‘Rich Movement Material’
Ohio Wesleyan Dancers, Choreographers to Present ‘Orchesis 23/24’ Concert Nov. 10-12
DELAWARE, Ohio – Ohio Wesleyan University’s Orchesis Dance Company will present three performances of “Orchesis 23/24,” a contemporary dance concert that explores the theme of individuality, director Janet Schroeder says.
The show will debut at 8 p.m. Nov. 10 with additional performances at 2 p.m. Nov. 11 and Nov. 12 on the Main Stage of OWU’s Chappelear Drama Center, 45 Rowland Ave., Delaware. Admission is free, but reservations are requested at owu.edu/orchesis. “Orchesis 23/24” will feature choreography by Schroeder; guest artist Sarah Ramey, director of Perennial Movement Group of Columbus, Ohio; and six student-choreographers.
Ramey’s piece examines how we see others and how we are seen. In the process, the dancers explored questions such as “What do I risk if I let myself be fully seen by another?” “Can I see another person fully?” The piece features an original score and song created by Columbus musician Steven Ramey in collaboration with the dancers.
“I’ve really enjoyed the process of creating a new work with this group of dancers,” said Sarah Ramey, also a part-time OWU dance instructor. “Each of them came to the first rehearsal with an openness and willingness to try new ways of working, and this led to the creation of rich movement material that reflects each of them and their idiosyncrasies as people and dancers. I’ve been really inspired by their creative choices, their individual dancing, and by how they’ve supported each other in this process.”
This year’s Orchesis performance also will feature these choreographers and works:
- Senior Alyssa Head, a horror movie enthusiast from Houston, Texas, draws inspiration from “The Masque of the Red Death” by Edgar Allen Poe and evokes movement aesthetics from horror films to examine the dualities between life and death and the inevitable end.
- Senior Isabelle Tinti-Kane of Marblehead, Massachusetts, presents “The Rise and Fall,” a piece in four movements that explores trust, betrayal, and divinity through ballet technique and pedestrian movement.
- Senior Chloe Williams of Wilmington, Ohio, presents a solo contemporary piece that showcases her growth as a dancer, framed in the context of changing seasons.
- Junior Brielle Decarolis of Albrightsville, Pennsylvania, combines movements from improvisation and media with tools like a number generator and the flip of a coin to explore randomized choreographic processes.
- Junior Grace Frye of Newark, Ohio, encourages performers to explore their natural states of joyfulness, with a tinge of oddity, using the vocabulary of concert tap dance.
- Sophomore Kaylen Brandt of Chicago, Illinois, explores the dynamics of toxic friendships through choreography that demonstrates betrayal and the crumbling of hierarchy among friends.
- Orchesis director Schroeder, Ph.D., a part-time OWU dance instructor and percussive dance artist, offers “Patterns of Delight,” a movement study exploring joy, community, and composition.
Learn more about Orchesis and Ohio Wesleyan’s upcoming Performing Arts events at owu.edu/PerformingArts. For questions, call the box office at (740) 368-3855.
Founded in 1842, Ohio Wesleyan University is one of the nation’s premier liberal arts universities. Located in Delaware, Ohio, the private university offers more than 70 undergraduate majors and competes in 24 NCAA Division III varsity sports. Through its signature experience, the OWU Connection, Ohio Wesleyan teaches students to understand issues from multiple academic perspectives, volunteer in service to others, build a diverse and global perspective, and translate classroom knowledge into real-world experience through internships, research, and other hands-on learning. Ohio Wesleyan is featured in the book “Colleges That Change Lives” and included on the U.S. News & World Report and Princeton Review “Best Colleges” lists. Connect with OWU expert interview sources at owu.edu/experts or learn more at owu.edu.