May 21, 2012

The Drexel Dance Ensemble, and the all-freshman dance ensemble, FreshDance, concludes its 2011-2012 season with two concerts featuring 15 works performed by more than 90 student dancers, with choreography by students, faculty, and guest artists. The Dance Ensemble’s Piece of Mind, a concert of ten works, will be performed on May 31st and June 1st and 2nd at 8 PM and will feature choreography by the 2011 Ellen Forman Memorial Award Winner, Bronwen MacArthur. MacArthur, who has been choreographing since 1999, will perform her original piece “Speed and Light." Her work has been shown in Russia, France, Scotland, and throughout New England.  The concert will also feature the choreography of Drexel junior and Miss Philadelphia 2012, Lauren Bilski. Her piece, “To Escape the Absolute,” is an original work named after the painting of the same name by the famed Chilean expressionist and surrealist painter, Robert Matta, and it explores the notion of the absolute and perfection.

On June 2nd at 3 PM, and June 3rd at 1 PM, FreshDance will present Instincts Revealed, by Drexel’s all-freshman dance ensemble, featuring 5-pieces by professionals and students. Among others, the concert will feature the choreography of adjunct dance faculty member and artistic director of Danse4Nia, Antoinette M. Coward-Gilmore, in a piece paying tribute to Etta James and Whitney Houston.

Both concerts will be at the Mandell Theater at 33rd and Chestnut Sts. Tickets are $10 for general admission, and $5 for Drexel students. Tickets can be purchased online at www.danceboxoffice.com.  For reservations, call 215-895-ARTS.