—  The 'Virtual' Student Choreographers' Concert at SUNY Potsdam, Department of Theatre and Dance.

 

Led by professor Cynthia DuFault, SUNY Potsdam students are successfully transposing dance online in the age of COVID-19. These student choreographers have presented three short films this semester in a virtual dance concert setting entitled, Media Dance Works Series. Each first Friday of the month at 7:30pm (EST) since October, this event has been web-hosted here at cyndance.org and on display at SUNY Potsdam’s site and Facebook

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Dance students have joined forces with media arts majors and have been working collaboratively to merge their efforts. Dancers are learning a new medium to choreograph in, and media artists are translating their perspective into dance. SUNY Potsdam Dance has retooled during these COVID times to provide progressive opportunities for students to take the virtual element and apply it to their artistic craft in the form of media dance.

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As choreographers have prepared for the three media dance presentations this fall, they have been rehearsing, filming, and editing their work on a tight schedule and with multiple artistic facets. When asked, “What part of the final week of this process are you most proud of and why?” Student choreographer Megan Johnson said, “Getting all of my choreography done by the end of the week was hard but my dancers and I made it happen.” Aicha Konate said, “I finished my piece, and I edited my music. I am proud because I completed it all, and I love how it came out.” Tatianna Montemorano, stated, “I’m so excited to see how everyone’s piece will come out.”

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Cynthia DuFault has been an advocate for media dance and virtual dance instruction. She was a presenter at the REMOTE: Connected Faculty Summit hosted by Arizona State University and attended by 50,000 faculty and administrators during the summer of 2020. Cynthia believes, “the role that the discourse of dance in media plays in the public sphere's knowledge can bring college dance into a new light, especially student works. Additionally, media dance takes us toward a new definition of arts in the age of technology.”

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Feel free to contact for further questions on this event:

contact here

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To view the Spring 2021 Media Dance Works Series:

Visit cyndance.org each First Friday in March, April, and May 2021, 7:30pm (EST).

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