'Let the Kids Dance' a Stepping Stone to the Future

EVANSTON, Ill. --- A work by guest artist and world-renowned choreographer Randy Duncan -- a three-time recipient of Chicago’s prestigious Ruth Page Award for Outstanding Choreographer of the Year, who is famous for his musically intricate and physically demanding movements -- is among the highlights of Northwestern University’s 2013 senior dance concert.

Presented by the School of Communication’s dance program, “Let the Kids Dance” will showcase the original choreography of nine, soon-to-graduate Northwestern University senior dance majors, whose works will be performed by an ensemble of student dancers.

Open to the public, the dance concert will take place at 8 p.m. Thursday, May 16; 8 p.m.  Friday, May 17; and 8 p.m. Saturday, May 18, in the Ballroom Studio of the Marjorie Ward Marshall Dance Center, 10 Arts Circle Drive, on the University’s Evanston campus. 

Duncan's choreography has been part of major Hollywood films as well as the repertoire of the Joffrey Ballet and other leading dance ensembles. The senior dance majors will perform Duncan's piece and create a cohesive and entertaining performance showcasing diverse and thought-provoking pieces that will expose audiences to the unlimited artistic expressions in dance.

The show is an active celebration of the lives and development of the Northwestern senior dance majors who, throughout the course of four years, have become a collective of independent and creative individuals varying in experiences and interests and dedicated to diversifying and advancing the field of dance.

This year’s choreographers include seniors Alaya Turnbough, Danielle Siegel, Josh Rubietta, Margaret Tudor, Parker Murphy, Rachel Molinaro, Ross Flores, Sophia Rafiqi and Suzanne Hutt and guest artist Randy Duncan. Murphy and Flores are also the show’s co-producers.

The work done in each of the featured pieces is regarded as one of many stepping stones to propel the seniors into their place as the future generation of artists.

This year’s program covers a variety of dynamic terrain, from the minimalist and gestural work of Molinaro’s biography through dance to the quirky and comical world of Flores’ repertoire. Other highlights include a work by Hutt reflecting on the interaction between the two-dimensional visual arts and the three-dimensional world of dance and a duet by Murphy examining the mind of a person with psychosis. 

Bleacher-style seating is on a first-come, first-seated basis. General admission is $10 for adults and $5 for both full-time students with valid IDs and children. Tickets are available through the Theatre and Interpretation Center Box Office at (847) 491-7282 or online. Tickets also will be sold at the door prior to each performance.