Each semester, students in UW-Milwaukee’s Peck School of the Arts Dance Department audition for a concert choreographed by faculty and guest artists. Currently, B.A. and B.F.A. dance students are rehearsing for Springdances: Unfolding Space(s). Usually held in the Mainstage Theater, the production this year will be presented in Studio 620 of UWM’s Kenilworth Building. It’s an expansive, top-floor, loft-like space with floor-to-ceiling windows, beams and concrete floors that give the room an industrial feel. Dancers will explore this new locale April 28-May 2, with performances taking place on Thursday through Monday at 7:30 p.m.
Guest faculty member Rhea Speights joins the collection of choreographers this year. In addition to choreographing, she has been teaching both ballet and composition courses this semester. Speights, who is from Alabama, says a big part of her attraction to Kenilworth 620 is the magnificent view of Lake Michigan it offers. Like many in our city, Speights feels a gravitational pull towards the lake and her dance is a “response to the seduction of that image.”
Chicago-based dancer Molly Shanahan will debut “The Last Minute,” a new piece set on the students this semester. According to Springdances’ Artistic Director Daniel Burkholder, those who know Shanahan’s work should expect her usual generous directing which allows for a performance that is embodied in ways unique to each performer. Spaciousness and flow find a home in her work, allowing audience members to feel as much a part of the work as the dancers.
April Sellers, a graduate of the master of fine arts program at UWM, takes inspiration from Bette Davis and Joan Crawford in her dance “Eyes on Bette.” Sellers is known for her character-driven work filled with edgy theatricality. Audiences can expect a raised eyebrow or two from this creation with spoken text, lip synching and, yes, oh, yes...even drag. Dancers will commit to blurred gender stereotypes and present a piece unlike any other in the evening’s program.
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Dani Kuepper is a well-known name and face in Milwaukee’s dance community. This semester, she brings “My Secret’s Keeper” to Springdances. Cast members were asked to write down anonymous secrets about themselves that then led to dance material. One challenge Kuepper faced was the task of translating these ideas to movement that would resonate in such an open space, so her dancers create structures to house their quiet revelations and to study how proximity affects secrecy.
Burkholder will present his work in two rooms in the Kenilworth building. “Stories of a Life” takes place in room 620, where audience members will see a live dance, and in room 640 where they will view a live-feed projection. Dancers will repeat the dance, allowing viewers to catch different angles and moments in time. I imagine the dance might never be viewed exactly the same way twice. “With every opportunity comes a challenge,” Burkholder says. Springdances: Unfolding Space(s) should provide plenty of both.
Performances take place April 28-May 2 at 7:30 pm at 1915 E. Kenilworth Ave., Room 620. For tickets and further information, call 414-229-4308 or visit psoacal.uwm.edu/event/springdances-2016.
