MUHLENBERG DANCERS TO PERFORM IN CONCERT
The Muhlenberg Dancers will present their annual faculty-choreographed concert with guest artists on February 7, 8, and 9 on the Muhlenberg College campus in Allentown.Monday, January 28, 2002 10:49 AM
The Muhlenberg Dancers will present their annual faculty-choreographed concert with guest artists on February 7, 8, and 9 on the Muhlenberg College campus in Allentown. Performances are Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Saturday at 2 p.m. in the Empie Theatre in the Baker Center for the Arts. Concert tickets are $12 for adults and $6 for children and can be reserved or purchased by calling the box office, 484-664-3333, Monday through Friday 10 a.m.- 6 p.m.
The annual concert represents an extraordinary journey in dance through original works performed to an eclectic variety of live and recorded music and sound. Works in jazz, tap, ballet, and modern dance will be performed by a student ensemble of dancers under the artistic direction of Karen Dearborn.
Featured on this season's program is an original work set for Muhlenberg dancers by choreographer Danny Buraczeski, the Baker Artist in Residence for the academic year at Muhlenberg College. In addition to teaching in the dance program in the spring semester and setting this work for Muhlenberg Dancers, Buraczeski will perform with JazzDance, America's only concert jazz dance company, for the American College Dance Festival Northeast and in a public performance at Muhlenberg College on March 12.
After a career in musical theater that included productions of Mame with Angela Lansbury and The Act with Liza Minnelli, Buraczeski formed the original New York-based JazzDance 1979. Based in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis/Saint Paul since 1992, the company has performed in leading concert halls and festivals in more than 40 states, in Europe and the Caribbean. Works in the company's repertory have been commissioned by the Walker Art Center, the Bates Dance Festival, Jacob's Pillow and the Library of Congress, among others. Buraczeski has created works for the Boston Ballet, and Ballet Memphis. He has taught at each of the nation's major dance festivals and has been awarded multiple fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts. In January 2000, he was honored by the Minneapolis Star Tribune as Artist of the Year.
Muhlenberg faculty choreographers include Jennifer Kayle, Shelley Oliver, Susan Creitz and Kim Maniscalco setting works in jazztap, improvisation, and ballet. Guest professionals include lighting artist Susan Hamburger, pianist David Leonhardt, composer Bonnie Rideout, and choreographers Megan Bonneau-McCool and Brad Parquette. Constance Case of the Muhlenberg department of theatre and dance is costume designer.
