CENTRAL POINT, Ore.—(April 28, 2015)—After a successful residency on the Oregon Coast in which University of Oregon dancers worked with high school students and gave community performances, the UO Repertory Dance Company is turning its eyes on Central Point.

On May 15 and 16, the UO Repertory Dance Company, composed of the elite student dancers of the University of Oregon, will present its annual concert in collaboration with the students and faculty of Crater Renaissance Academy of Central Point.

The event is a joint performance of the two dance companies, with the college-age and high school-age dancers collaborating for an evening of dynamic, thought-provoking modern dance.

The concert is scheduled for Friday, May 15 and Saturday, May 16 at 7 p.m. both evenings, in the Crater Performing Arts Center, 655 N. 3rd St, Central Point. Audience members are invited to pay what they can, with tickets available at the door.

The concert, the capstone event to a weeklong artistic residency at Crater Renaissance Academy, will include a centerpiece work entitled “Muse: Longing and Belonging,” dedicated to the memory of Mary Bonasera Matthews (1953-2005), who led the dance program at North Bend High School in North Bend, Ore. for seventeen years. UO Department of Dance Chair Jenifer Craig has collaborated with Matthews’ daughter Rachel, a dancer in UORDC, in creating the moving tribute, which will feature excerpts from Matthews’ choreographic and performance career.

Additional works by UO faculty members will include Brad Garner’s intricately choreographed “Except for One,” Walter Kennedy’s “Babel” (featuring an original composition by Music Director for Dance Christian Cherry), and the upbeat quintet piece “Rhythm Breakdown” by Shannon Mockli. Master of Fine Arts degree candidate Faith Morrison will present “Hatch,” which will explore the interplay between species living in close proximity.

Two faculty dance pieces will address themes related to development and growth. Rita Honka’s action-packed quartet “Requisite Resolve” springs from images of how one pushes through daily life, while Jenifer Craig’s “Step One” (featuring original music by John Craig) will explore the ways curiosity and encouragement move us forward from our beginnings.

The UO Repertory Dance Company tours the state each spring, trips that serve as the primary means of outreach of the Department of Dance to the wider community. In addition to the performances and residency in Central Point, UO dancers also appeared earlier in the spring in the North Bend-Coos Bay, Ore. area of the Oregon Coast, and in an “at home” concert on the UO campus in Eugene.

The UO Department of Dance presented its 2015 Community Partner Awards to two UO alumnae, Sara Ekelund Slack ’00 (who majored in dance and exercise and movement science) and Kathy Morin ’87 (BFA in fine and applied arts, dance minor), to commemorate their continued facilitation of the company’s annual North Bend-Coos Bay appearance.

Crater Renaissance Academy teacher Matthew Reynolds is a previous recipient of the annual award.

In addition to dance concerts, company residencies feature educational lecture-demonstrations, movement workshops, and master classes for elementary, middle, and high school students. The residency experience gives dance UO students the opportunity to serve as ambassadors of the university’s challenging and innovative dance program.

Event details:

Friday, May 15 and Saturday, May 16

University of Oregon Repertory Dance Company

with Crater Renaissance Academy Dancers

7 p.m., Crater Performing Arts Center, 655 N. 3rd St, Central Point

Admission: pay as you can

For general inquiries: 541-346-5678

 

About the University of Oregon School of Music and Dance

The University of Oregon is a world-class teaching and research institution and Oregon’s flagship public university. The UO School of Music and Dance presents more than 250 concerts and events during the academic year featuring scholars, guest artists, faculty artists, and student ensembles. The incredible wealth of concert material ranges from contemporary dance to African dance, early and classical music to contemporary music, world music, and jazz. http://music.uoregon.edu