Orchesis Dance Theatre @ WSU (Ogden: Nov 17 - 19)

Orchesis Dance Theatre Fall Concert

WHO:    Weber State University Department of Performing Arts

WHAT:    Orchesis Dance Theatre, directed by Erik Stern

WHERE:  Allred Theater, Val A. Browning Center for the Performing Arts

WHEN:   November 17, 18, 19 at 7:30

Weber State University Department of Performing Arts presents Orchesis Dance Theatre’s Fall Concert, directed by Erik Stern and featuring the choreography of a WSU Dance alumna, a current student and three faculty members, November 17, 18 and 19 at 7:30 pm  in the  Allred Theater, Val A. Browning Center for the Performing Arts. Choreographers and a brief description of their work follows:

Josie Patterson-Halford is an alumnus of Weber State University’s dance department, where she was awarded Outstanding Performer and Outstanding Student Choreographer.  Since graduation, she has performed with inFluxdance Company and The Neta Company.  This year, she is assistant director of WSU’s Moving Company. “Origin” is a multi-media dance piece created for “Mudson”, an on-going performance series at the Masonic Temple in Salt Lake City.  The piece explores Patterson-Halford’s relationship with her body and mind as they are now, and at 9 months pregnant (video).  The choreographer gave birth to her first child in August.

Amanda Sowerby danced professionally in San Francisco before coming to Utah for an MFA in Modern Dance from the University of Utah. She is an Assistant Professor of Dance at WSU and the Utah Dance Education’s Higher Ed. Representative. “Relative State” is a duet. It is a purely movement piece, exploring a more contemporary dance vocabulary to up-beat rhythms.

Alicia Trump is a current student at WSU majoring in Dance. She is the first dance major to be accepted into the Departmental Honors program at WSU. Alicia has also performed in Odyssey Dance Theatre’s show “Thriller.” “Symmetric Transformation” explores reflective movements while using different perspectives. The dancers will mirror one another in various ways through dance phrases and spatial relations.

 Joanne Lawrence is a Professor of Dance at WSU. Beginning with ASL signs for “flower” and “grow”put together to signify “Bloom,” a motif was found to develop other movement, phrases and the dance. Combined with a computer app, “Bloom,”created by Brian Eno and Peter Chilvers for iOS, the dance becomes “part instrument, part composition and part artwork,” as Lawrence says. “ Bloom’s innovative controls allow anyone to create elaborate patterns and unique melodies by simply tapping the screen.” 

Erik Stern has toured throughout North America as well as Europe as a professional choreographer, dancer and educator. In addition to being faculty at WSU, he is a teaching artist with the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, conducting workshops throughout the U.S. He says, “Four hundred years ago John Donne wrote, ‘No man is an island, entire of itself.’ Is this true? How connected are we to those in our society and the world? ‘COIL’ playfully explores John Donne’s provocative statement through dance, live music, and a unique prop: a two-inch thick cord.” COIL is a collaboration with Dr. Mark Henderson and features the WSU Chamber Choir and fifteen dancers.

Tickets are $11/$8 and can be purchased at the Dee Events Center Ticket Office, 1-800-WSU-TIKS, weberstatetickets.com or at the Browning Center Box Office beginning one hour before each performance.

For more information about this production contact director Erik Stern, estern@weber.edu

photos available on request