Arts & Humanities Society & Culture

UGA’s CORE Concert Dance Company to present ‘Taking Flight!’

CORE Dance 2013 Emi Murata-v.action
Emi Murata performs on the lyra during "Taking Flight!"

Athens, Ga. – The University of Georgia department of dance’s CORE Concert Dance Company Contemporary and Aerial Dance will present its annual season performance “Taking Flight!” Feb. 27 to March 2 at 8 p.m. in the New Dance Theatre in the Dance Building.

“Taking Flight!” is a 65-minute aerial and contemporary dance fusion—highlighted with premiere works on bungee, triple trapeze, lyra, silks and cyr—and enhanced with digitally rendered film and lighting effects. The evening’s show explores an aeronautical journey pushing the boundaries of dance into flight.

Premiere contemporary dances include “Key” by guest choreographer Charlotte Boye-Christensen, artistic director of the Ririe-Woodberry Dance Company in Salt Lake City, Utah. “Key,” an excerpt of a larger Ririe-Woodberry repertory piece, was staged during the dance company’s residency in the UGA department of dance in October 2012 and supported by a grant from the Jane and Harry Willson Center for Humanities and Arts.

“Taiko at the Gate,” a triple trapeze premiere, will be accompanied by an original music score by Louis Ramanos, a musician and dance department accompanist, with training assistance provided by Julie Phillips of Canopy Studio in Athens. “Para Maria” was choreographed by Shawn Evangelista, a CORE alumnus and professional dancer, teacher and company member of Full Radius Dance in Atlanta.

UGA dance students and guest artists in the performance comprise an international representation from Bosnia, Guam, Japan, Romania and South Korea. CORE alumni Evangelista and Alexandru Muresan join with company members Ronnie “R.J.” Anderson, Tenesia Benson, HyeYoung Borden, Kalyn Hardman, Mirna Minkov, Emi Murata, Farrah Nixon, Shannon Penton, Laura Schoop and Meg Babcock-Adams.

Tickets are $15 for general admission and $10 for students and senior adults. They can be purchased at the Tate Student Center, by calling 706/542-8579, online at pac.uga.edu or at the door beginning at 7 p.m. the evening of the concert.

The New Dance Theatre is located between Soule and Green Street across the street from the South Campus parking deck.

For more information on the CORE Dance Company in the UGA Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, see http://www.coreconcertdance.com/CORE_Concert_Dance_Company.html.