SU Dance Company Hosts Annual Spring Concert April 23-26

SALISBURY, MD---The Salisbury University Dance Company, directed by Mary Norton, hosts its annual Spring Concert Thursday-Sunday, April 23-26, in Holloway Hall Auditorium.

Curtain is 8 p.m., 2 p.m. Sunday. Guest performer and Salisbury native Jennifer Yackel is featured.

Yackel is a Philadelphia-based dance artist whose career has taken her from performing with the Richmond Ballet and Ballet Theater of Maryland to contemporary companies including Jean Ruddy Dance and Ellen Sinapoli Dance. Currently, she is working with the NADINE choreography mentoring project, as well as teaching in the outreach program at Philadelphia’s Rock School for Dance Education.

The hour-long program also includes modern dance choreography by guest artists Alice Howes and Ebru Hungelmann. Howes, a dance faculty member at Coppin State University, uses the music of Iva Bittova to set the tone for her work “Incantation.” Hungelmann’s “A-symme-try” is choreographed to music by Black Violin.

Former SU Dance Company members Katie Erdman-Harrison and Morgan Pearson return to set contemporary pieces for the concert. The company originally performed “Mr. Blue,” with music by the Electric Light Orchestra, in 2009, when Erdman-Harrison was an undergraduate at SU. The piece was the adjudicated winner of that year’s Fall Dance Showcase. Pearson returns with the new work “His Colors,” set to music by April Smith.

Current company member Kasey Jenkins reprises her contemporary dance “I Wanna Dance With Somebody,” originally presented last fall. This piece, set to music by Ben Rector, was selected for presentation in this concert by a panel of professional dance adjudicators.  

Faculty member Jessica Hindman-Wheatley chose musical artist Athena’s rendition of the hymn “Amazing Grace” to set a contemporary work of the same name. The evening concludes with a finale set to Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars’ popular “Uptown Funk,” staged by guest artist and local dance professional Staci Alexander.

Admission is $12; $9 for seniors, teens and SU alumni; free for children under 12. SU ID holders are admitted free for Thursday evening’s performance. Reservations are not required. Tickets may be purchased online and are available at the door beginning one hour before each performance.

For more information call 410-543-6228 or visit the SU Theatre and Dance Department website at www.salisbury.edu/theatreanddance.