Category: Arts

What: a dance concert featuring the choreography of four seniors in the Bachelor of Fine Arts, presented by the University of Michigan Department of Dance.

When: 

• Thursday, November 17, 8:00pm
• Friday, November 18, 8:00pm
• Saturday, November 19, 8:00pm

Where: Performance Studio Theatre at 1000 Baits Dr, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, also available via livestream

Tickets: free at door 1 hour before the performance

This dance concert will honor the artistry of four seniors: Katey Besser, Isabella Payne, Jack Randel, and Brooke Taylor. The program consists of eight works choreographed by the students, including solos featuring each senior. More information, sourced from promotional material for the event, is provided below. The artists’ work draws from a colorful array of themes, each dance infused with the unique passions of their respective choreographers. I look forward to experiencing the synergy generated among these eight pieces, and hope you find time to attend one of the group’s three performances this week.

Program:

“Katey Besser’s A Place We’ve Seen Before, explores protection through a kaleidoscopic expression of togetherness and unity. A multi-media performance, this piece includes screen dance and live performance from varying points of view. Besser’s solo, Light Where She Wanted, embraces the multilayered experiences of past and present.

“In for what remains, Isabella Payne draws inspiration from the aesthetics and haunting regality of Gothic architecture with more commercialized styles of contemporary and Hip Hop dance. Payne’s solo, I Thought You Might Want To Know, contemplates the fragility and impermanence of life.

“Jack Randel’s solo, Loop, confronts how the comfort of dailiness can be a mask for psychological ups and downs. Randel’s Hypnosis, visualizes the journey of finding a way back to an authentic version of oneself in a dreamlike trance.

“Brooke Taylor’s Almost Till, breathes life and movement into a memory from her grandmother’s past of southern Mississippi in the 1930s. Taylor’s solo, Ode to Bea, honors Beatrice Cochran’s struggles and triumphs during the mid 1900s. Both works uncover the reality of racism, violence, survival, and resilience.”

(source: SMTD Department of Dance)

UMS really outdid themselves this season. I remember my jaw dropping when I heard the lineup announcement–Trevor Noah, Emerson Quartet, Itzhak Perlman, Joshua Bell? Now, through Bert’s Ticket Program (which you should be taking advantage of), I get to hear the Berlin Philharmonic for free this Friday at 8 PM in the Hill Auditorium. 

While the classical music world may be foreign to a lot of people, the Berlin Philharmonic carries powerful brand name recognition across musicians and the general public alike. Founded in 1882, the orchestra boasts a rich history of being led by some of the greatest conductors of all time. Adding onto the legacy, maestro Kirill Petrenko will be conducting two different concerts over two nights in Ann Arbor. Friday’s program will feature Andrew Norman’s Unstuck, the Mozart Violin Concerto No. 1 in B-flat Major performed by concertmaster Noah Bendix-Balgley, and the Korngold Symphony in F-Sharp Major.

As a violinist, I felt drawn to the first night’s program because of the opportunity to hear Bendix-Balgley in his element solo. However, I also look forward to hearing the Korngold Symphony for the first time. From the late-Romantic period, Korngold’s compositions tend to have a grand, cinematic quality that I especially enjoy in his Violin Concerto in D Major. Given that Andrew Norman is a contemporary composer, I expect Unstuck to be wild and cacophonous–qualities that I am excited to hear adapted into the Berlin Philharmonic’s iconic sound.

Event information: https://ums.org/performance/berliner-philharmoniker-2022/

If you missed getting tickets, orchestra members will also be hosting master classes for SMTD students open to the public throughout Friday and Saturday!