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State of LA Danse

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The UL Lafayette School of Music and Performing Arts presented State of LA Danse in November at Angelle Hall. The 2016 production of State of LA Danse, directed by Kenneth L. Jenkins, premiered a range of dances, both ballet and modern dance, which were thoughtfully varied in subject matter and richly innovative in their approach. A unique aspect of this year’s production was that all of the choreographers represented in the concert were women who are natives of Louisiana. Each created original choreography as diverse as the Louisianan experience.

Guest artist and choreographer Clare Cook premiered FRAGMENTS, excerpt of a work in progress. Clare collaborated with architect Ashlie Latiolais of the UL Lafayette School of Architecture to explore how fundamental architectural principles inform the creation of spaces and how dancers utilize space. Clare and Ashlie are natives of Lafayette, Louisiana and grew up dancing together.

Guest Artist and choreographer Cathy Hebert of Opelousas, Louisiana premiered Homage to Balanchine. In this original work, Cathy created choreography that is both indicative of Balanchine’s use and development of the classical ballet vocabulary while paying homage to this master choreographer with movement that suggest iconic moments from the Balanchine repertory.

Guest artist and choreographer Amanda Martin of Jeanerette, Louisiana premiered Surface. Using contemporary dance styles, Amanda created a work that was fun to watch but captured an underlying message of unity and strength.

Resident artist faculty member and UL Lafayette dance graduate Marie Broussard, originally from Opelousas, Louisiana, took a major departure from the classical form in Viens Jouer Avec Nous (Come Play With Us) performed to a musical score performed by the Lounge Lizards. Marie is now an American Ballet Theatre® Certified Teacher, who has successfully completed the ABT Teacher Training Intensive in Pre-Primary through Level V of the ABT National Training Curriculum.

Resident artist faculty member and UL Lafayette graduate Sonia DeVille of Ville Platte, Louisiana continued to deepen her response to the affects of Alzheimer’s disease on the entire family unit in Threading Memories. After the successful premiere of Loosing Threads in last year’s concert, Threading Memories premiered as the second dance in a trilogy of dances on this theme.

 

Director’s Note

Understanding that the unknown requires tolerating uncertainty, we shall not cease from exploration. The end of our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time.

                                                                                                                 T. S. Eliot.

There are two unique aspects of the 2016 production of State of LA Danse. The first is that all of the choreographers in this production are natives of Louisiana. This aspect reflects the Dance Program’s stated mission of recognizing established choreographers from the state and of encouraging the emerging choreographers in the state. We do not need to look beyond Acadiana to discover a diverse dance community with a wealth of dance professionals. The second aspect of this concert is that all of the choreographers represented are women. Very accomplished women. It is an ironic fact that in a discipline dominated by female performers, female choreographers have not always received the national or international recognition of their male counterparts. All of these women have, out of artistic necessity, spent time outside of the state in pursuit of their professional careers but like so many artists originally from Louisiana they have returned. They have returned with insight, imagination and a drive to give back to a dance community that propelled them into their life’s work. They have returned to foster a strengthening of their roots.

I see these women as sharing a similar purpose as that of the marsh grasses that are being planted to save the Louisiana coastline. Like the grasses that sink their roots into the marshland to save the earth from eroding, these women are sinking their artistic roots into our community in an effort to staunch the erosion of the rich topsoil of dance talent that exists in the state. All of these women understand what it means to tolerate uncertainty and they shall not cease to explore. They have arrived where they started with the knowledge and experience to know the place for the first time. They have arrived to rejoice in their roots.

Kenneth L. Jenkins

Director, State of LA Danse

Coordinator of Dance

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