May 22, 2019 – Santa Fe College students will be dancing on stage and working backstage when the Dance Theatre of Santa Fe (DTSF) presents “Room to Dance” at 7:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday, June 14-15, 2019, in the SF Fine Arts Hall.
Tickets are $15 for adults; $9 for seniors, children and University of Florida students; and free for SF students, faculty and staff with valid college identification cards. For ticket information, call the SF Box Office at 352-395-4181 or visit the Fine Arts ticket website at sfcollege.edu/finearts.
“‘Room to Dance’ is the annual student-choreographed and student-produced performance by Dance Theatre of Santa Fe, our pre-professional student ensemble,” explained DTSF Co-Director Melissa Brenner. “Our dancers’ youthfulness shines in performances with fresh, vibrant works full of passion.”
A panel of faculty judges will select the program for “Room to Dance” by choosing from a number of works created by the student members of DTSF. Dance styles submitted for judging include ballet, tap, modern, musical theatre and a fusion of belly dance with soca (“soul of calypso”) dance hall from Jamaica.
The students began working on their ideas in a new class that was offered by the Dance Department during spring semester. “This is the first year that we have offered a class in Dance Composition (choreography)” Brenner explained. “Taking this class gave students more time to incubate their ideas for ‘Room to Dance’ and helped them prepare to go into rehearsals. They learned about the work of famous choreographers who’ve been successful and they visited the Santa Fe Gallery to get inspiration from works by visual artists. They finished the class with the tools they need to create a professional production.”
Faculty from the Dance Department and staff from the Fine Arts Hall mentor and advise DTSF students throughout all elements of program production. Students learn about brainstorming themes and ideas for dances, developing choreography, choosing and editing music, making costume and lighting decisions, conducting auditions and rehearsals, and performing for the public.
While the dancers are on stage, students in the college’s Stagecraft class will be working behind the scenes to make sure “Room to Dance” runs smoothly. Stagecraft students learn how to run the show by working the lighting and soundboards, changing sets, lifting and lowering curtains and calling cues to the performers.
“It’s really wonderful to see how students gathered their resources during the semester and how that all comes together on the stage!” Brenner concluded.
For more information about “Room to Dance,” call Melissa Brenner at 352-395-4188.
For more information about tickets, call the Fine Arts Hall Box Office at 352-395-4181.