WKU News

Evening of Dance is the culmination of a year of intense study, training and rehearsal for the WKU Dance Company.

This year WKU Dance faculty members Amanda Clark, Meghen McKinley, Kylene Stephens and Christa St. John will be joined by guest choreographers April 28-May 1 to present a spectacular show filled with tap, jazz, modern dance and ballet.

The concert will feature an eclectic array of entertainment including two pieces that involve almost all of the WKU Dance Company. “There will be something for everyone,” said Clark, director of the Dance Program. 

Clark is choreographing one of the large group pieces, a tap ensemble featuring dance company members and guest performers from the musical theatre program. Clark’s other piece is a theatrical jazz dance set in the 1950s that features three couples facing a teenage love saga. You’ll be swaying along to such favorites as Who’s Sorry Now and Why do Fools Fall in Love.

Romance will also be found in the ballet piece Spring, set to the music of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, a classic featured in many movies. This romantic ballet features a principal couple, soloists and a large Corps de Ballet that tells the tale of a young couple’s encounter with a flock of birds celebrating the return of springtime. 

Lest you think that all dance is about romance, Stephens’ piece explores a person’s inner conflicts, depicting how we sometimes struggle with the voices in our heads. The solo dance is set to haunting music written by Academy Award-winning composer Michael Giacchino.

McKinley will contribute to the show with two unique pieces, one titled Proximity Binds will include video projection and explores how our location creates unusual relationships.

Rounding out the show are the contributions of guest choreographers Andrea Dawn Shelley and Matthew Farmer. Both did residencies at WKU to work with the students and set choreography for their use. Shelley’s piece is titled Window of Appearances and was recently performed by members of the WKU Dance Company at the American College Dance Festival in Auburn, Alabama. Farmer’s piece is contemporary in style and will fill the dance floor as it features nearly the entire WKU Dance Company. 

Evening of Dance will be presented at 8 p.m. April 28-29 and May 1 with a 3 p.m. matinee April 30 at the Russell Miller Theatre in WKU’s Ivan Wilson Fine Arts Center. Tickets are $12 and are available at WKU.showare.com or by calling the Fine Arts box office at (270) 745-3121.

Last Chance to Dance 2017: WKU Dance students take the stage May 2 with their own exciting and innovative choreography. Admission is free; all seating is general admission, first come, first served. Last Chance to Dance will begin at 4 p.m. in the Russell Miller Theatre.    

Contact: Julie Pride, (270) 779-2560