The Illinois State University School of Theatre and Dance will present the Fall Dance Concert, opening November 29. Performances run through December 1 and will be held in the Center for the Performing Arts (CPA) Theatre.
The concert will feature original works by Illinois State dance faculty Darby Wilde, Greg Merriman, Kaley Pruitt, and Madeleine Reber and guest artist, Kaitlin Webster.
“The Fall Dance Concert is eclectic and athletic and offers a great variety that will be of interest to audiences of all ages,” stated Darby Wilde, associate professor and head of the dance program.
The first half of the concert includes the performances Unbalanced, choreographed by Wilde; Water for the King, choreographed by Merriman; and What We’ve Constructed, What We Hope to Build, choreographed by Pruitt, in collaboration with the dancers.
When asked about her piece Wilde explained, “my work, Unbalanced, is a movement exploration of female empowerment with an athletic aesthetic.”
Following a brief intermission, the concert will conclude with the performances of Murmuration, choreographed by Reber; and Home, choreographed by Webster, in collaboration with the dancers.
Webster is a choreographer, dancer, and teacher. A company member of Chicago Dance Crash, a hip-hop, contemporary, fusion company for five years, she was the rehearsal director for the 2015–2016 season and choreographs regularly for the company. She is on faculty at the Boulder Jazz Dance Workshop and performs and choreographs for their resident dance company, Interweave Dance Theater. She currently dances in Erin Kilmurray’s project SEARCHparty and acted, choreographed, and performed in Open TV’s web series Full Out. In 2017, Webster began her company HighFalutin Dance Theater with a showing of her latest show “The New Nuclear” at Links Hall in Chicago. HighFalutin Dance Theater is Kaitlin’s latest/biggest/dream endeavor as the Chicago-based contemporary dance company is her response to obstacles in which many female, queer, thick, non- traditional dancers and choreographers have had to face.
Webster visited campus this fall for a week-long artist residency, where she was able to work with Illinois State dancers in preparation for her piece and teach technique classes.
A written transcript of the interview with Kaitlin Webster is available here. 2018_Fall-Dance-Concert_Webster-Interview-Transcript
The Fall Dance Concert will be presented in the CPA Theatre November 29–December 1 at 7:30 p.m. and December 1 at 2 p.m.
For tickets or more information, please contact the College of Fine Arts Box Office, located in the Illinois State University Center for the Performing Arts, open 11 a.m.–5 p.m., Monday–Friday, at (309) 438-2535, or purchase tickets online by visiting ticketmaster.com. Tickets are $12 for students and seniors and $17 for adults. Free performance parking is available in the School Street Parking Deck in spots 250 and above, at 400 W. Beaufort St., in Normal.
