Dance Ensembles
The Drexel Dance Ensemble is a professional caliber dance company presenting two fully-produced concerts in the Mandell Theater each year, performing for more than 1000 people each season. Students participating in the 50-member ensemble are given the opportunity to explore their artistry through working with professional choreographers, both faculty and guests artists, as well as a selection of student choreographers. The diversity of choreographic talent promises a show with dimension and unique perspectives on contemporary and classical dance forms. Entrance into this company is open to any dancers beyond their freshman year by audition twice yearly. The dance program also sponsors FreshDance, the freshman year dance company, consisting of 25 members. The program experience is similar but exclusive to the newest generation of Drexel students.
One of the more notable components of the Drexel Dance Ensemble is the student choreography. Each year 14 students are selected to create original works on their peers, and experience the process of working with a staff of theater professionals, including a lighting designer, and four costume designers creating original costumes for each piece. At the end of the year, four exceptional student choreographers are invited to reconstruct their works on the FreshDance Ensemble the following year, allowing their dances to have an extended life in our repertory.
Participation in the dance ensembles allows for the students of Drexel to connect to the artistic community, indulge in the creative process, and perhaps, expand their cultural scope. Recently, Drexel dancers represented the university, and our country, at the 45th Annual Singapore Youth Festival at the National University of Singapore. Invited by Singapore’s Ministry of Education, the 12 dancers selected from both ensemble companies performed Sea of Glass, choreographed by dance faculty member Olive Prince, on July 20, 2011.
Click here to watch a video of this international experience.
WINTER 2013
Drexel Dance Ensemble
January 24, 25, 26 - 8:00 pm
$10 adults, $5 students
Winter Dance Concert: Surrounding Us
The Drexel Dance Ensemble winter concert will present dances that reflect the choreographers' perspectives on the world around us. Along with adjudicated student dances will be new works by Drexel dance faculty Tania Isaac and Olive Prince, and guest artist Leah Stein.
FreshDance: Freshman Dance Company
Saturday, January 26 - 3:00 pm and Sunday, January 27 - 1:00 pm
$10 adults, $5 students
Winter Dance Concert: New Episode
The freshmen company will perform new works of faculty choreographers Mina Estrada, Lucinda Lea, and Dr. Miriam Giguere and Meredith Rainey, alongside the remounting of a selected student works from Dance Ensemble Repertory.
SPRING 2013
April 4,5,6
Performance Charrette Weekend
What happens when you combine digital media, dance, choreography and electrical engineering. Spontaneity and limitations will be explored as interdisciplinary teams work together to discover a creative performance solution. Students will have 48 hours to solve a performance "problem" that involves digital media and dance culminating in a public performance on April 8 at 6 PM.
Free and open to the public.
Sunday, April 21 - 4 pm
The Composer and the Choreographer: New Music for Dance.
This concert of four world premier dances will be presented with original scores commissioned for the works. Each pair of choreographer and composer will speak briefly about their collaborative process before each work is shown. Guests include Rankin Scholar Mark Kuss' composition, choreographed by Carbon Dance Theater artistic director Meredith Rainey.
Drexel Dance Ensemble
May 30, 31, June 1 - 8 PM
$10 adults, $5 students
Spring Dance Concert
The Drexel Dance Ensemble will present a concert of selected student works and the choreography of Drexel faculty Peter DiMuro and Dr. Miriam Giguere and the recipient of the 2012 Ellen Forman Memorial Award for choreography, Dr. Kariamu Welsh. The dances presented will represent a variety of dance genres and artistic voices.
FreshDance: Freshman Dance Company
Saturday, June 1 - 3:00 pm and Sunday, June 2 - 1:00 pm
$10 adults, $5 students
Spring Dance Concert
The freshmen company will perform new and reconstructed works of faculty choreographers Jennifer Morley Stephen Welsh and Dr. Miriam Giguere, alongside the remounting of two selected student works from Dance Ensemble Repertory. Dances from the annual performance charrette will also be re-mounted for this concert.