The annual fall dance concert featuring a variety of activities, including films, a round-table discussion, and performances
The statewide organization known as OhioDance will host its Fall Festival and conference in Athens starting Friday to keep the world of dance steadily growing for the creative and intellectual mind.
The three-day dance festival will feature classes, performances and films for those who register. The classes will feature dance types from ballet to contemporary to historical, according to the brochure.
The OhioDance festival occurs twice a year, once in the spring, and once in the fall.
“In the fall, we travel around the different regions … last year we were in Cleveland, and we are looking at Akron in the next year or two,” Jane D’Angelo, executive director of OhioDance, said.
On Friday, there will be a lecture by Kyle Abraham, a renowned choreographer, to start off the afternoon. Following that will then be an African dance performance choreographed by Zelma Badu-Younge, a professor of dance and the founder/co-director of the Ohio University African Ensemble Chair.
Later that night, there will be a dance film called Movements in Motion, which talks about redefining dance choreography today.
Badu-Younge said Movements in Motion depicts a woman who is a lawyer by day and a choreographer and dancer by night.
“Most people, when they think about law you can’t do anything else, but she proves that wrong,” she said.
There will also be a round-table discussion later that day.
“We ask that people should come to the regional round-table discussion …. we are talking about Ohio’s dance history,” D’Angelo said.
Saturday night will feature two films. The first film is Movement (R)evolution Africa, which is a story about how African dance culture is changing, and how it is challenging the current view of how Africa today.
The second film, Wire Frame, is about the fusion of dance and architecture.
“I really love Wire Frame because it is performed by Vertical dance, which is a really interesting dance company in Montreal,” Badu-Younge said. “You don’t really see this company here in this area.”
The last day will have classes that will range from contemporary jazz, to flamenco-pericones (Spanish classic dancing) and folk dancing. The ages also vary from each class, from ages 12 and up to 15-18.
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Jeff Russell will speak on the topic titled, “Dancers Deserve Good Health and Healthcare,” which talks about OU’s clinic for science and health in artistic performance, and advice for staying healthy and interacting with the healthcare profession.
“The lecture will bring about a personal journey and philosophy and history that enlivens through the movements that we feel as dancers in the master class,” Nathan Andary, assistant lecturer in dance and a member of the Board of Trustees for OhioDance, said. “(The festival) is really a wonderful experience to see and hear dance in many different forms.”
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