Sarah Oulman
Students from Florida Southern’s Dance Program participated in the spring performance of FSC Dance: Then and Now during a three-day concert at Branscomb Auditorium.
There was a special free student preview of the performance on March 22, but it was open to the public for the remainder of the showings.
FSC Dance: Then and Now included a two-act performance that paid tribute to the past and present of dance. Act I featured an abbreviated version of the famous classical ballet, “Swan Lake,” while Act II included several student performances of modern and neoclassical choreography.
“This concert not only showcases the development of the FSC Dance Program, but also the tremendous artistic growth of the student performers,” Dance Program Coordinator Erin LaSala said. “The dancers have been rehearsing for this performance since January and have grown as artists as they worked with a diverse and talented group of choreographers.”
The spring concert also included several performances which were choreographed by guest artists Kristen Polizzi and Sarah Walston. Polizzi is the co-founder and artistic director of Surfscape Contemporary Dance Theater and Walston is a company member with the Florida Dance Theater. LaSala explained that the program brings in these guest artists each year to give the student performers a chance to experience what happens in a professional dance setting.
“Being part of the performance is pretty prestigious because the students are chosen by the choreographers based on their auditions,” LaSala said. “In some companies, you have to also audition for guest artists that come in, so we try to give the dancers real-life experience in preparing for the shows.”
Preparations for the spring concert have been underway for quite some time. Auditions for roles in “Swan Lake” began this past September, and the dancers have been working on pieces from the second act since the start of the spring semester.
Performers also dedicated much of their time to rehearsing for the concert. LaSala explained that the dancers have been rehearsing for the Swan Lake performance for at least three days each week, with evening and weekend rehearsals occasionally required.
This performance was part of the Festival of Fine Arts, which is partly sponsored by the State of Florida through its Division of Cultural Affairs and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture. Other upcoming Festival of Fine Arts events include performances of “See How They Run,” “The Opera Gala: Soiree at Prince Orlofsky’s,” and the FSC spring band concert.
For more information on these events, visit flsouthern.edu.
