A three-day retrospective of dance choreographed and performed by former students of Cornell's Dance Program steps out Friday, Aug. 30, at Cornell's Center for Theatre Arts.
Billed as the Cornell Dance Alumni Festival, the weekend features workshops, classes, a panel presentation and the chance to hobnob with prominent alumni. Registration for the weekend, which includes attendance to all functions, including a brunch and reception, is $25. To register, contact festival coordinator Joyce Morgenroth at 254-2744.
On Friday, a reception for registrants will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. in the CTA lobby. Classes, workshops and jam sessions will be held throughout the day, Saturday and Sunday.
The highlight of the festival is the Dance Alumni Gala Concert set for Saturday, Aug. 31, at 8 p.m. Tickets are $10; $8 for students and senior citizens and are available at the CTA box office.
Cornell alumni featured in the gala performance are Charles Odell Anderson '94, Chris Black '92 and Lydia Bueschel '93, founders and co-directors of the San Francisco-based Potrzebie Dance Project; Melinda Buckwalter '84 and Bruce Jones '85, founders of Kinetic Engineers; Christine Doempke '96, nominated as Student Choreographer of the Year by Dance magazine; Danielle Greer '93; Kristin Eliasberg '79; Stefanie Nelson '91; and Connie Schrader '75.
Earlier in the day, at 4 p.m., an informal free dance concert will be held in the Class of '56 Dance Theatre of the CTA. Because seating is limited, tickets are required for admission to this performance.
A behind-the-scenes examination of the art form is the topic of a panel discussion Sunday, Sept. 1, at noon with remarks by Jennifer Tipton '58, a Tony award-winning lighting designer who has staged works by Mikhail Baryshnikov and Jerome Robbins, and Marcia Pally '71, a film critic and professor at New York University. The discussion will be held in the CTA Film Forum.
"The dance festival is part of our retrospective of 20th century dance; but it is also a look ahead, a glimpse at the upcoming generation of dancers," said Morgenroth. "All of the performers got their start here at Cornell, went on to dance and choreograph professionally and are now returning to Ithaca to showcase their work."