WS Chronicle

By Jess Schnur 

The Chronicle 

Starting tomorrow evening, April 24, at 7:30 p.m., the University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA) will hold its annual Spring Dance performance at the Freedman Theatre on its campus. Running from April 24-27, each performance will showcase the talents of faculty and students through both original choreography and reimagined classic works. 

The Spring Dance event is part of the school’s yearly performance schedule, which also includes a fall dance event for contemporary majors, the Nutcracker ballet, a Christmas holiday tradition, and a Winter Dance performance. 

Featuring five unique dances, each number incorporates a distinct company of dancers exclusive to each piece, with two alternating casts that highlight the diverse talent within the student body. The choreography is crafted by UNCSA professors Ilya Kozadayev, Brenda Daniels, and Philip Broomhead, along with the dean of the School of Dance, Endalyn Taylor Outlaw. The program also includes work by guest artist Cherylyn Lavagnino, an esteemed professor of dance at New York University and the owner of a small ballet company in New York. 

As a collaborative effort, Spring Dance also features students from the School of Design and Production, contributing their expertise in lighting and stage management. The program will also showcase a performance by a School of Music alumnus. 

A Showcase of Dance Styles 

 “It’s a very varied show,” said Brenda Daniels in an interview with The Chronicle. “All five pieces could not be more different from each other – musically, in lighting, in costuming. The themes of the pieces are all very different. So, I think that people coming to see the show will have a kind of full smorgasbord of all different kinds of dance, different styles of dance. A lot of people in the show and the audience will really see how talented and gifted our students are here at the school.” 

Growing up immersed in the arts, Daniels discovered that dancing unified her love of music with her passion for physical activity. “Once I got bit by the dance bug, it never let go,” said Daniels. “My two great loves were combined into one, and dance is always, it’s always challenging. No matter how good you get at it, there’s always something to improve or work on, and I just, I like that challenge.” Daniels performed professionally until her retirement in her early forties; she revitalized her love of dance by passing her knowledge and skill to the next generation of dancers through her teaching. 

A Range of Themes and Styles 

As one of the key choreographers for the show, Daniels’ contemporary piece, “Transcription,” will feature a live performance of Bach’s Cello Suite No. 4 on classical guitar by alumnus Bruno Coz Núñez. 

“It’s actually a cello suite, but it’s been transcribed for classical guitar – hence the title of the piece, ‘Transcription,’” Daniels explained. “The music was transcribed from one instrument to another, and then the idea behind the piece was that I was taking the music and transcribing it onto the bodies of the 12 dancers. And it’s a lovely piece of music.” 

Daniels also facilitates scheduling for the School of Dance and largely helps with organizing the Spring Dance. Alongside “Transcription,” the evening’s program will include guest artist Lavagnino’s “RU,” a restaged work from her company that explores themes related to the Vietnam War. Dean Taylor Outlaw’s piece, “The Thing with Feathers,” will center on the concept of hope and optimism. Kozadayev’s “Echoes” reimagines his work for the Houston Ballet, while Broomhead’s “Taquita” presents a grand finale of classical ballet. 

The Ephemeral Beauty of Dance 

 Like all art, dance itself serves a testament to the fleetingness and intricacies of the lives we lead. 

“When I was playing the piano, it’s physical, but it’s mainly your hands. When you make visual art – I love visual art – but it’s static, and it takes resources to make, and it can be bought and sold,” she said. “Dance, in a way, is pure. It doesn’t leave a trace. It disappears after the performance is over. It only lives on in the memory of the people who did it and the people who saw it. It’s kind of like life – you can’t hold on to things. Everything comes and goes, but the experience that you’re having while you’re doing it, while you’re living, is all there. I just find dance so beautiful to watch, and when I was doing it, I just loved doing it.” 

Tickets for Spring Dance are available online through the UNCSA website. Performances will be held nightly at 7:30 p.m. from April 24-27, with additional matinees at 2 p.m. on April 26 and April 27.