Keene State’s Theatre and Dance Department “dressed in blue” to commemorate its 50th performance of Evening of Dance.
Performances were in the Redfern Arts Center Main Theatre from April 11 to 13. This anniversary event, titled “Dressed in Blue,” was a collaboration between current dance students, alumni, KSC Music Department Faculty and Concert Band.
The performance opened with “Collective Memory (Cerulean),” a piece led by 2014 alum Alex Davis.
“The concept is remembering, so specifically our relationship to the stage,” senior Sylvan Williams said. “It’s just a celebration of all of us and all the memories that we have on this stage.”
Following, 1988 alum Paul Besaw choreographed the piece “The Undertaker Waltzes In,” a duet between two different pairs of students across performances.
Before intermission was 2012 alum Riley Lynch’s choreographed piece “A Classic Tale of Treachery and Virtue” based on trauma and struggles within a family unit.
“It starts out really strong and happy and they have this really vivid connection and they sort of find themselves at like a breaking point where something unspecific happens and they fall apart,” Lynch said. “The idea that I was going with was this hole that we seem to all have inside of us that we’re trying to fill with maybe not the best choices… Not realizing what we really need is that human connection.”
Junior Allyson Crisa described the piece to be, “What it means to struggle and be in a struggle. How that often can affect the way that you treat the people around you and how hard it is to hold everyone up in a family dynamic when you’re also struggling.”
The second half consisted of composer George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue.” Professor of Dance Cynthia McLaughlin and Dance Adjunct Faculty Molly Fletcher-Lynch based the concept of “Dressed in Blue” on the piece as it also celebrated its anniversary of 100 years. Additionally, “Rhapsody in Blue” was nostalgic to McLaughlin.
“It’s just always sort of been this beloved piece from when I was little,” McLaughlin said. “I have different feelings about it now than I did then but I still feel like it’s important even though it’s entered into our sort of popular mainstream awareness in such a strong way.”
Crisa described the last part of Evening of Dance as a reflection of the dance program’s legacy and how memories are retained.
“It’s kind of like our response, so what does this mean to us now and how do we look back on memories like this during anniversaries for the score or anniversaries for our program?” Crisa said. “Dance is so fleeting performance-wise, you only get to really see something once. So how can we dwell in a memory of a performance and what it means for alumni to come back and see all of their memories on the stage through us is super special.”
Audience member and first-year Caitlyn Costa said she appreciated the creative aspects of the performances. “I thought it was very creative and interesting and I liked how since it’s so interpretive you can really interpret it in any way you want,” Costa said.
Junior Wilson Hines attended a performance and was fascinated by the depth of the show. “The first time I feel like I have to see it again because I feel like I missed so much,” Hines said. “This sort of interpretational, emotional, gripping and flowy dance … all of it will always just blow me away.”
Senior and Concert Band member Trevor Adams said “Dressed in Blue” was a unique opportunity to be a part of. “I’ve never been kind of a collaborator in this sense and it’s a very new experience, very odd experience,” Adams said. “The dancing itself is unlike most things I’ve ever seen.”
McLaughlin said “Dressed in Blue” being a big collaboration has helped her dancers grow as performers.
“This is a sort of experience that our students don’t often get, to be in a big ensemble like that and it’s its own unique thing,” McLaughlin said. “It has its challenges, it requires a lot more patience.”
Lynch said collaborating with current students was a memorable process for her.
“It’s really important as an alum, especially someone who is so involved in the industry, to let them know that kindness and collaboration is the heart of the art and the performing arts,” Lynch said.
Williams said she was honored to uphold the legacy of past dancers.
“The weight of it being the 50th anniversary is a lot,” Williams said. “We’re always pushing ourselves to do better… but this year it feels like we’re doing that not just for ourselves and the cast and the show, but we’re doing it for the generations of people that have danced on the stage before us.”
Similarly, senior Samantha Parks appreciated the connections cultivated with everyone involved.
“We’ve all created a really big community that I feel like we haven’t really found before because we’ve all been dancing together, but in separate dances,” Parks said. “This time we’re all dancing together, for the safe dance with the common goal. So it’s been really cool to see how we’ve all connected in a way that I’ve never felt before.”
Nicole Dumont can be contacted at
ndumont@kscequinox.com
