Collaborations at College of Charleston
WE EXPECT ONE ARTIST to produce one work of art, but what if several artists combine their visions in a work of art? Generally something unexpected occurs, especially for the originators themselves. Such an approach to the creative process is an exciting phenomenon that many artists aren’t willing to share, but at the College of Charleston collaborations are the theme of the upcoming Spring Dance Concert on the Emmett Robinson Theatre stage March 19–21.
Gretchen McLaine, Artistic Director of the concert and Assistant Professor of Dance at the College, says that “Perhaps the most exciting element about this production is that collaborations not only occurred between faculty members, but also between faculty and students, such as my work with visual arts student Lauren Moore.”
The concert is an opportunity to reach out not only across disciplines and departments on campus, but into the professional dance community as well. Consequently, Gretchen also collaborated with Kristin Fieseler, Artistic Director of Annex Dance Company, to create Tangled Webs, a piece inspired by post-modern artists Merce Cunningham and Jackson Pollock.
Cunningham was the father of collaboration from the time his company began in 1953 until his death in 2009. He used chance methods where music, décor, and dance were independent entities created by collaborators like musician John Cage and painter Robert Rauchenberg who would create work on their own without discussion of ideas. The final product was a spontaneous toss up of artistic visions coming together at performance time, making it completely original and unhindered by the traditional process.
Five of the eight pieces that will be performed were choreographed by CofC students, which is a reflection of the continued growth of the dance program and the strength of its students and faculty. Students Meg Fannin-Buckner, Kayla Brown, Allyn Wong, Eva Falls, Georgia Schrubbe, and Steven Moskos all drew their inspiration from different sources. Many of them have also collaborated with professors in theatre and music, as well as connected dance to their other academic studies and interests.
Faculty choreographers include myself, Evan Parry, Gretchen McLaine, and guest artist Kristin Fieseler. Parry, who is a theatre professor, describes his collaboration with the dancers: “My Father’s Daughter’s Sister is a series of brief stories about our families. The piece is ‘told’ as if it was a series of photographs in a family album—images of family members, images of grief, joy, laughter. The piece was developed by the five performers with choreographic and directorial input from me and Eliza.”
Lighting design is by John Olbrych, Associate Professor of Theatre, while students Keller Perry, Alexis Usry, Alexis Gist, and Ashley Blair, along with alumnus Evy Budiansky designed original costumes. The cast includes 37 dancers, many of whom are minors in the dance program. Gretchen added that, “All the dancers have been working exceptionally hard to prepare for a performance that will be entertaining and thought-provoking.”
Dates
Sat. March 19 • 8 P.M.
Sun. March 20 • 3 P.M.
Mon. March 21 • 8 P.M.
Join us after the performance on the opening night, March 19, for a “talkback” and reception with cast and crew.
Tickets
Call (843) 953-5604
$15 general • $10 for CofC students, faculty, staff, and senior citizens
