BUCKHANNON, West Virginia – WV Dance Company will bring its touring program to West Virginia Wesleyan College in Buckhannon, West Virginia on Tuesday, Nov. 28 at 7:30 p.m.
Founded in 1977, WV Dance Company has been serving public venues, schools, colleges and universities with entertaining and thought provoking performances and workshops through the language of dance. Recognized for both artistic achievement and excellence in arts education, WVDC has toured throughout West Virginia, as well as 14 other states, reaching tens of thousands of people each year. WV Dance Company’s current concert program for public venues has an evening that has something that people of all ages can enjoy together.
The evening starts with “Acoustic Translation,” a new work of choreography by DaneToney with a new composition by Dr. Richard Grimes. Next is “A Renaissance Gathering,” which takes a trip back to 15th-century Europe through choreography by Maureen Mansfield Kaddar. The first act ends with works that are built around West Virginia history. “Poets of Darkness” is a duet by Donald Laney that gives a view of coal mining experiences in West Virginia. “Sketches of Fall” by Toneta Akers-Toler is a reflection of Pearl S. Buck’s words from “My Several Worlds” describing the first time she viewed fall in West Virginia.
A Vietnamese Folktale that speaks of earth, water, air and fire is brought to life in the choreography by Donald Laney to the music composition of Holden Akers-Toler. The last work of the evening “Mercy!” by internationally renowned dance artist, Gerri Houlihan, ends the evening with a six section work of choreography about the 1950’s. This upbeat choreography with the dancing and acting skills of the dancers, will send the audience home with their feet moving and their minds dancing!
Dancers Nash Dawson, Emily Dodrill, Christine Hallinger, Donald Laney, Jax RF McAtee, Dane Toney and Sarah Walker beautifully capture the many different styles of dance during the evening. Troy Snyder and Tonry Lathroum, lighting design artists, add their talents to bring the evening to a magical experience for all. Combining the light designs with the visual art in the costume designs by Emily Dodrill and Donald Laney; the dancers move in a kaleidoscope of beautiful colors.
Admission is free.
