May 9, 2017

This year's FreshDance ensemble is our largest to date, comprising forty dedicated freshmen dancers from the University's many Colleges. Their Spring concert, Beyond the Mind, is a series of six unique pieces that investigate and express the connection between body and mind, rendering their internal dialogues into tangibly visible depictions.

In true Drexel fashion, the evening is a collaborative affair. Our faculty choreographer, Lindsay Browning, along with guest artists Beau Hancock and Caroline O'Brien, a Drexel alumna, are a representation of Philadelphia’s strong dance community. Each year, freshmen also have the opportunity to work alongside upperclassmen and recent alumni on remounted renditions of past pieces, learning what it means to revisit a piece while gaining experience and insight from advanced and professional dancers. Freshmen worked with recent alumna Elise Mele (Dance Major, 2016), who has been dancing professionally with two companies since graduating, and Coralie Michele-Francois, a graduating Biology senior, on remounted works from the last year.

In addition, audience members will experience for the very first time a piece choreographed by alumna Heather Smalley, the Producer of the Drexel Dance and FreshDance ensembles, who collaborated with nine alumni alongside eight freshmen, including Hayley Beck (Dance); Kailin Brooks (Nursing); Haley Galloway (Healthy Sciences: Physical Therapy); Rose Graziul (Dance); Sarah Horsley (Fashion Design); Pauline Maiura (Dance); Priya Roychoudhury (Dance) and Kaitlyn Santucci (Dance). Mentorship of freshmen by alumni is an underlying pedagogical theme of this project. "There's a general excitement about the multiple opportunities for student to work with alumni in so many different ways," stated Dr. Miriam Giguere, Department Head of the Performing Arts Program.

FreshDance, the freshman year dance company, provides a dynamic and professional performance opportunity for the incoming class of Drexel University. Students participating in the 25-member ensemble will explore their artistry through working with professional choreographers, both faculty and guest artists, as well as some exceptional student choreographers, and present the dance pieces in a fully-produced concert in Mandell Theater twice a year. For more information, contact Miriam Giguere at danceprogram@drexel.edu.

Wed., May 24 & Thurs., May 25 // 8PM // Mandell Theater // Tickets available here