MTSU Arts Debuts Collage at Tucker Theatre

MTSU Arts premiered Collage, a showcase of unique dances performed by members of MTSU’s Dance Theatre, in Tucker Theatre on Wednesday night.

The concert featured choreographic works created by MTSU faculty and students, as well as a special performance choreographed by visiting guest artist T. Lang, celebrating MTSU Theatre’s 11th performing season.

The opening piece, Prelude and Narcissus, was performed by assistant professor Meg Brooker and was a restaging of original choreography by Isadora Duncan, who was known as the “Mother of Modern Dance.” This series of historic dances was passed down to Booker through several generations of dancers, including third-generation Duncan, dancer Lori Belilove.

Next was a number choreographed by MTSU’s Dance Director Marsha Barsky, featuring five dancers in black heels. This modern routine was high in intensity, with sharp, clean technique that was almost reminiscent of martial artistry at times.

Undergraduate Organizational Communications major Brittany Stewart then took the stage with a self-choreographed solo performance. The number was set to TNGHT’s “R U Ready” and featured a costume comprised of a pink, frilly top and pink boxers. Stewart cleverly combined techniques from various styles of dance, such as ballet and jazz, splicing them with abrupt gestures timed impeccably with accents in the music.

The mood changed with There Was a Time, a retrospective of life told through the voice and music of James Brown, choreographed by assistant professor Kevin Guy. The dancers’ movements were injected with attitude and spunk, with one dancer entering through the auditorium and dancing towards the stage.

During Fragmentary Pulse, choreographed by adjunct professor Kate Kastelnik, dancers showed off their flexibility and form with heavily ballet-based movements. Splits, lifts and jumps were pivotal within the piece, punctuating flurries of fluid movements across the stage.

An LED wall and vibrant colored costuming were used for Scape, a piece choreographed by Meg Brooker. The dancers moved in an almost tribal way, with measured intensive movements and sprints around the stage.

To cap off the night was T. Lang’s Lit, which featured music by Amon Tobin, Venetian Snares and Free the Robots. Two spotlights were the primary source of light for this piece, giving the dance a moody, somber feel and drawing the audience’s focus.

The juxtaposition of dances lent to Collage being an overall striking performance that showcased the skill of the performers as well as those involved in lighting and costume design.