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'Our Movement Matters!': Fall Student Choreographers Concert to be Held at SUNY Potsdam

SUNY Potsdam Department of Theatre and Dance Presents Student Choreographers Concert, 'Our Movement Matters!'

Potsdam, NY (11/04/2024) — The SUNY Potsdam Department of Theatre and Dance is proud to present the Fall 2024 Student Choreographers Concert, titled "Our Movement Matters!" This free event will take place with evening performances at 7:30 p.m., from Thursday, Nov. 21 through Saturday, Nov. 23, with a final matinee on Sunday, Nov. 24 at 2 p.m. All performances will be held in the Performing Arts Center's Dance Theatre on the SUNY Potsdam campus.

This dance concert delves into the raw and unfiltered emotions of a generation grappling with hardships from many avenues. Influenced by the violence of warfare around the world, social and class injustices, and the painful discontinuation of the Department of Theatre and Dance, student choreographers will embody their anxieties, hopes, dreams, and fears through movement. Audiences will experience powerful themes which reflect the anxieties and frustrations of today's young artists, who are faced with overwhelming crises that shape their outlook on their futures.

"'As the Dust Settles' is a dance about two strangers who find each other after a devastating war," notes choreographer, Dani N. LaCroix. "This dance is symbolic of the Department of Theatre and Dance, how we have lost the fight to keep our doors open, and now have to cling onto what we have left."

Choreographer Emily R. Levy will present "Das Zahn (The Cog)," a modern dance about the constraints of American capitalism that are brought to life as performers embody the turmoil that ensues when a cog falls out of the machine. Levy states, "I hope this invites audiences to reflect on the chaos and resilience found in the struggle against a relentless system."

Sophia N. DeGaetano is excited to showcase her dance, "//geNEaLoGY//," which features four SUNY Potsdam student dancers. This dance is an expansion of her collegiate work/study with props, movement, storytelling, music selection and choreography.

Choreographer Elaine R. Goris Luna states: "I often find myself emotionally detached from any world issues regarding war or violence. This piece, 'Veiled,' is a representation of the mental back and forth that I experience, from feeling overwhelmed and helpless, to feeling numb and resorting back to emotional detachment. I wanted to reveal the idea of purposeful ignorance through movement."

Denaisha Clarke reflects on her dance, "Can I Speak?," noting, "Not everyone knows how to communicate their feelings verbally, or even has the access or safe space to do so. When can I talk? Am I allowed to talk? Who is making that choice? These are questions that the dancers are portraying."

For more information about the Student Choreographers Concert, contact Professor Robin Collen at collenrl@potsdam.edu or (315) 267-2234.

The Department of Theatre and Dance cultivates an innovative, experiential, and multidisciplinary education within an inclusive community, which prepares students for leadership and service in the arts as global citizens.

About SUNY Potsdam:

Founded in 1816, The State University of New York at Potsdam is one of America's first 50 colleges -- and the oldest institution within SUNY. Now in its third century, SUNY Potsdam is distinguished by a legacy of pioneering programs and educational excellence. The College currently enrolls approximately 2,500 undergraduate and graduate students. Home to the world-renowned Crane School of Music, SUNY Potsdam is known for its challenging liberal arts and sciences core, distinction in teacher training and culture of creativity. To learn more, visit www.potsdam.edu.

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SUNY Potsdam’s Department of Theatre and Dance will present the Fall 2024 Student Choreographers Concert, titled “Our Movement Matters!,” from Nov. 21 to 24, in the Dance Theater, located in the Performing Arts Center (Photo credit: Tom Grabowski).

SUNY Potsdam’s Department of Theatre and Dance will present the Fall 2024 Student Choreographers Concert, titled “Our Movement Matters!,” from Nov. 21 to 24, in the Dance Theater, located in the Performing Arts Center (Photo credit: Tom Grabowski).

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