Faculty choreographer, student dancers honored again
April 3, 2003
KALAMAZOO -- Choreography by David Curwen, instructor of dance at Western Michigan University, was recently selected by national adjudicators for the gala performance at the Central Region's American College Dance Festival.
The festival was held March 13-16 at the University of Northern Iowa. About 400 students from 14 colleges and universities were brought together for master classes, concerts and to have student and faculty choreography adjudicated.
Following three days of adjudication, Curwen's "Harp Finale" and eight other dances were chosen to appear on the final gala concert. Curwen's work featured five classical dancers and was set to Beethoven's "Harp String Quartet."
The dancers included Alyson Assenmacher, a freshman dance major from Milford, Mich.; Brooke Holliday, a senior elementary education major from Grand Blanc, Mich.; Sarah Ivory, a freshman dance major from Waterford, Mich.; Lacey Kelley, a sophomore dance major from Burr Ridge, Ill.; and Briona Richards, a sophomore dance major from Sterling Heights, Mich. Understudy Lindsay Moore, a freshman dance major from Northville, Mich., filled in when one of the dancers took ill.
The production team for the Iowa performances included Stephen
Kettner, video production lead in the WMU Office of Information
Technology, videographer; Jeffrey Rogers, a WMU student majoring
in theatre, lighting design; and Anne DeVelder, visiting assistant
professor from the University of Illinois, costume design.
Curwen's "Harp Finale" was also selected in November
2002 as one of six finalists for the Spirit of Degas Dance Award,
sponsored by the Detroit Institute of Art and the Michigan Dance
Council. The dance was created to reflect Degas' fascination
with the world of ballet.
Media contact: Trudy Cobb, 269 387-5834, trudy.cobb@wmich.edu