KENNESAW, Ga. | Oct 17, 2023
Includes new works by ĪŽĀė±äĢ¬ Provost Ivan Pulinkala, two faculty members and a guest from Senegal, performed by ĪŽĀė±äĢ¬ Dance Company
ĪŽĀė±äĢ¬ Department of Dance will present their performance of āSage" on Nov. 10-11 at 8 p.m., featuring innovative works by four experienced choreographers. Dance students in ĪŽĀė±äĢ¬ Dance Company have been learning the choreography all semester and will present the works at the ĪŽĀė±äĢ¬ Dance Theater on the Marietta campus.
The four choreographersāĪŽĀė±äĢ¬ Provost , two faculty members and a guestādraw from their wide experience and collective wisdom in āSage.ā They each hail from a different country of origin, offering both patrons and dance students a unique look at the influence of culture and the wisdom of experience on dance.
āSageā allows students to work in āa very international way,ā says , Chair of the Department of Dance. āItās another way that ĪŽĀė±äĢ¬ is expanding our mission to help students experience diverse perspectives on dance making.ā In the case of Senegalese choreographer Pape Ibrahima Ndiaye (a.k.a. Kaolack), the students are learning a style of dance in āBordersā that is universal and contemporary, but unique to himāhis own dance vocabulary.
Assistant Professor āwho worked closely with the Office of Global Education to bring the innovative choreographer to ĪŽĀė±äĢ¬ for the Year of Senegalāis teaching the students alongside Kaolack. āMost of these dancers were unfamiliar with the African dance vocabularyā and Chapman says they are working on āgetting the new vocabulary into their bodies, so they may bring to it a sense of self.ā
āBordersā features a broad range of 15 dancers from every level of their college career, with very different dance backgrounds, size, shapes, and colors. When selecting the dancers for the work, he seemed to āembraced the dancers and their differences, without reservation, embodying the spirit of generosity and hospitality for which the Senegalese people are known,ā says Shae Smith, Global Educationās Director of Community Engagement and Outreach.
The choreography for āECOSYSā is based on an exploration of the science behind the development of an ecosystem. Ivan Pulinkala choreographed the interface of the performers and video as a representation of the biotic and abiotic structures within an ecosystem. The work evolves through the stages of nudation, invasion, co-action, reaction and climax to metaphorically reflect life's journey.
Originally from India, Pulinkala founded ĪŽĀė±äĢ¬ās Dance department in 2005. When not choreographing or teaching, he may be found in Kennesaw Hall in his dual role as Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs for ĪŽĀė±äĢ¬. Itās an exciting opportunity for students to āwork with the Provostāto demystify these rarefied roles in academiaāand develop a relationship with him in a collaborative way,ā says Barsky.
In āVessels,ā the dancers and Assistant Professor worked collaboratively to answer the question āwhere do contemporary dance and classical ballet intersect?ā The resulting piece centers around ābringing out their unique nature as dancers, as vessels of light, playing off these young dancersā potential, and their amazing ability to move and carve out space,ā explains Eckman, who is from the United States.
Originally from Switzerland, , Artistic Director and Assistant Professor of Dance, has spent almost ten years teaching dance at ĪŽĀė±äĢ¬. Her piece, āChasing Shadows,ā is particularly poignant as she has announced her plans to retire at the end of this academic year. She explains that ātime is ticking away, under our feet, so this work is structured around time passing. Itās abstract: chasing, freezing, and warping time.ā
Make time to see āSageā Nov. 10-11 at 8 p.m. at the ĪŽĀė±äĢ¬ Dance Theater on the Marietta campus. Tickets are available at or by calling Patron Services at 470-578-6650.
--Kathie Beckett
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