Eastern Theatre Student Charliece Salters of New Haven Choreographs Dance for "Dance Here!"

2016 May 13

Several talented dance students in Eastern Connecticut State University's theatre program choreographed and performed original dances for "Dance Here!" The 2015-16 academic year-end showcase featured the vision of eight student choreographers, performed by their dance and theatre classmates.

Charliece Salters '18 of New Haven, who majors in Theatre, was among the student choreographers showcased. Salters's performance was titled "Invasion."

"This piece is intended to capture the beauty in the movement of birds and to reveal the contrast between a swan and a crow," said Salters. "I move very similarly to birds, and I am intrigued by the nature of their motions, as well as how birds rule space when they fly. They rule human space, and they rule other birds' space. I notice it's always a bird that 'takes over' another, which is how I came to the title 'Invasion.'"

Salters has a concentration in Dance and Global Performance. She has studied ballet, modern tap, jazz, African, tap and hip hop forms, and aspires to be a professional dancer, choreographer and instructor. At Eastern, she joined Fusion Dance Crew, for which she also choreographs. In summer 2015, she took workshops from renowned choreographer Tricia Miranda. Salters choreographed her first piece, "Deceit," in 2014.

The choreographers' pieces were brought to life by the participation of their dancer-classmates, and were accompanied by music - in some cases, by Eastern faculty and student musicians. Students and faculty also assisted the choreographers with behind the scenes tasks, such as costume work, lighting and sound design.

"Dance Here!" was the Performing Arts Department's first spring semester dance showcase, as well as the introduction of the theatre major's new concentration Dance and Global Performance.

The event highlighted the work of emerging student choreographers developed in the course Dance Composition (DNC 445). "I think you will agree that the students have succeeded not only in creating meaningful work, but also in learning how to collaborate and transmute process into product," said Theatre Professor Alycia Bright-Holland.

"As an art form of unparalleled immediacy and visceral quality, dance has a unique ability to heal, to celebrate, to expand and elevate our collective worldview, to address pressing issues of social justice, and to both imagine possibilities and re-pattern actualities," said Bright-Holland. "Such appraisals speak to an art form that is both ancient and contemporary, which unifies diverse genres and styles, and which brings together performers from many different majors to enthusiastically explore a common medium."

"Dance Here!" occurred in proscenium theatre of the new Fine Arts Instructional Center (FAIC).