Introduction

Dance Theatre of Santa Fe Students Produce “Room to Dance” May 29-30, 2015

Dance Theatre of Santa Fe Students Produce “Room to Dance” May 29-30, 2015

Photograph by Sarah Harkness-Sebastian

The Dance Theatre of Santa Fe will stage its annual student-choreographed and student-produced summer performance, “Room to Dance,” at 7:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday, May 29-30, 2015, in the Fine Arts Hall at Santa Fe College. The hall is located at the college’s Northwest Campus, 3000 NW 83 Street, Gainesville, Florida.

Tickets are $15 main floor and $12 balcony for adults; $9 for seniors, children and University of Florida students; and free for Santa Fe College faculty, staff and students with college identification cards. For ticket information, call the Box Office at 352-395-4181 or visit the Fine Arts ticket website at:

http://www.sfcollege.edu/finearts

“Room to Dance” is a student production from start to finish and an audience favorite for its high-energy performances that reflect the enthusiasm and skills demonstrated by the young choreographers.

Co-directed by SF College Dance Professors Tari Kendall and Sarah Harkness-Sebastian, “Room to Dance” will showcase the best of 15 student works that are currently in production. Students submitted proposals for choreography, held auditions and cast their dancers during spring semester and are currently holding rehearsals. A faculty panel will judge the dances on May 19 and choose the ones to be performed on May 29-30.

“‘Room to Dance’ is not just about performance—it’s about learning,” said Harkness-Sebastian.  “Everyone has a chance to present a full work and get faculty feedback through the adjudication process. It’s a way for students to explore their artistic vision and learn about the creative process—to do research, to try things out, make happy mistakes, engage in messy play, and discover that the joy is in the studio. What happens on stage is the extra bonus.”

The production is a collaborative process. As they create their dances, the students can work with any of the Dance Program faculty, with available guest artists, and even with the visual arts staff of the Santa Fe Gallery to get inspiration and learn how to translate their ideas into movement.

The students do more than choreograph the dances; they select the music, choose the costumes, and work with technical theatre students and the Fine Arts Hall stage crew and lighting designer Elizabeth Reynolds to become familiar with all aspects of producing a dance performance.

Variety is a hallmark of “Room to Dance.” Current proposed works include hip-hop, musical and dramatic theatre, modern, contemporary ballet, jazz, and partnering dance styles.

For more information about “Room to Dance,” call Tari Kendall at 352-395-5916 or Sarah Harkness-Sebastian at 352-395-5674. For more information about Fine Arts Department programs, call Alora Haynes at 352-395-5296.

-End-