Wayne State University cast of SPIKE to Cincinnati for the Choreographers' Festival 2008, celebrating 35 years of modern dance in the city. This experience provided Martha Dobbs, Tiffany Janeway, Kate Vincek, and Renee Westervelt continued experience in the world of professional modern dance. Congratulations!

Get Dance NYC!

Call it an immersive experience in dance--after the junior year, select dance majors have the opportunity to participate in GetDance NYC, attending classes, rehearsals, shows, and socializing with working professionals as they plan for future careers in dance.

This year, Martha Dobbs, Jazman Flagg, Denita Gregory, Rachael Harbert, and Nicholle Noble spent nearly a week in the city.

WSU Dancers in La Traviata

Assistant Professor Jeff Rebudal created new choreography for La Traviata, Michigan Opera Theatre's season finale.
"I...enjoyed the performances of the...opera singers, the choreography...and everything else," wrote one audience member. The dancers were both participants in the action of the opera, and symbolic of thematic elements in the plot.
As seen in these photos by John Gritaitis, Beth Stolzenfeld, Bryan Strimpel, and Brandon Richardson, WSU dance majors, were featured dancers in the production.

Lauren Cansler and WSU Dance in The South End!

Senior Lauren Cansler is featured in this week's edition of The South End, Wayne State's campus paper. Check it out here.

Jody Oberfelder

Dance majors were joined by Dance 2000 students taking a master class by Jody Oberfelder, New York City choreographer. The class, on May 15th in the Maggie Allesee Studio Theatre, was co-hosted by Harriet Berg and the Department of Dance. Ms. Oberfelder's company will be performing on Saturday, May 17th at 8 PM in the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit. General admission $10, students $5.

Master Class!

Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, founding Artistic Director for Urban Bush Women was on campus last week, and what an inspiring experience it was! Maggie Allesee came to watch, and halfway through the class had to join.

The class was made possible because the Urban Bush Women had been in residence at the Maggie Allesee National Center for Choreography (MANCC) in Florida, and performed in the Power Center in Ann Arbor, MI.

Just another exceptional experience here in our department...