George Mason University School of Dance, Dance Company group. Photo by Tim Coburn/Courtesy of George Mason University
Dance is a captivating art form. An exploration set to music. It is motion and stillness, turns and jumps done with personal style.
It is “Shakespeare in the air,“ according to William Reeder, dean, George Mason University College of Visual and Performing Arts. He called dance at Mason “simply extraordinary, and world-class.”
“We want to be on pulse with what is most relevant,” said Susan Shields, director, School of Dance. And its critical, “we provide a unique blend of serious conservatory training within the liberal arts education. The George Mason University dance major is a talented mover, an emerging artist/movement poet and a thinking arts advocate.”
Area audiences can take in the fresh, youthful energy of Mason’s dance students at this year’s George Mason University Dance Company Gala Concert. Come as well to see honorary event chair and dance legend Jacques d’Amboise. He is a Kennedy Center Honors recipient and founder of the National Dance Institute that uses dance to inspire children to excellence.
Based upon interviews, Mason dance majors promise to hold nothing back performing works by an array of contemporary choreographers. The choreographers include Andrea Miller of Gallim Dance, Alexandro Cerrudo from Hubbard Street Dance, and the late Ulysses Dove who performed with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.
Where and When
George Mason University’s Dance Company presents “2015 Dance Gala Concert” at Center for the Arts, 4400 University Ave, Fairfax. Performances Friday, March 27 at 8 p.m. and Saturday, March 28 at 8 p.m. with a special pre-performance Gala Dinner Celebration with honorary chair, renowned dancer and choreographer Jacques d’Amboise. Will also be performed at the Hylton Performing Arts Center in Manassas on Sunday, March 29 at 4 p.m. Tickets for the performance $15-$25. Tickets for the Gala Dinner start at $150. For tickets call 888-945-2468 or visit George Mason University Center for the Arts Box Office. General information about School of Dance, call 703-993-1114 or visit http://dance.gmu.edu.">dance.gmu.edu.
Joey Day (Vienna) said that Mason provides “such a very supportive environment. The School of Dance took a chance on me and is open to my style and hip-hop background.” He also discussed how dance movements can visually “describe a particular person and a relationship.”
For David Kurland (Reston), Mason School of Dance provides great opportunities to see and learn from master performers as he “pushes himself.” He spoke about Mason providing trainers to help dancers get and stay in shape. Kurland also mentioned learning about the visual aspects of dance from a film course where he is learning how to “find different angles and ways to give attention to the hands and feet of a performer.”
Katherine Stewart (Chantilly) said that dance is helping her to learn to take risks “to express internal emotions about herself and to generate creative ideas.” The School of Dance supportive environment is providing a “great place for self-examination along with pushing my boundaries beyond my own expected limitations.”
You never know, you may see someone from the Dance Gala Concert on a bigger stage in the near future; however, you can see them here first.