The Sophian

Issue date: 11/19/09 Section: Arts

As Thanksgiving Break rapidly approaches, many students are undoubtedly longing for the football, family, food and - most importantly - freedom of break.

But, before you mentally check out in preparation for your return home, consider attending the Fall Faculty Dance Concert. Organized every year by the Smith College dance department, the show promises to be an incredible performance - a perfect cure for the mid-November blues.

The concert will take place tonight and run through Sunday, Nov. 21, taking place at 8 p.m. in the Mendenhall Center for the Performing Arts.

"[The concert] is the most popular and well-attended dance concert of the season, a great favorite with both the local community and the Smith community," Joan Maxson, manager of public relations for the performing arts. "The show often sells out over the course of its three-night run."

The event will feature dancers from the Five College dance department performing pieces choreographed by the Smith Dance faculty and guest artists.

This year, the Fall Faculty Dance Concert will showcase new works by Rodger Blum, Susan Waltner and special guest artist David Dorfman. Additionally, Mark Morris' seminal work, "Gloria," will be featured, with Jonathan Hirsh conducting the Smith College Orchestra and Chamber Singers.

Rodger Blum's "Open Arms," Susan Waltner's dance "Then, Now and Then" and David Dorfman's piece, "Dance to the Music/Everybody Is…" - composed in collaboration with performers Kyle Abraham, Lily Ockwell, Liz Young and Sophie Maguire - will comprise the first half of the concert.

Dorfman described his piece as "a celebration of the joy of dancing and the funk of living." Energetic and fun, the piece involves 18 dancers and is set to the music of Sly and the Family Stone and Above/Below.

Act II will feature Morris' "Gloria." This masterpiece, hailed as a "choreographic praise to the heavens," showcases the many talented Smith College student dancers and musicians.

Blum, in addition to being one of the show's choreographers, is chair of the dance department and artistic director of the concert.

You don't need to know anything about dance or be a dancer yourself to enjoy the show. These various performances are accessible to everyone, and the incredible musical selection - from classical 18th-century pieces to 1970s funk - enhances the experience.

The production is a collaborative effort by the dance department's excellent professors and the diversely talented students found on campus.

"One of the coolest parts about working on productions at Smith as a student is that we are afforded a remarkable amount of hands-on experience," Katherine Harrigan '12, technical intern and master electrician for the show, reflected. "I'm so proud to say that our school has a strong team of quirky, intellectual women who are able to take everything in stride and accomplish whatever is thrown at them."

Because of the show's popularity and the limited number of performances, Maxson strongly recommends that those interested in attending the concert purchase their tickets as far in advance as possible.

Tickets are available at the box office for $5 for Smith students and $9 for the general public. To purchase tickets for the show, call 413-585-ARTS or send an e-mail to boxoffice@smith.edu. More information on the Fall Faculty Dance Concert can be found at www.smith.edu/smitharts.

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