Fall for Dance takes the stage at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 15-17 and 2 p.m. Nov. 18 in the Donald C. Bedell Performance Hall at Southeast Missouri State Universitys River Campus.
The performance, an annual favorite, features original choreography by faculty, guest artists and students providing the variety of dance audiences enjoy. Associate professor and coordinator of dance at Southeast, Hilary Peterson, will open the concert with a classic jazz dance piece titled Sweet Elixir. Faculty member Alyssa Alger will close the performance with a large group ballet utilizing Symphony No. 9 in C Major by Franz Schubert. Also showcased in the concert will be an aerial silks duet created by adjunct faculty member Lauren K. Jones.
The show will also feature an original contemporary dance piece titled Darxieland by choreographer Brian Enos, artistic director of The Big Muddy Dance Company in St. Louis, Missouri.
The work Brian has created is quirky, energetic and fun, Peterson said. I know the audiences will be inspired and entertained by the piece he has set for our talented dancers.
Enos’ contemporary ballet uses the quirky music of composer Kevin MacLeod and an ensemble of 12 dancers, said Ruben Grding, assistant professor of dance and rehearsal director for Darxieland.
This dance offers mystery, intrigue and an irreverent, tongue in cheek finish,” she said.
Enos, originally from San Francisco, California, began studying ballet at the age of 16. He received training from the Maria Vegh Ballet Centre and The Houston Ballet Academy. He was invited to join Houston Ballet at the age of 18. After several years with Houston Ballet, Enos danced for Hubbard Street Dance Chicago for eight years before retiring from the stage in 2010. Hes danced leading roles in works by choreographers such as Jiri Kylian, William Forsythe, Ohad Naharin and Ben Stevenson, among others.
His impressive choreographic career spans 15 years with more than 30 original works, and glowing reviews from both critics and audiences. Some of the companies on which hes created work include: Houston Ballet, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Nashville Ballet and many more.
As the artistic director behind The Big Muddy Dance Company, Enos is always seeking to push the artistic and technical level of the company.
Tickets
Tickets may be purchased by contacting the River Campus Box Office, located in the Cultural Arts Center, 518 S. Fountain St., weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., by calling (573) 651-2265, or online at RiverCampus.org.