November 21st - 23rd: Faculty and Guest Artist Dance Concert at Coker College

The Coker College dance program will present its annual Faculty and Guest Artist Dance Concert Nov. 21-23 in the Watson Theater of Coker’s Elizabeth Boatwright Coker Performing Arts Center. Each show begins at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 for general admission, $5 for high school students and senior citizens, and free for those with a Coker ID.

Six diverse dances will be presented, ranging from theatrical and humorous to introspective and poetic. The concert features choreography from Coker dance program director Angela Gallo, assistant professors of dance Kristin Hapke and Meredith Sims, adjust faculty member Heather Watkins and guest artist Adele Meyers. Performers include the Coker College Repertory Dance Company, a pre-professional dance company, 18 dance majors, and guest dancers from Connecticut and New York.

The Dancing Room, guest artist Myers and dancers, projects the pure joy of dance. This energetic work brims with robust athleticism and tends toward a humanist perspective that emphasizes people dancing, not simply dancers moving. According to Roy C. Dicks of the Charlotte News & Observer, “The work’s uplifting exuberance lingers long after the curtain falls.” Dancer Kelli Lynch from Myers’s company recently taught this work to Coker students during an extended residency at Coker. Myers and dancers will return in April to perform their latest work, Einstein’s Happiest Thought.

The Coker College Repertory Dance Company will perform Sole, a sultry, upbeat jazz piece choreographed by Sims, who takes inspiration from legendary theater dance choreographer Jack Cole. Sims will also present aquirky, highly energetic group piece titled Knick Knack and inspired by "knick knacks" found around a home.

Tracking by Hapke is a highly physical quintet with aggressive partnering and suspended lifts that push the mental and physical endurance of the dancers. Originally created in 2004, Tracking was presented at The Kennedy Center during the American College Dance Festival, where it earned Hapke a nomination for ACDF/Dance Magazine Outstanding Choreographer award.

Gallo’s Out of View, an introspective and fluid contemporary dance work, intertwines dancers explore what is hidden and what becomes revealed. Illuminating the subconscious is the thematic material underlining Heather Watkins Little Spoon. This intimate and fluid duet first began as an underwater aesthetic study and continues to embody the aspect of reflection.

After Friday night’s performance, performers and choreographers will hold a Q&A session immediately following the show. For more information or questions about tickets, contact Gallo at 843-383-8381 oragallo@coker.edu .