Southeast dancers present work at annual show

It's that time of year again, Southeast Missouri State University's Department of Theater and Dance will put on its annual Fall for Dance production, and this year will have plenty to talk about.

Fall for Dance will take place Nov. 20 through Nov. 23 in the Donald C. Bedell Performance Hall at the River Campus.

This one-act concert will feature six dance pieces created by the students, faculty and a guest artist that will invoke plenty of different emotions.

"It's more of a contemporary concert," Hillary Peterson, dance professor and faculty choreographer, said. "The work lends itself to a more contemporary style, but all the pieces have a different type of energy. There are some that are kind of funny and a little weird, and then there are ones that are a little thoughtful and a little thought provoking and have a little bit more of an emotional drive and others that are just kind of fun."

The contemporary dance style she is referring to will resemble the dances viewers of FOX's hit show "So You Think You Can Dance" see. The dancing styles will be more modern and the music will showcase plenty of variety. Peterson is using what has worked in the past to get everyone ready.

"I don't think I've changed my style," Peterson said. "I think that clarifying and using movement that dancers can make look really good, so what fits their bodies well and also fits the interest of my piece."

Dancers audition at the beginning of every semester. The concert will feature guest artist from St. Louis, Geoff Alexander of the Big Muddy Dance Company. He is a local artist who the students were able to connect with. His piece has three sections with a large cast as well as some imagery. Phillip Edgecombe will have a piece that will have two poems, and spoken word performances will be something new for Fall for Dance.

Two featured students to look for in Fall for Dance are Jessica Carlson and Connor Sullivan.

Sullivan is a senior and will be in two works for the show, one choreographed by Peterson.

"It's been really nice to be exposed to different types of choreography styles," Sullivan said. "Especially with having a new choreographer this semester and a completely new work by a guest artist."

Preparation in past years normally consisted of three practices a week, but this year's rehearsal process has been a little different. Practices have been a bit longer, lasting for three hours on Friday nights and Saturday mornings. Sullivan said that this year he has had more time to prepare than they have had in the past.

"Dancing has always been a passion for me growing up," Sullivan said. "But I didn't really realize it to its full potential until I came to school. I was more educated in more worldly dance and dance in general. I've really only known hip-hop before college. But it's always been there for me. I've always enjoyed it."

It will be more of a party atmosphere when he performs a piece choreographed by Peterson. The dance will feature some jazzy and playful music and dances. His other performance will be sense driven by sound.

After graduation Sullivan plans to board a cruise ship and travel as well as join a professional dance company.

Carlson, who has been dancing since she was 3 years old, has always wanted to dance. She is featured in three of the dance pieces, including one choreographed by Southeast student Corey Meyer.

"Corey's piece is called De-lirium and it's about schizophrenia and voices," Carlson said. "I'm actually the soloist in it. I get to be someone completely different than I'm used to being, so I really enjoyed that piece because I get to jump into a character that I've never been able to do before, and so I get to be really creepy."

After school, Carlson has plans to travel to New York, a lifelong dream of hers, to dance in the Big Apple. She also plans to do a little traveling on cruise ships as well as see other cities like Chicago and Los Angeles.

"This semester has been a lot," Carlson said. "I've been rehearsing every night on top of work and school. It's a lot, but I'm doing what I love, so it's fine for me. I don't have a problem with it."

The students have only one semester to practice for the concert so it builds pressure, but Carlson and the other students enjoy it.

On working with Meyer, Carlson said working with a student who is also figuring out how to be a choreographer is rewarding and built the experience of separating being friends and working as professionals.

"There is no one person responsible for the show," Peterson said. "Me being the artistic coordinator, the one who organizes it all, but I couldn't do it without everyone coming in and working as hard as they do. The dancers are the ones who have to get up, perform on stage, so they have to give the most effort when it comes to the show. And the choreographers really working to communicate their idea, and get their creative outlet out there on stage with the dancers. And the costume designers who work backstage making the dancers look good in clothes for the show. A lot of those designers are students, so they are working really hard and putting in the extra hours to make sure the dancers have the costumes that are right for the piece."

Peterson said the dancers and everyone works on the six different dance pieces individually, but when they come to the theater, they become one big dance company, and the feeling and experience is educational for everyone involved.