Tower Dancers Concert, extended cut

(photos by Chuck Grimmett/Collegian)

Modern Dance in Markel

The Tower Dancers Spring Concert runs tomorrow night through Sunday afternoon. The Collegian got to preview the seven-piece performance last night. Here's what we saw.


One of the concert's group was a mathematically-inspired number by Lecturer in Theatre Holly Hobbs. Hobbs said the concept of "strange loops" inspired the choreography. Hobbs said a strange loop describes the phenomenon of seemingly contradicting things are resolved, or you end up where you started. Her piece explored lots of shapes and group patterns, and ended in a figure eight loop, representing the idea of infinity.

Another number choreographed by Visiting Assistant Professor of Dance Corinne Imberski featured a trio of dancers. Here sophomore Marianna Ernst and senior Carly Gilmore perform in "Emergence."


Imberski's "Pier: What is Left Behind" feature liquid movements and a set of ropes hanging from the ceiling and a pier downstage. Sophomore Emma Curtis, second from right, said the troupe was pleased to discover the theme before Imberski told them.



The last piece of the night was a six-movement dance set to J.S. Bach's cello concerto. The numbers featured the troupe in solos (like Gilmore above), trio, quartet, and ensemble.


Lecturer in Music David Peshlakai played the piece at the foot of the stage. Sometimes the coordination between the dancer's movements and the cello's music seemed to imply a conversation between the two.


Bright colors and angular shapes dominated the stage, with the angular, modern movements contrasting with the baroque music. Imberski wrote in the program notes that the piece helped show the connection of the old and the new: "Choreographers of today should represent our current place in history, but are always following in the footsteps of what came before—we are yet another step in the necessary evolution of dance."

The Tower Dancers will perform Friday and Saturday night at 8 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m. in Markel Auditorium.

To read the review go here.