The end of the fall semester is here and with it comes final tests, projects, papers, and performances.
For a number of students in the Theatre and Dance Department, it is time for a showcase of dances that they have been working on since the beginning of the semester. The Choreographer’s Gallery, Kinetic Tapestry, will be performed on Dec. 11 and 12 at 8 p.m. and on Dec. 13 at 2 p.m.
Directed by Associate Professor Melissa Rolnick, Kinetic Tapestry features the work of student choreographers and their dancers. All dancers who auditioned for the Gallery show were cast, including a few first-years, resulting in a great diversity in experience.
This is Rolnick’s ninth year teaching at Gustavus and she has been directing the Choreographer’s Gallery since its inception in 2007. The show is performed every two years, with other shows taking over during the off years, such as last year’s Theatre Gallery.
“The title is a metaphor for the notion of many voices that speak the same language of movement coming together to make a constituent whole,” Rolnick said.
McKayla Murphy, a Senior Communication Studies major with minors in Dance and Management, is one of the student choreographers. Her piece in the show is titled “Finding Peace”, and is relatable to many college students in that it is about struggling to find direction in the world filled with many tensions.
“The Gallery is a really unique experience that people don’t get as much at bigger schools,” Murphy said. “It’s a really close knit group of people. It’s a very fun and supportive environment to work in. It creates a really good relationship between everyone.”
The gallery is a learning opportunity for the choreographers, as well as a chance for the dancers to improve their performance skills.
“It’s been really fun to watch my dancers grow,” Murphy said. “They’ve really grown as a unit.”
Maggie Kennedy, a Senior Dance major, is performing in two pieces in the show. She is in Audi Dickey’s piece “Interrupted Lives” and Laura Johnson’s piece “Sunday Blues on a Saturday Night,” which are very different in theme and content. She is also doing the lighting design for a third piece.
“The title is a metaphor for the notion of many voices that speak the same language of movement coming together to make a constituent whole.”
—Melissa Rolnick
Kennedy described Dickey’s piece as having an innate feeling of being trapped in an uncomfortable situation. The piece is sporadic and deep with music that surprises the audience.
In comparison, Johnson’s piece has a more upbeat vibe with 70s jazz music and is even humorous at times.
“It’s fun to be able to do two very different pieces,” Kennedy said. “I like being able to experience that.”
The students began with an idea to work with but as they progressed, that idea shifted and changed along with them as their pieces came to life.
“I love witnessing their development,” Rolnick said. “Seeing them come into themselves as choreographers, artists, and visionaries and making the work come to life.”
“The Gallery is a really unique experience. It’s a very fun and supportive environment to work in. It creates a really good relationship between everyone.”
—McKayla Murphy
Tickets for the Choreographer’s Gallery are available online at gustavustickets.com, by calling 507-933-7590, or by stopping at the Information desk on the lower level of the Jackson Campus Center. Gustavus students and staff are entitled to one free ticket. General admission tickets cost $9 and $6 for seniors. Any tickets not sold before the the event will be placed on sale at the Anderson Theatre box office one hour prior to the show.
“I’m really proud of what we’ve created,” Kennedy said. “I think people will really enjoy the Gallery.”