Date: Apr 22, 2009

Guest Dance Artists Join Hofstra Faculty and Students in the 2009 Annual Spring Dance Concert, April 23 to 26

Featuring Choreography by Trisha Brown and Works by Special Guest Artists Curt Haworth, Jill Sigman and Edward Winslow

Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY … Canto/Pianto by renowned choreographer Trisha Brown and works by guest dance artists Curt Haworth, Jill Sigman and Edward Winslow will be featured in Hofstra Universitys 2009 Annual Spring Dance Concert, April 23 to 26, at the John Cranford Adams Playhouse. Performance times are 8 p.m. on Thursday, April 23, and Friday, April 24; 2 and 8 p.m. on Saturday, April 25; and 2 p.m. on Sunday, April 26.

Tickets are $12, $10 for senior citizens. Members of the Hofstra community receive one free ticket upon presentation of a current HofstraCard. For tickets and more information call the Hofstra Box Office at (516) 463-6644, Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 3:45 p.m.

Trisha Brown, the most widely acclaimed choreographer to emerge from the postmodern era, is a spring 2009 Calderone Fellow for Hofstra's Department of Drama and Dance. Canto/Pianto is part of a larger work titled LOrfeo, originally an early opera by composer Monteverdi exploring the myth of Orpheus and Euridice. The work is reconstructed by Trisha Brown Dance Company member Keith Thompson.

Three additional guest artists have choreographed works for the program. Curt Haworth will present Liminal Waters, a dark fable woven between our inner and outer worlds. Jill Sigman is creating a remix of material from her recent New York City premiere ZsaZsaLand, a dance/theater work about decadence and decay, paradise and the disease that lurks underneath. Coming of Age, by Edward Winslow, is based on discussions with the students about rites of passage from childhood to adulthood.  Twelve dancers will interact with video images of themselves displayed on three rolling screens and will dance on four air mattresses. 

Hofstra faculty member and choreographer Robin Becker will recreate her piece Galaxies, last seen at Hofstra in 1999, inspired by the poetry of the 13th century Persian poet and founder of the whirling dervishes, Jedalluddin Rumi.  Tap dance choreographer and faculty member Anita Feldman will premiere a work exploring rhythms and dynamics of what falls from the sky, with live music titled Coming Down, composed by Hofstra graduate Kathryn Hylton.  

The Hofstra University Department of Drama and Dance provides students with the opportunity to develop and hone their skills as performers and deepen their appreciation for these arts on their way to careers in the theater and beyond.  The dance program offers two undergraduate degrees: a B.A. in Dance, and a B.S. in Dance Education. The program is made up of a group of approximately 90 dance and dance education majors and 60 dance minors.

Hofstra University is a dynamic private institution where students can choose from more than 145 undergraduate and 160 graduate programs in liberal arts and sciences, business, engineering, communication, education and allied human services, and honors studies, as well as a School of Law. With a student-faculty ratio of 14-to-1, our professors teach small classes averaging 22 students that emphasize interaction, critical thinking and analysis. Hofstra offers a faculty whose highest priority is teaching excellence. The University also provides excellent facilities with state-of-the-art technology, extensive library resources and internship programs that match students interests and abilities with appropriate companies and organizations.  The Hofstra community is driven, dynamic and energetic, helping students find and focus their strengths to prepare them for a successful future.

Related Link: Hofstra Dance Program