Molly Tumanic

Over the years the art of dance has evolved into a spectrum that is enjoyable to many people. Whether it’s hip hop style in a music video or a classical ballet, dance has the ability to enthrall a wide variety of audiences.

Even on our very own campus, we have the privilege of witnessing dancing talent first hand. Tonight through Saturday, the UW-Eau Claire Concert Dance Company will be performing Danceworks, a spectacle of dance in various styles.

Senior Anna-Lisa Bjorklund said the show has such variety it’s quite difficult to describe the overall performance.

“Some of the pieces that are being performed were choreographed to address very serious issues,” she said. “(The) others were choreographed for pure enjoyment … the rest fall somewhere in between.”

Everyone involved in the show is a student at Eau Claire. Each production has been choreographed by a student, with the exception of a few guest choreographers.

Concert Dance Company adviser Toni Poll-Sorensen said the guest choreographers came from the Twin Cities to help with the production.

“Our guest choreographers are paid to set work on the company,” said Poll-Sorensen, a music and theatre arts professor. “They usually spend about a week with us teaching choreography, doing guest lectures in classes and public performances or speeches.”

Senior Caitlin Musson said the show mixes styles of ballet, jazz, tap, modern, hip hop and lyrical. She said they have put a lot of practicing into the show and started planning the show after the initial try-outs for the Concert Dance Company.

“The initial planning began after our show in May last year,” Musson said. “However, try-outs for the company were held in early September and ever since then, each dance has had a practice time during the week – every week – until our show in April.”

The ideas for the show vary, but are sure to delight all tastes, Poll-Sorensen said. Because each dance has been choreographed by a different person, no two dances are the same, she said.

“There are pieces about war, about dance history, about looking inward at yourself and others, and some of the dances are just plain fun,” Poll-Sorensen said.

Senior Sara Looby agreed and said it will be a great event to attend, if for no other reason than to “watch your friends get their groove on.”

Poll-Sorensen said the show will send the audience through a mix of emotions.

“Spend an hour-and-a-half with us,” she said, “and I promise you will scratch your head, laugh, tap your toe and feel emotions you may not even be able to describe.”