‘Dance Emerge’ Concert Showcases Explorative, Interactive Dance Works
Performance April 28-30 displays talents of 10 emerging choreographers, with more than 40 dancers
By: Allie Gleeson ’23 Monday, April 24, 2023 05:52 PM
Muhlenberg College dancers will present ten new dance works, delving into a variety of themes and exploring unusual production elements, as the Muhlenberg Theatre & Dance Department presents Dance Emerge, April 28-30. The concert’s artistic director says the concert is a “celebration of experimentation and creativity.”
“This spring’s Dance Emerge is an explorative and interactive performance investigating a variety of personal, social and psychological topics,” says Lisa Busfield, the show’s artistic director and a member of Muhlenberg’s dance faculty. “Our talented student choreographers have created dances that utilize the flexible performance space, integrate props, and experiment with the use of voice.”
Busfield has worked closely with the show’s ten student choreographers, encouraging them to break new ground with their pieces — both thematically and artistically.
“They’ve delved deeply into the concepts behind their work,” she says. “There are pieces about reactions to loss, the value of dramatic narrative, finding joy in the small moments — even one examining the role of women in horror films.”
The concert will feature tap, modern, jazz, contemporary, hip-hop, and improvisation, in works from choreographers Jane E. Carney ’24, Erika Dubin ’23, Nicola Ferro ’23, Sarah Gwiazda ’23, Riley Hammett ’24, Dani Medvedovski ’24, Bella Pansera ’23, Grace Sellinger ’23, Claire Spenard ’23 and Hannah Warren ’23. Chris Rubingh ’24 serves as the associate artistic director.
“We are excited to share these original works and our passionate dancing with the audience,” Busfield says.
Dance Emerge runs April 28-30 in the Studio Theater, Trexler Pavilion for Theatre & Dance, Muhlenberg College, 2400 Chew St., Allentown.
Performances are Friday, April 28, at 8 p.m., Saturday, April 29, at 2 and 8 p.m.; and Sunday April 30, at 2 p.m. Tickets are $15 for adults; $8 for patrons 17 and under; and $8 for students, faculty and staff of all LVAIC colleges.
Tickets and information are available at 484-664-3333 or muhlenberg.edu/seeashow.
About the Muhlenberg College Theatre & Dance Department
Muhlenberg offers Bachelor of Arts degrees in theatre and dance. The Princeton Review ranked Muhlenberg’s theatre program in the top twelve in the nation for eight years in a row, and Fiske Guide to Colleges lists both the theatre and dance programs among the top small college programs in the United States. Muhlenberg is one of only eight colleges to be listed in Fiske for both theatre and dance.
About Muhlenberg College
Founded in 1848, Muhlenberg is a highly selective, private liberal arts college offering baccalaureate and graduate programs. With an enrollment of nearly 2,000 students, Muhlenberg College is dedicated to shaping creative, compassionate, collaborative leaders through rigorous academic programs in the arts, humanities, natural sciences and social sciences; selected preprofessional programs, including accounting, business, education and public health; and progressive workforce-focused post-baccalaureate certificates and master’s degrees. Located in Allentown, Pennsylvania, approximately 90 miles west of New York City, Muhlenberg is a member of the Centennial Conference, competing in 23 varsity sports. Muhlenberg is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
