Gustavus dancers soar to choreography created by professors, guest artists and a student

Coming together for this spring’s dance concert, the choreographers behind Something Like Flight focus on human relationships with various forms, style and purposes in a diverse collection of modern dance pieces.

Featuring the choreography of four Gustavus faculty, three guest artists and one student, the concert displays talent, artistic vision and the Gustavus Department of Theatre & Dance continuing pursuit of innovation.

“The kinesthetic experience of dance can be difficult to explain,” Michele Rusinko, artistic director of Something Like Flight, said. “I think the title Something Like Flight tries to capture and explain that experience of feeling the power and glory of dance. As legendary choreographer Agnes DeMille once described it: ‘To dance is to be out of yourself. Larger, more beautiful, more powerful; this is power, it is glory on earth and it is yours for the taking’.”

While acting as a theme of the concert, the title does not completely reflect the theme and notions of the content of each piece.

“There are so many choreographers coming together and presenting such different pieces, working with the inspiration that is bubbling up within them. The title is meant to hold the concert together, but the theme of each individual piece is up to the choreographer,” Artistic Director Melissa Rolnick said.

The concert is composed of nine pieces total, each varying in length and style.

On average, the dancers involved in the spring concert participate in two or more dances, which adds up to practicing and rehearsing a minimum of about 10 to 12 hours a week on top of academic and other extra-curricular work.

“This definitely is a commitment, but most of us love it so much that it does not seem like that much time,” Renee Guittar, senior and choreographer of one of the featured pieces, said. “We are really excited to be performing for an audience instead of at practice at 11:00 a.m. on a Sunday morning.”

Guittar’s piece “Stop the Little Things,” originally performed at the Choreographer’s Gallery in the fall, will be seen once again on stage at the spring concert.

To prepare for this, Guittar is busy rehearsing and perfecting her piece and is never completely satisfied with her work.

“The most drastic change I had to make was due to the changing of the way the stage will be set up and adapting to that change. With the new stage, there is a lot more depth and a change in the atmosphere to the point where it feels new to myself and the dancers in it,” Guittar said.

Guittar’s piece focuses on two types of human relationships and one person who is longing to be a part of them but cannot seem to latch on to anybody.

Set to music by an obscure Hungarian composer, “Stop the Small Things” is inspired by how people worry about relationships in their lives because of how important relationships are to human well-being.

Guittar is also participating in “Gridlock,” the piece choreographed by a guest artist that will culminate the concert. First seen at the American College Dance Festival, “Gridlock” is a display of athleticism and passion set to the music of Nine Inch Nails.

“When we saw ‘Gridlock’ performed, we thought it would be fantastic set with our students. It is a piece about the isolation that exists in our society, taking place on a grid with dancers focusing on the architecture of this grid, isolated by themselves with a moment of recognition that there are others out there at the very end,” Rolnick said.

The diversity of pieces being featured in the concert is represented by the music each piece is set to.

Professor Jeffrey Peterson’s piece regarding the upcoming Minnesota vote on gay marriage is set to music by Queen while another piece is performed to atmospheric music consisting of little noises. Other pieces feature techno music and classical music.

“There is such a wide variety in the types of performances featuring talented dancers of all years. If you have never seen modern dance, you will definitely leave this concert with great exposure. What I love most about modern dance is that it can be whatever you want it to be,” Guittar said.