Work choreographed by an Appalachian State University student, and another choreographed by a faculty member, were selected by the American College Dance Association (ACDA) regional conference for the event’s gala concert after adjudication. Of the 36 works adjudicated, or judged by experts in the field, just 10 were selected for the concert. The conference, held March 15–18 in Charlotte, culminated with the gala concert.
This is the first time works by the university’s Department of Theatre and Dance were chosen for the gala concert since faculty and students began attending the ACDA regional conference in 2009.
"We take our dancers to ACDA each year to broaden their collective experiences through dance classes and seminars taught by outstanding regional artists, and through the adjudication of their choreographic work by nationally-recognized choreographers and dance scholars,” remarked Kevin Warner, chair of the department. “When student and faculty work is selected from three dozen pieces for the final gala concert, it is a particular honor and 'icing on the cake!'”
Assistant Professor of Dance Studies Cara Hagan and junior dance studies and graphic design double major Juliet Irving choreographed the two works selected for the concert. Hagan originally created “Tiny Potato on the Train," a rhythm tap dance, for the 2016 Spring Appalachian Dance Ensemble (SADE).
“The goal was to highlight the historical aspects of tap, including battles, stealing and sharing of steps and improv,” she said. “I knew the piece would be different since many works at the conference are modern, and the piece highlighted dancers interacting with each other and not audience.”
Irving, of Batesburg, South Carolina, originally choreographed her modern piece “From Here I Saw What Happened and I Cried” for the 2016 SADE as well. Inspired by dancer Donald McKayle and artist Carrie Mae Weems, her piece focused how she considers the past and present for African-Americans and the repetitive nature of their experience within American society.
“I was tired and frustrated with what’s going on in society, and my dancers are experiencing that as a community,” she said. “They can’t escape the circularity of their experience.”
Hagan, who is Irving’s thesis advisor, said that Irving reworked the piece specifically for the ACDA adjudication.
“One of my dancers graduated, and another couldn’t attend ACDA,” recalled Irving. “I reworked the piece for five dancers instead of the original seven, and changed aspects of the initial version I thought were unresolved.”
Both Hagan and Irving were thrilled to be selected for the concert, and were proud of their dancers.
“I was surprised because of all of the strong pieces we saw,” said Irving. “Being chosen for the gala was an honor.”
Warner agreed, and shared that the department is incredibly proud of the young women and men who represented the university at the conference this year.
“Our success is a great credit to the students, and to the outstanding faculty of our growing dance studies program here at Appalachian."
About the Department of Theatre and Dance
The Department of Theatre and Dance is one of seven departments housed in Appalachian’s College of Fine and Applied Arts. Its mission is to facilitate transformative experiences for students and the public, which cultivate compassionate, creative and collaborative communities through theatre and dance. The department also offers coursework for integrated learning through the arts to the general university student population. Its dynamic co-curricular production program provides exemplary theatre and dance experiences to departmental students, the university community and the region.
About Appalachian State University
Appalachian State University, in North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains, prepares students to lead purposeful lives as global citizens who understand and engage their responsibilities in creating a sustainable future for all. The transformational Appalachian experience promotes a spirit of inclusion that brings people together in inspiring ways to acquire and create knowledge, to grow holistically, to act with passion and determination, and embrace diversity and difference. As one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina system, Appalachian enrolls about 18,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and graduate majors.
"Tiny Potato on the Train"
Dancers perform in Cara Hagan's tap piece "Tiny Potato on the Train." Photo by Lynn Willis