Thursday, September 30, 2010

Parent's Weekend Success and Week 4 of Fall Term!

Its another week here in the Mercyhurst College dance space and things are energetic!

First things first, the Parent's weekend show was quite the success! Congratulations to those that performed, you really represented the department in a positive light and demonstrated what a talented group of dancers the department has.

The Mercyhurst chapter of Nu Delta Alpha, the dance honor society, is having it's first tri-annual bake sale of the year! NDA is a prestigious organization within the department who's members must achieve a GPA of 3.4 or higher to be able to join. It also performs community outreach and raises dance awareness. The funds raised from the bake sale go to aid in helping us achieve community outreach.

The biggest news for this week is that we have the first group of auditionees coming in on friday! It is a full day process for the high school seniors that includes an audition class, campus tour, complementary lunch and a meeting with Ms. Hunter, the department chair. It really means that the year is in full swing when potential new members start coming to the department.

"It takes an athlete to dance, but an artist to be a dancer."

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Dancespace week #3

Hello All,

So the buzz about the space this week is that parents/alumni/homecoming weekend is upon us!!! Everyone involved with the show is taking care to make their last preperations before they take the stage on Saturday. The Mercyhurst dancers will be presenting two variations, one from Sylvia and one from Don Quiote, a modern piece entitled Close the Glass Door choreographed by Randy James and a contemporary ballet piece choreographed by Bruce Marks entitled Fragments. The concert will also include performances by the Mercyhurst Music department and local dance ensemble SOMAR Dance Works. Anyone in the Erie, PA area Saturday the 25th at 7pm should come to the Mary D'Angelo Performing Arts Center on the Mercyhurst College campus and check it out!!!!!!!!!!!

In other news life in the dancespace is continuing on. Everyone is working hard in their ballet, pointe and variations, jazz and modern classes. Rehearsals for the fall show are coming along nicely and the anticipation is starting to build. We can't wait to share all our hard work with you!

"Ballet is not technique but a way of expression that comes more closely to the inner language of man than any other." ~George Borodin

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Fall Term Week #2

Well, its a rainy/dreary day in Erie, PA. Luckally, the sophomore class is taking jazz at the moment and keeping spirits up in the department with Micheal Jackson blasts from the Palmer studio.

Everyone seems to have adjusted nicely to their individual routines here at the Hurst and are no longer working to get back into shape but to improve in their technique and performance quality. This year's majors are more dedicated than ever and taking the department to a whole new level.

Rehearsals for parent's weekend are really coming along as the performance looms near, about a week and a half and counting. Fragments, choreographed by Bruce Marks, has emotion that just leaps out of the bodies of the dancers while Close the Glass Door, choreographed by Randy James, really demonstrates the versatility of the dancers in the department.

Can't wait to let you all know how the performance goes!!!

"Dancers aren't made of their technique, but their passion."

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Hello All!

Sorry for the lack of blogging lately, the start of the school year means a turn over of blog control but things will be more consistent from now on. This year we have 24 fantastic new dancers joining us in the dance space, classes have started and everyone is getting settled in for another wonderful year.

We have completed company ensemble auditions for our fall show and rehearsals are in full swing! We have an evening of Stravinsky planned and the show will include Firebird with choreography by Michael Gleason, Pulcinella with choreography by our department chair Tauna Hunter, The Rite of Spring with choreography by Mark Santillano, and Closing the Glass Door a piece by guest artist Randy James from Rutgers University.

We are also in the midst of preparing for the homecoming/parents weekend show on September 25th here at Mercyhurst where department will be performing two pieces. On the bill is a piece titled Fragments choreographed by the world renowned Bruce Marks as well as Closing the Glass Door by Randy James.

So as you can tell things are already busy in the department but everyone is working hard and loving every minute of it. We have some amazing things planned for this year and we can't wait to share them with everyone!

"We dance for laughter, we dance for tears, we dance for madness, we dance for fears, we dance for hopes, we dance for screams, we are the dancers, we create the dreams."