Life > November 18, 2006

By Elizabeth Martin

Staff writer

Amidst the stress and worry of the end of the semester, some students find themselves under a different kind of pressure. Pointe shoes and choreography rise to the top of the agenda for these students, who amidst the flurry of papers and math homework dedicate large amounts of time toward rehearsal for the Fall Faculty/Guest Artist Dance Concert.

This concert will take place in the MainStage Theatre of the Scales Fine Arts Center at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 16-18 and at 2 p.m. on Nov. 19. Directed by Nina Lucas, Director of the Wake Forest Dance Department, this concert is full of various interesting and innovative pieces.

Two guest choreographers offered their expertise in the construction of this concert.  Both Suzee Grilley (director of the Suzee Grilley Dance Ensemble) and Nina Danilova (graduate of the Vaganova Institute in St. Petersburg, Russia and current instructor at the North Carolina School of the Arts) brought their own personal experiences of various world tours to the dance floor at Wake Forest.

Senior Meaghan Lynch eagerly awaits not only the “adrenaline rush” of performing, but also the friendly backstage banter that occurs as the dancers work together to make each show a success. 

She performs in the “Grand Tarentella,” an intricate work with a “bright tempo” and “Spanish flair.”  Restaged by faculty member Fachon Cordell, this dance consists of six girls, clad in red leotards, executing complex movements with grace and fluidity that seem to deny the difficulty of the piece. 

However, Lynch modestly claims that dancers are merely experts at making it seem “that [their lungs] are not out of breath, that [their] legs are not about to collapse, that [their] point shoes are not killing them…”

An exciting program awaits those eager to see this area of talent at Wake Forest.

Assistant professor of dance Christina Tsoules Soriano choreographed both a modern group dance and a solo dance entitled “Begin Again,” which she will perform herself.  “Fast-paced” movements fill the stage in the hip-hop piece by visiting instructor of dance Tina Yarborough Liggins.

Guest choreographer Grilley created the dance “Reigns” for this concert.  A modern work with unique costuming, this piece has the main dancer wearing a corset laced with extra-long strings.

Dalinova’s original work is entitled “Excerpts from the Snow Queen.” Another dance Lynch performs in, this piece has an emotional “prayer scene,” a

“symphony section” where the dancers enter gloriously en pointe to represent the sunrise.

An anticipated work is a restaged,  stylized jazz piece by Nina Lucas.  A dance Lynch describes as having “a little of everything fun,” this work features the two “outstanding” male dancers in the company, (junior Jamie Patterson and freshman James Blair) as they fly through their multiple jumps and turns.

“We may not play a sport,” says Lynch, “but we are definitely a team [who supports] each other and [shares] a love of performing.” Come get a glimpse of the incredible strength and agility of these talented students. 

Tickets are $5 for students and can be bought at the door or in advance at the Wake Forest Theatre Box Office beginning Nov. 6.