January 25, 2017

The Drexel University Dance Program will present On Common Ground in the Pearlstein Gallery on Saturday, February 11 from 2-3pm as part of the 125 Years: Drexel and the City exhibition. Under the direction of Dance Program Director, Valerie Ifill, this performance is comprised of vignettes inspired by historic images of Drexel students from the Drexel Archives. The afternoon performance will include performances that move throughout the gallery featuring fifteen Drexel Dance Ensemble students, live music by a Drexel Music Ensemble student and an original score from a Music Industry student. Participants from the Dance at the Dornsife Center program, which we covered in our last newsletter, will also be presenting a work performed by five family members who are multi-generational residents of the Powelton Village/Mantua neighborhood who have witnessed the City and the University evolve.

The On Common Ground gallery performance was created from a work of the same title being presented in the upcoming Drexel Dance Ensemble Concert, Milestone 125, February 2nd through the 4th at 8pm in the Mandell Theater. Featuring students from a variety of majors Meredith Behr, a Senior Health Sciences Major, told us, "The creative process for On Common Ground was one of the most unique experiences I’ve been a part of during my time at Drexel.  Each aspect of the dance was inspired by Drexel students, both past and present, and the creative process was incredibly collaborative… it felt as though we were truly bringing a vision to life, as many aspects of the dance are inspired by actual images of Drexel students of the past." Gina Quinlan, a Junior Dance Major reflected, "Working in the gallery enabled me to see where we came from and feel more connected to the past. I think that to understand the present, it is vital to know and have an appreciation for what came before, and of who walked down the same paths and paved the way for us. Gabriela Montoya, another Junior Dance Major, described her experience, "I find it interesting to think about students at Drexel back in 1891: what they were wearing, what they were learning, how they interacted with each other and with professors in comparison to how students live and act at Drexel today. There is a very diverse student and faculty population at Drexel that I believe is inclusive, welcoming and enriching. I wonder how diversity played a role in Drexel since the start; I imagine that it has immensely expanded as a variety of majors, personal origin, career options and Drexel's Colleges, athletics and arts have expanded far outside of their strong foundation of science and engineering of the original ‘Institute’."

To learn more about our Performing Arts Program, click here.