Meet Marilyn!

Marilyn Connelly dancing through her tech rehearsal.

Marilyn Connelly's first taste of ACC Dance was a workshop at her high school. She connected with Darla Johnson during The JUSTICE Project and officially began her adventure at ACC. Originally enrolling as an early college start student, Marilyn has since graduated high school and is taking her next step in the dance world by choreographing for ACC's Choreographers' Showcase.

How was choreographing at ACC different from your process in high school?
I've never choreographed like this before. It was a completely different way to generate work; different tools and techniques. I incorporated gestural movement. And I used poem phrases; we made works off of poems that classmates had written. I like words and enjoyed incorporating not only the words but the rhythms of the poems into movement. 

What inspired your piece Internal Trialogue?
The idea of internal dialogue; being by yourself, talking in your head. I've been thinking about words and speech in dance so I knew I wanted to incorporate them in my piece too.

Connecting with her dancers; left to right: Alyssa Canas, Marilyn Connelly and Lindsey Gerson.

What do you want the audience to take away from viewing your dance?
I want them to feel all the different facets and emotions in the piece. There are sweet emotions and sweet movements, but there's more going on. It's about all the different emotions in our brain. 

Marilyn premieres her work December 4 & 5 at 8:00 pm on the Mainstage at the Rio Grande Campus. For more information, visit the Choreographers' Showcase Facebook.


Photos by Anne Wharton.

Dawn's back at it!

By Anne Wharton

One of Dawn's soloists, Lindsey Gerson, in rehearsal.

There’s a homey feel in the ACC studio as Dawn Roberts watches her dancers take a stab at running her 

freshly choreographed piece. She shouts out musical cues as the dancers alternatively move in a group, 

solos and duets. No stranger to the Rio Grande dance studio, Dawn first began taking classes back in 2009. Taking 

breaks here and there as situations shifted, Dawn keeps finding her way back home.

Dawn watches her dancers in rehearsal. 

“It’s the atmosphere that Darla (dance faculty at ACC) provides,” Dawn explains, “you learn about who you are and 

discover your pathway to be an artist. It’s the only place I have to release my creative side.” ACC’s been lucky 

enough to have her present work on the stage several times before, and this semester she has a fresh 

piece to show for the Choreographers’ Showcase. 


“Initially I created a really literal piece about the systems in our lives: politics, religion, education,” Dawn 

says. She looked at the monotony and universalism that robs people of their individuality. “Why do we 

have to follow everyone else, is anyone even happy?” Dawn says reflecting on social systems. 

ACC dancer Lindsey Gerson is surrounded by dancers representing system followers.

Dawn created word banks summarizing her ideas and then asked her dances to come up with two 

movements that they associated with the systems she had listed. She kept adding layers of abstraction 

to allow the piece to develop away from her literal concept. “I let things collide together,” she says 

about structuring the phrases within the piece and setting the movement to music.  

One of the many gestures that Dawn built her piece upon.

This is Dawn’s first large ensemble piece so she had to tweak her process. Used to working within a 

heavily improvised structure that allowed her dancers to greatly contribute to the overall piece, she had 

to took a step back and provided more instruction to engage the group. “It was kind of scary,” she admits. 

But her process paid off and her dance took shape. “It’s about what feels right – when I see it I know it’s 

right.”   


Dawn’s choreography will be presented at the ACC Choreographers’ Showcase Dec. 4 & 5 at the Rio 

Grande Mainstage. Tickets on sale at the door: $10 general admission and $5 for students and 

seniors. 


Photos by Anne Wharton.

Congrats to Hien!

Hien Nguyen. Photo by Callan Muckleroy.

Congratulations to Hien Nguyen for recieving the Dance & Drama Scholarship!

Hien came to ACC four years ago after realizing pursuing an architectural degree at UTSA wasn't her dream. At ACC, she tried classes in American Sign Language and Creative Writing before finding her passion for dance.

She kept coming back to dance for "the at-home feeling," she said. "The community doesn't judge and everyone is open to new ideas."

Hien had never choreographed before ACC. In fact, she had never danced before taking Professor Catherine Solaas's improvisation class.

"Improv was my first dance family. We were like children on a playground," Hien said. "Then I did the summer workshop (Professor Darla Johnson's performance workshop class). I was looking at everyone like 'you're so much better than me.' But they helped me learn."

Hien Nguyen and Lindsey Gerson.
Photo by Callan Muckleroy.

Hien is looking forward to transferring to Texas State for her BFA in Dance. She's also interested in earning her teacher's certification. The Dance & Drama Scholarship has opened her world to a whole new future. "It gave me the financial security to stay in school," Hien said.

The Dance & Drama Scholarship is open to all dance and drama majors who meet the requirements. Applications for the spring are due December 1, 2015. Change your future and apply online today!

Ritual in Dance

The ACC Dance Department is hosting a free dance film night Thursday, October 8 at 6:00 pm in the Rio Grande Dance Studio, room 130. Julie Nathanieslz is curating an evening that will explore ritual in contemporary dance through documented performances and filmed projects. Anne Wharton will host the event.

Some of the artists featured may include post-modern choreographer Anna Halprin.

Legendary modern choreographer Martha Graham may be featured.

And other artists invoking the power of ritual through movement will be explored. Come discuss ritual and watch some fabulous dancing on Thursday, October 8 at 6:00 pm in the Rio Grande Dance Studio. 

Dance Film night is free and open to the public; you don't need a dance background to join in the fun!

Living Dance Museum

Former ACC dancer and current dance history professor at Texas State, Amanda McCorkle, described Dancestry to one of her classes as walking into a museum. Dancestry premiered at the Long Center in May and is playing again September 11-12 at the Patti Strickel Harrison Theatre at Texas State. 

The show provides Austin-area dancers with a priceless opportunity to see some of the most influential early modern dance works brought back to life. ACC dance faculty Jessica Lindberg Coxe is in the midst of it all with her breathtaking Loie Fuller reconstructions. 

Jessica during tech at the Long Center for Fuller's Lily of the Nile

Jessica first became interested in Fuller as an undergraduate at Southern Methodist University. Her dance history teacher briefly mentioned an actress turned dancer who changed theater history and influenced modern pioneers like Isadora Duncan. Frustrated that so little was known about such a major influence, Jessica found a passion she enjoys to this day. "Basically nothing existed and I wanted to see what inspired so many artists of all kinds," Jessica said. 

Fuller's Lily was originally performed in 1896. 

Her first reconstruction was Loie Fuller's Fire Dance at Ohio State University while completing her MFA in Dance Notation, Reconstruction and and Directing from Score. "I never chose the path of reconstruction. I always thought I would be a dancer and dance the works of Loie Fuller. Basically, it's her teaching me. She was giving me this material to work with and I breathed life into it," Jessica said. 

Dancestry is your chance to see Fuller's work; an opportunity no one had before Jessica was inspired in a dance history class as an undergrad. "Anytime you get to see something people saw over a 100 years ago, you learn something about yourself, about art form and about aesthetics. These pieces spoke to people a 100 years ago and they still resonate today." 

The lighting for Fuller's pieces are reconstructed by Megan Slayter. 

Dancestry also showcases work by early modern pioneers Isadora Duncan and Erick Hawkins. If you ever wanted a chance to see dance history come alive, check out the show. There are also several former ACC dancers performing. So come support your fellow dance mates and help preserve these early modern dance legacies!

Dancestry runs September 11-12 at the Patti Strickel Harrison Theatre. Tickets available online.


Photography by Anne Wharton.

Putting Stories Onstage

Last week, guest artist Ellen Bartel presented a piece at the ACC Dance Informance. For those of you who didn’t get a chance to catch the show, or maybe you just want to know more about what you saw, read on to learn about her piece, her process, and her performers!

Scott Roskilly on the left and Jude Hickey on the right during Nebraska Sky. Photo by Brian Drake.

“I really trust these guys as performers so there’s a minimal amount of choreography” - Ellen Bartel. 

Nebraska Sky was originally performed in May 2015 as part of Ellen’s evening concert You Ain’t Alone. The male duet that Jude Hickey and Scott Roskilly performed at ACC is part of what Ellen is calling “non-fiction dance;” taking autobiographical stories, like the story from Jude’s childhood, and presenting them to the audience through movement, images, music and sound. 

“I really trust these guys as performers so there’s a minimal amount of choreography,” Ellen said. One section of the piece, nicknamed “the wiping section,” is a structured improvisation between the couple. Jude describes it as “wiping the debris off from the day before stepping into the bedroom.” The section relies completely upon contact; the dancers remain physically connected throughout the duration of the section.

Unlike many other duets in the dance world, this couple isn’t just portraying a relationship onstage. Jude and Scott have actually been married for 16 years, “but don’t tell the county clerk,” they joke. “It was almost self-indulgent,” Jude said. Doing multiple shows a year keeps him from spending time with his husband, but Nebraska Sky gave him a different opportunity. “I’m doing art with, for and on him. It’s interesting and compelling,” Jude said. But Scott points out the challenge as well, “it’s hard not playing someone else because you can’t hide behind anything.” 

Scott Roskilly and Jude Hickey in Nebraska Sky. Photo by Brian Drake.

“It’s hard not playing someone else because you can’t hide behind anything.” - Scott Roskilly

The piece draws from their relationship but also focuses on a story from Jude’s childhood. “Ellen asked us to juxtapose the story with where we are now,” Jude said. The process involves not only Jude telling his story about a violent encounter with his father but Scott also tells the story in his own words as well. “It’s his story through my lense,” Scott explains. Scott struggled with recounting Jude’s story, “It’s not my story to tell; I don’t wear it,” he explains. But Ellen draws from both perspectives to create an audio track for her non-fiction work. She layers both stories together to create a narrative behind the performers' movement onstage.

Ellen’s presentation at ACC gives students an opportunity to view a new take on dance being created right here in Austin. “I want students to appreciate that’s it not all bells and whistles all the time,” Ellen said. She applauds ACC for being the place where dancers could be their “own person onstage.”  Ellen sums her work up as “nonfiction stories to be creative with.” But one of her performers, Jude, weighs in on her process as well: “Working with Ellen is low pressure - it’s a fun process without the pressure for an exact outcome. She doesn’t expect you to DO something.” From Jude’s perspective, Ellen gives her performers permission to perform work that “doesn’t have to be compelling.” Inevitably, the process then produces just that - compelling, creative, non-fiction dances. 

Former ACC Student Takes the Stage Again

ACC’s Dance Summer 2015 Informance on Tuesday, July 7 at the Rio Grande Campus brings together a mix of students and professionals, and some self-proclaimed professional students. 

Atticus in rehearsal at ACC.

Atticus Rodriguez started attending ACC classes around ’07. Originally from Corpus Christi, Atticus came to Austin with an established background in performing, competing and choreographing. “I liked Austin and I was looking for more performance opportunities,” Atticus said about his move to Austin. ACC gave him a place to network with other dancers in the Austin community and expand his knowledge of dance.

Atticus is presenting a solo, Now This is Fun, for the showcase. The piece is inspired from his daily routines; relaxing after work, listening to records, and screen printing. “There’s not a lot of communication in my pieces. It’s more about appreciation of an atheistic,” Atticus said about the concept behind his movement. 

His solo is significantly tied to his music choice, Depeche Mode. “It’s my ode to old school,” Atticus said about his solo. He recorded the music for his solo off a record, purposefully keeping in the sound effects of the vinyl version. With a background in DJaying, Atticus is strongly inspired by records, “my turntables are my instruments,” he said. 

Atticus during a run of his solo at ACC.

Now This is Fun showcases ’80 dance motifs including hair whips, axel and pencils turns and lots of energy. Atticus said he wanted the audience “to get a sense of what it was like back in the day. Everybody has a Flashdance piece and this is my Flashdance piece.” 

Atticus teaches, performs and directs locally with his dance company Vitality Exhale in addition to other projects. He also creates unique screen printed shirts, some of which can be found for sale locally at Movin’ Easy.




Photography by Anne Wharton.

Choreographing Friendship

Tuesday, July 7 at 7:00 the Rio Grande Campus Mainstage Theater will be home to Austin dance artists, ACC dance alumni and current ACC dance students. This free annual show provides a unique opportunity to view a broad spectrum of dance. From professionals to students to experimental works, the evening is unlike any other dance concert in Austin.

Current ACC dance students, Nico Locke and Hien Nguyen, are joining forces to present a new duet for the showcase. Recalling Companions came from Nico's concept of capturing the enduring nature of friendship. "Friendship is one of those beautiful things that life gives us that we don't have to pay for," Nico said.

Hien Nguyen during rehearsal for Recalling Companions.

The dancers' own friendship is flourishing as they work together on the piece. "Hien is my 'yes or no person,'" Nico said. "It's great having her eye - she helps out a lot," he says describing her contribution to creating transitions in the piece. "Hien and I work really well together even though we have completely different bodies,” Nico said. Hien also points out that the dancers have "different vocabularies" as well. But both dancers agree having different movement styles is actually a strength for the piece.

Nico wants the duet to accentuate movements that both dancers excel in performing, but he also wants the piece to connect with viewers. "I want the audience to see companionship. At the very end, we have this back-and-forth movement like a metronome," Nico said. He explained that the final swaying is his way to represent the everlasting nature of friendship; your friends are always there to lean on.

Nico Locke and Hien Nguyen working their unison phrase in rehearsal.

The show is free and open to the public. For more information visit our Facebook event page.


Photography by Anne Wharton.

Dance History Front and Center

This weekend in the Rollins Studio at the Long Center you can see some of the most influential early modern dance works brought back to life. ACC dance faculty Jessica Lindberg Coxe is in the midst of it all with her breathtaking Loie Fuller reconstructions. 

Jessica during tech for Fuller's Lily of the Nile

Jessica first became interested in Fuller as an undergraduate at Southern Methodist University. Her dance history teacher briefly mentioned an actress turned dancer who changed theater history and influenced modern pioneers like Isadora Duncan. Frustrated that so little was known about such a major influence, Jessica found a passion she enjoys to this day. "Basically nothing existed and I wanted to see what inspired so many artists of all kinds," Jessica said. 

Fuller's Lily was originally performed in 1896. 

Her first reconstruction was Loie Fuller's Fire Dance at Ohio State University while completing her MFA in Dance Notation, Reconstruction and and Directing from Score. "I never chose the path of reconstruction. I always thought I would be a dancer and dance the works of Loie Fuller. Basically, it's her teaching me. She was giving me this material to work with and I breathed life into it," Jessica said. 

Dancestry is your chance to see Fuller's work; an opportunity no one had before Jessica was inspired in a dance history class as an undergrad. "Anytime you get to see something people saw over a 100 years ago, you learn something about yourself, about art form and about aesthetics. These pieces spoke to people 100 years ago and they still resonate today." 

The lighting for Fuller's pieces are reconstructed by Megan Slayter. 

Dancestry also showcases work by early modern pioneers Isadora Duncan and Erick Hawkins. If you ever wanted a chance to see dance history come alive, check out the show this weekend. There are also several former ACC students performing as well as working backstage. So come support your fellow dance mates and help these dance legacies live on!

Dancestry runs May 22 - 23 at the Long Center Rollins Studio. Tickets available online.



Photography by Anne Wharton.

Let it go to let it happen

Tonight is your last chance to see ACC dancers in action on the Mainstage at the Rio Grande Campus. The Choreographers' Showcase starts at 8 pm and features student and faculty work.

Hien Nguyen has presented several works as a student at ACC. Tonight will be the third time her choreography shines onstage.

Hien Nguyen, Nico Locke, Alyssa Canas, Ogaga Anuta

Hien's inspiration for her piece, Juxt A Position, came from several quotes including "life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated" by Confucious. Her concept revolved around processing information, sifting through memories, and the constant back-and-forth of remembering.

How did you start putting your thoughts in movement?

It started with case studies in class during the semester, but it became a ting of its own. It just grew on its own. 

Alyssa Canas, Hien Nguyen, Nico Locke

There's a very architectural component to your piece with the shapes you make. How did you come up with the structure?

I had the inspiration before the semester started - I wasn't sure if it would stay through the semester but it did anyway. I worked with the case study and the movement; putting the idea and the phrases together was a challenge. I focused on the question "how does the brain process information?" So a lot of simple movement was repeated and retrograded; really working the movement characteristics. We repeated things over and over through different space and traveling.

What was one of the challenges you had to overcome in making this piece?

I have a bad case of control freak - I really wanted to listen to what my piece wanted to say. I had to listen and let it develop on its own versus "I want this, this, and that."

Full cast during dress rehearsal

What is a difference between your process for this piece and when you first started choreographing at ACC?

I had to let go of the uncontrollable; accepting it. I just went with things I hadn't intended. I didn't think of the diagonals in the beginning but it was like, "huh, ok!" I'm really happy with it in the end.

What's the one thing you want the audience to get from your piece?

That we are a community. Everyone's actions link to the next person in line.

Grab you ticket at the door tonight: $5 for students and seniors and $10 for general admission. For more information, visit our Facebook.

Photography by Anne Wharton. 

MEET ALYSSA

Our show opens tonight at 8 pm on the Mainstage at the Rio Grande Campus! Faculty works as well as student choreography will be presented in the Choreographers' Showcase.

Alyssa Cañas is choreographing for the ACC showcase for the very first time. Originally from Victoria, TX, Alyssa followed her family to Austin. She is currently pursuing her Associate of Arts in Dance and plans to transfer to a four-year university for a dance degree.

Alyssa supporting Dawn Roberts in a lift during dress rehearsal.

Have you choreographed before ACC?

I did some choreography for drill team but this is very different. I'm used to tricks and dance moves and Darla challenged me to really use movement. It was a good experience.

Did you have a concept for your piece?

Yeah, I kept going back to the journey that we have. People go through their lives and have all these moments and memories. Those moments become great memories and years later you finally look back... The piece is really about how fast life goes; so many people don't take the time to appreciate life. 

Alyssa during Only the Winds

You use a quote from American Beauty to describe your piece, how did you discover the quote?

Darla gave us an article (from the New York Times) about three weeks ago and I shared it with my sister. She wrote the quote on the article and I ended up sharing that with the class. 

How did you decide to do a duet?

Originally it was a trio, but you know, things happen. I actually always imagined it as a duet, but Darla wanted to challenge me to try it as a trio and then it turned out as a duet anyway.

Me and Dawn are individuals that go through life and meet in the middle. We could be best friends or complete strangers, but it's memorable. When you meet someone, you never forget them.

Dawn Roberts in Alyssa's Only the Winds

If you had one thing for the audience to takeaway, what would it be?

Realize how fast life is and take the time to breathe - appreciate life. 

Alyssa Cañas is one of seven students from Darla Johnson's Dance Composition class presenting new work at the Choreographers' Showcase. Join us tonight and tomorrow at 8 pm on the Mainstage at the Rio Grande Campus. Tickets available at the door; $5 for students and seniors and $10 for general admission. 

Photography by Anne Wharton.

ALL ABOUT DUETS

It's showtime! We had a great dress rehearsal tonight and we open tomorrow night, May 8, at 8 pm on the Mainstage at the Rio Grande Campus.

Darla Johnson is premiering a work with her Dance Workshop class in the Choreographers' Showcase that revolves around the formation of numerous duets. The ensemble piece also features a video by our fantastic lighting designer, Megan Reilly.

Armando Delgado and Nedda Tehrany in rehearsal for Two, and

What was your process like for creating Two, and?

I started with a series of duets; creating movement phrases and structures that the students then manipulated. I put everyone into pairs and we tried a number of different pairings.

I knew I wanted a video in the piece. The idea was to frame the duets with different images. It was a way of creating contrast using the ideas of grace and effort to frame the work.

What was the inspiration behind the video images?

I wanted the duets framed with different natural images. The idea really was grace and effort and how that's reflected, or could be reflected, in nature. 

What was your logic for grouping the students into duets?

Well, there are actually a lot more pairings than you'll see onstage. But it was about wanting to find the energy and flow. And I wanted to get everyone onstage as much as I could.There are three men in the work so there's somewhat of a natural female/male relationship. But it's not about romance. It's about connectivity; how we create shape, tension and flow.

What would you want your audience to takeaway from Two, and?

Just the idea of how two people can interact.

Lauren Lym and Marilyn Connelly in rehearsal for Two, and

For more information about the show, visit our Facebook. The show runs Friday and Saturday, May 8 and 9, and 8 pm on the Mainstage at the Rio Grande Campus. Tickets are available at the door; $5 for students and seniors and $10 for general admission.

Photography by Anne Wharton.

Dancing through loss

The dance department is almost ready for show weekend! Darla Johnson and Catherine Solaas will each be presenting a faculty work along with student choreography from Darla’s Dance Composition class in the Spring 2015 Choreographers’ Showcase. 

Lindsey Gerson is one of our veteran student choreographers. If you’ve seen any of the ACC showcases over the last few semesters, you’ve seen Lindsey’s gorgeous performance quality grace the stage and her intriguing choreography inspire fellow dancers.

LaTiya Smith during Lindsey's tech

Dealing with the recent loss of her grandmother, Lindsey decided to set a solo on fellow classmate, LaTiya Smith, focusing on the struggle of finding beauty when a loved one has Alzheimer’s. During the semester, LaTiya’s sister passed away unexpectedly. The choreographer and dancer ended up joining together to create a dance in the midst of losing loved ones.

“It’s not supposed to be a heavy piece,” Lindsey explained. “It’s about embracing the raw beauty. And asking if this can be beautiful? Can you be yourself when you can’t remember anyone?”

The movement for the piece, Least We Forget, came from class exercises as well as filmed improvisations. “I filmed us during improvisations to different music, some happy and not happy songs. We improvised without music too, just moving from what we were feeling. And some days we were really upset. I was dealing with being angry and frustrated,” Lindsey said.

LaTiya Smith in Least We Forget

Least We Forget naturally became an outlet for both dancers. “I think it really did help us deal with it. Anyone in the audience who has experienced this kind of forgetfulness or this kind of loss will get the piece. I wanted to make it something beautiful, like their lives. I didn’t want it about how ugly their deaths were. It’s about the seeing the beautiful parts, seeing the beautiful parts when you do remember.”

The Choreographers’ Showcase is Friday and Saturday, May 8 and 9, at 8 pm on the Mainstage at the Rio Grande Campus. Tickets are available at the door: $5 for students and seniors, $10 for general admission.

For more information, visit our Facebook. 

Photography by Anne Wharton.

Darla Johnson on the Austin Dance Festival

This year’s Austin Dance Festival has an amazing array of artists from all over Texas and even some from California. But there are also a few familiar faces. Our own Darla Johnson will be presenting her work, Center of Effort II with music by Steve Reich. You might recognize one or two of the dancers. Our lovely Catherine Solaas is joined by Michelle Nance from Texas State and Carissa Topham, who dances with Kathy Dunn Hamrick Dance Company. 

Darla Johnson discusses the concept for her dance and the differences between choreographing on students and professionals. She also shares why she can’t wait to attend the Austin Dance Festival.

Catherine and Michelle in rehearsal.

How did you come up with your concept?

The title comes from a sailing term that describes how the force of the wind meets at the intersection of the two sails and propels the boat forward … The constant drive of the music acts like the roiling sea moving the dancers through space and time. Trios, duets and solos are constructed and deconstructed throughout the work.  The dancers move like the tide, ebbing and flowing throughout the dance.  Movement glides, swirls, spirals and descends and ascends as the dancers move, and are moved by the image of the waves and the wind.

Michelle and Catherine in rehearsal.

Was your process different from how you work with students?

Working with students I'm constantly challenging myself to create work that is challenging for them but also allows them to perform at their best technical abilities.  It's a fine line of pushing them to grow and having them be comfortable on stage.  With the professional cast I have now, I was able to work more intricately with space and time creating a dance that for me really reflects the concept more fully. 

Carissa Topham in rehearsal.

If you had students in the audience, what would you want them to take away from your piece?

I hope the students can see a work that is conceptually full and recognize the choreographic elements at play.

What are you most excited about for the Austin Dance Festival?

I'm very excited to see all of the other choreographers’ work.  It's going to be a great day of dance and I'm sure I'll be very inspired by the end of it.  

Darla’s piece, The Center of Effort II, will be performed in the 8 pm show. Tickets and more information are available online. 


Photography by Anne Wharton.

ACC at ACDA!

Photo by Ogaga Anuta

The Austin Community College Dance Department didn’t have much downtime over spring break. Instead, Professor Catherine Solaas brought a group of students to Texas Tech University in Lubbock for the annual American College Dance Association Conference (ACDA). The group performed a faculty piece by Catherine called The Most Coveted for adjudicators and participated in the multiple classes offered at the conference.

Catherine Solaas talks about her work and how the conference impacted her and her students:

What was your process and concept for the faculty piece? 

The faculty piece, The Most Coveted, is meant to bring the audience into a world where large circular sweeping movement and dynamic partnering underlay an investigation into the mechanisms at play when one is wrapped up in "keeping up with the Joneses;”  when one organizes their life around a desire for success and material possessions. The dancers present an unrelenting pattern of everyday routine and consider whether the grass is greener on the other side of the fence.  Process-wise, given our busy performance calendar, we dove right in to rehearsals on day one with lots of phrase material. Then we manipulated material, read up on our theme, and manipulated more material. We spent a lot of time "dating" movement ideas. We broke up with some. We became involved with others. We got married to a few - does that make any sense? And now we have valuable adjudicator feedback to take forward.

What were some of the benefits you gained in attending the conference?

Adjudicator feedback is always a highlight at ACDA! It's interesting to pay attention to how dance professionals and educators approach observing, analyzing and verbalizing their thoughts about dance performance. Making new friends is such a benefit for students! They get out there and network and talk to other dance students and faculty! That is always a fun part of the conference. And it’s exciting to witness the great variety of dance styles offered by faculty across the south central region.

What was the biggest highlight of the conference for the students?

Of course, the students are still talking about all the amazing classes they took! That's what it's all about! Their favorites ranged from Musical Theatre to Contemporary, and from Hiphop and FlaModern to something called "Respect the Ground” which reminded a couple of us that there are muscle groups in there that we don't visit with often enough! There were literally about 100 classes offered during the four days at ACDA this year, and our students took full advantage!

Photo by Ogaga Anuta

And is your piece being performed again in Austin Dance Festival (ADF)?

Yes! We are in the throes of revamping The Most Coveted for a larger cast. Seven students performed at ACDA. 11 will perform at ADF on April 18 at the 5 pm show. Then, to round off the semester, all 12 students will perform at the ACC Spring Choreographers' Showcase May 8 and 9. These students REALLY are getting the experience of a touring dance company!

Tickets for the Austin Dance Festival are available online and more information about the ACC Spring Choreographers’ Showcase will available on Facebook soon.