The Department of Visual and Theatre Arts will present a holiday dance ensemble at 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov 21, and Friday, Nov. 22, in the Harriet Fulton Performing Arts Theatre in the Fine Arts Building on the main campus of the University of Tennessee at Martin.
“What is Christmas?” will feature a variety of dance styles choreographed by students.
Sarah McCormick, professor of dance and director of the ensemble, said the title comes from students saying they weren’t sure that some dances referred to Christmas.
“That gave the dancers and choreographers a little bit more freedom to express what they feel is Christmas,” she said. “So, you will have Christmas-themed dances.”
The holiday dance production features 13 dance works, of which three are choreographed by McCormick and guest artist Carmen Norfleet. The other 10 dances are choreographed by students.
McCormick encourages student-centered productions because of the invaluable experiences that go into making dances. From choreographing to choosing music and costumes to developing new skills as a dancer and performer, students come away with a further appreciation and understanding of what dance means to them.
The dances were created primarily by dancers in the Bachelor of Fine Arts program in dance education and Bachelor of Arts in Art program in dance, with the others choreographed by dance minors.
“I really believe in allowing students to choreograph because the more they do that, the more they learn and can take away from that experience,” McCromick said. “It’s very much a student-centered program, and I encourage that. I think the experience is invaluable.”
The dance performances include a mix of styles, including ballet, hip-hop, jazz and modern dance.
Dance alumni are also coming back to take part in the ensemble as guest artists: Hunter Burton, who graduated in 2021, and Carmen Norfleet, who graduated in 2015.
This is the second year for the department to put on a Christmas dance program.
“Last year was my first Christmas show, and I didn’t realize how popular it would be,” McCormick said. “For the first time, I had that theater full, so I said, ‘Guess what, you guys? We’re doing another Christmas show.’”
McCormick said the dancers would not be the only students involved in the program.
“It’s kind of a collaboration with the lights and sound class, Theatre 410,” she said. “(Assistant professor of theatre) Paul (Pharris) has a lighting class, and those students are lighting the dances. So, it’s going to be a student-lit piece as well as a student-choreographed piece.
“That lighting class is also full of dancers who are in the show, so they are lighting other dancers and they really get the feeling of what producing a show would entail. That has never been done before, that kind of collaboration.”
The program will last no more than two hours. Admission is $15 for adults, $10 for students and children 10 and under get in free. Tickets can be bought at the door at 6 p.m. each night or online here.
For more information, contact the Department of Visual and Theatre Arts at 731-881-7400.
PHOTO: Marlee Scott, a senior dance education major from Jackson, is shown performing “The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” from “The Nutcracker” in last year’s holiday dance ensemble. This year’s holiday dance ensemble will be performed on Nov. 21 and 22.
