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Faculty sets sights on dancers

Monika Moon defies gravity in between fellow dancers Jessica Claycomb, left, and Angela Bolivar, as they prepare for Sacramento State’s Dance Sites.

Six faculty choreographers and two special guest-artists will have free rein for all forms of dance during Dance Sites 2007: New Work in Choreography and Performance, at Sacramento State’s University Theatre. Performances are Nov. 29 through Dec. 2 and Dec. 6-9.

Directed by Theatre and Dance professor Lorelei Bayne, the program features almost 50 performers in numbers ranging from contemporary ballet, to tap, to modern, to salsa and jazz. “Each piece is its own entity, so the choreographers can let their creativity lead them and explore new ideas regarding live performance,” Bayne says.

In addition to Bayne, the faculty choreographers are Nathan Jones, Lisa Ross, Karen Toon, Nolan T’Sani and Melissa Wynn. Guest artists are Randy Solorio and Sacramento State alum Jill Stripling.

Ross’ piece is a reflection of her images of French culture and art and her love of the French language. “So it’s all of those images and the feelings they invoke,” Ross says.

Her number is a contemporary jazz-based piece with some characteristics of musical theater and will feature different pieces of music from traditional French with accordion, to French children’s tunes and a Celine Dion song.

Ross hopes the audience will see the images of French artwork through the dancers.

Bayne describes her own piece as elegantly eerie, performed by 11 women to one of Frederic Chopin’s few orchestral works. New full-time lecturer Melissa Wynn will combine African-influenced movement, spoken text and Phillip Glass music with contemporary dance, and Jill Stripling’s piece is a physically challenging work for five dancers exploring human crisis. New part-time instructor Nathan Jones will perform his own solo work.

Performances are at 8 p.m., Nov. 29 through Dec. 1 and Dec. 7-8; at 2 p.m., Dec. 2 and 9; and at 6:30 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 6. Cost for the 6:30 p.m. show is $8 general admission and $5 for children 11 years old or younger. All other performances are $12 general admission; $10 for students, seniors and Sacramento State employees; and $8 for children.

For more information, call the Theatre and Dance Department at 278-6368.