UW Theatre Department Presents Innovative Dance Concert

Oct. 23, 2007 -- The frosty beauty of Iceland and the simple definitions of pink and blue are explored in the latest show from the University of Wyoming Department of Theatre and Dance.

The combined concert runs Oct. 31 through Nov. 3 at 7:30 p.m. and Nov. 4 at 2 p.m. on the Fine Arts Center Main Stage. The cost is $14 for the public, $11 for senior citizens, and $7 for students. For tickets and more information, call (307) 766-6666 or visit www.uwyo.edu/finearts.

“Fire and Ice,” an original contemporary ballet by new dance faculty member Jennifer Deckert, was inspired by the music, landscape, and culture of Iceland. It features music by the Icelandic band Sigur Ros, known for its beautiful, atmospheric soundscapes.

“Iceland is a world of dichotomies, of opposites in nature, where one side cannot exist without the other, where you have to search for meaning and identity or become lost,” says Deckert. “The dance centers on this journey of finding oneself.”

Visiting faculty member Jacob Mora will also present “The Pink Blue,” his inventive dance piece that blends modern, jazz, hip-hop, ethnic, and urban forms. The show spins meanings of pink and blue into a complex exploration of relationships, self-definition, and how individuals contend with their environment.

“This is a blue-collar kind of dance,” says Mora. “It shows the struggle of the everyday grind, with the feel of the 1930s and 40s, but set among modern-day people with modern-day problems.”

Photo:
Dancers rehearse a number for the University of Wyoming performance of “Fire And Ice.”

Posted on Tuesday, October 23, 2007