University Dancers: 35 years in the making
Founded originally as a student organization, University Dancers, an auditioned student dance company, has been creating and empowering creative intellectuals since 1985. Supported by UR’s Department of Theatre & Dance, University Dancers is now an academic program that allows participating students to think critically about the ways in which movement tells and constructs historical narratives.
Members of University Dancers share and showcase these narratives at an annual spring concert. This year’s concert, as part of the 2019-2020 Tucker-Boatwright Festival of Literature & the Arts, focuses on the dancing histories that engage contemporary politics and memory. The concert also commemorates and celebrates University Dancer’s 35 years of success and continued growth.
In thinking about the ways in which University Dancers has improved over the years, Professor Anne Van Gelder, speaks positively of the many choreographers that University Dancers engage. To date, University Dancers has worked with many choreographers and dancers such as Robert Battle, Francesca Harper, Camille A. Brown, Alexandra Damiani, Kanji Segawa, Larry Keigwin, Doug Varone, Charlotte Boye-Christensen, and Sean Aaron Carmon.
Van Gelder says it is exciting to work with these choreographers because of the diversity of thought and style they bring to the dance company. Van Gelder states that “[University Dancers] aim to bring all types of diversity to our students and our community.”
It is precisely these opportunities that have allowed many former members of University Dancers to excel and thrive. Highlighted through University Dancer’s “#35thThursdays” social media campaign, many alumni have established careers in Dance, in the medical field, in journalism, as business owners, and even as realtors.
From business to biology to real estate, alumni of University Dancers engage life and movement in positive ways.
Event Details:
University Dancers 35th Anniversary Concert
February 28-29, at 7:30 pm and on March 1 at 2:00 pm | Alice Jepson Theater of the Modlin Center for the Arts. To secure tickets, please click here.