Cleveland State University’s Dance Program will present A Spring Dance Concert ’09 on Thursday, April 9 at 7:30 p.m. in Drinko Hall, located in the Music and Communication Building, 2001 Euclid Avenue.

The performance is a repertory concert of both contemporary and traditional dance works featuring the CSU Dance Company, faculty, and alumni with guests from Antaeus Dance and the Lake Erie College Dance Company. Of special note are works staged by guest artists Dianne McIntyre, Cha Lee Chan, and Antaeus Dance Company’s premiere of an excerpt from “Molt,” a new work with music by CSU’s Greg D’Alessio.

Guest artist Cha Lee Chan, resident choreographer for the Yangtze Repertory Theatre, N.Y., staged the “Red Ribbon Dance” with members of the CSU Dance Company and Lake Erie College guest dancers. Performed to Chinese folk music, this traditional dance is often performed at community celebrations and festivals, utilizing strands of ribbons to express exuberance and joy. First choreographed in the 1950s, the “Red Ribbon Dance” traces its style back to the traditional dances of the Han Dynasty.

Cleveland’s own Dianne McIntyre created a solo for CSU Dance Company member Lisa Hunt based upon the poetry of Ntozake Shange. Both nostalgic and thought-provoking, the solo uses a wooden chair to create a simple stage, and is performed to music by American Dance Festival composer Natalie Gilbert.

Featuring CSU dancers Amy Compton-Schulz and Marissa Glorioso and performed to music by CSU faculty member Greg D’Alessio, Antaeus Dance will share an excerpt from its evening-length world premiere “Molt,” a choreographic work which explores the transformation that results from stripping away undesirable habits and patterns to reveal the essence of the individual. Elegant movement and evocative partnering is interspersed with sharp, quick motions that traverse the space. “Molt” will premiere in its entirety at Cleveland Public Theatre’s Dance Works ’09 at the end of April.

Closing out the program will be the Lynn Deering’s “Barefeet in the Park,” an ensemble work newly created for members of the CSU Dance Company and alumnus Joe Booth who is returning to the stage after completing his master’s degree in physical therapy. This whimsical dance piece is presented to the music of Devotchka, Yann Tiersen and Gogol Bordello.

Made possible with the support of the CSU College of Education and Human Services, CSU General Fee Committee and the Ohio Arts Council, tickets for the Spring Dance Concert ’09 are $5.00 for General Admission and are available only at the door. For further information, call 216.687.4883 or e-mail l.deering@csuohio.edu.

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