The University News

Issue date: 8/18/08 Section: Culture

Media Credit: Mike Strong UMKC alumna Carissa Ratliff

Media Credit: Mike Strong Quixotic

Media Credit: Mike Strong Breanne Starke, Marty Davis and Geoffrey Kropp

Media Credit: Mike Strong UMKC student Karen Schonger and KCB's Charles Martin.

UMKC dancers managed to stay active over the summer practicing their art. The dance program does not have classes over the summer, so dance students sharpen their skills in other venues such as workshops, dance camps, experimental venues or auditions to dance in professional companies.

The Fringe Festival, July 21-27, offered opportunities for some UMKC dance students to try their hand at performing in an experimental venue. Now in its fourth year in Kansas City, the Fringe Festival (www.KCFringe.org) has a long history of allowing artists to work "on the fringe" of mainstream entertainment to try out new ideas, experiment and present edgier works.

"As an artist, performer and collaborator, I really appreciate the opportunity the Fringe Festival gives us ...a venue to practice our art in a performance situation with a paying audience," said Jered Solace, a UMKC dancer who graduated in May. "I did the Fringe Festival because it allowed me to experiment with another segment in a series of my work."

Solace used the festival to premier a second installment of the remarkable piece he started for his Senior Recital, "The Workers."

This innovative piece has dancers singing folk songs of workers spanning the last two centuries, as they construct pyramid shaped scaffolds on stage.

Solace, an Irish-American, said that he was inspired by family stories about the labor movement.

He received a grant from the SEARCH (Students Engaged in Artistic and Academic Research) Committee to create this innovative work, and then received another SEARCH grant to develop the next section of the piece. Solace describes his creative work as a "choreodrama," using choreography as a narrative of historic social change, pointing out the impact of music and dance on our society.

The installment for the Fringe Festival is titled "The Warriors" and follows the timeline started by the first piece. It traces the workers being threatened by violence, and eventually, pressed into service for the purpose of war and destruction. It touches on civil rights movements, unionization, civil turmoil and war that occurred during the latter part of the last century.

"The way I envision the complete work is that the story is told in three sections," said Solace. "'The Workers' tells the story of those unsung heroes who built up society in the past; 'The Warriors' tells the story of the destruction, conquest, and breaking down of parts of society; 'The Healers' will be the last segment, telling the story of those who try to rebuild society in a better way - one not based on conquest or dominance."

This was also the first appearance of Solace's dance group, which he calls the Solace Dance Collective. Joining him in this venture is fellow UMKC dance alumna, Carissa Ratliff, whose suspension work shines as she performs hanging from the scaffolds constructed by the dancers during the piece.

Another UMKC alumna reprised her performance group at the Fringe Festival. Marisa MacKay repeated her success with her tongue-in-cheek "girlie" show, titled "Ms. B.D.U."

On the concert scene, several UMKC dancers were able to perform with a new dance company founded by Kansas City Ballet's (KCB) Matthew Powell, the Crossroads Ballet. This new company presented a creative dance concert July 11 and 12 at UMKC's Spencer Theatre. In addition to dancers from KCB, the featured piece, "The Red Shoes," included in the cast UMKC dancers Chloegrant Abel, Caitlin Schuler, and William Smith.

Though not in principal roles, the dancers had an opportunity to work in a professional show with a professional company, allowing them to build a peer network within the dance community.

Always spectacular, the Quixotic dance company also featured KCB and UMKC dancers within its ranks for its summer concert June 27 and 28 at the Uptown Theatre. The concert was a visual delight featuring exotic costumes, 3-dimensional choreography incorporating the entire performance space, suspension performers, trapeze artists, bungee dancers, and a variety of props.

Dancers rehearsed long and hard over the summer to master moves that pushed the envelope on their dance experiences and conception of choreography. Performers included David Long, a UMKC dancer, who partnered with several dancers, including KCB soloist, Rachel Coats.

Other UMKC dancers included Karen Schongar, Marlee Bailey in a flowing skirt number, sophomore Katie Metzger on bungees, and recent dance graduate, Chelsea Klima.

These are just highlights of a few local venues featuring the work of some UMKC dancers that illustrate how creative dance students are expanding their experiences, adding to their resumés and creating a professional network. Generally unable to stay idle for any length of time, dancers often seek out opportunities to perform, spread their wings, and collaborate with others.

"[As in the case of the Fringe Festival], it is a great opportunity for exposure, collaboration, and experience," said Solace. "Kansas City is lucky to have it ... and so are the artists ... it is always a good experience for both artist and audience."

nenglish@unews.com

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