Have you ever wondered what Theatre and Dance students "do" after they graduate?

While at UA, we can see our dancers and aspiring actors in Dance Alabama!, ARDT, Guerilla Theater and theater productions. Audiences marvel at their abilities and might even wonder what becomes of them as they leave the nurturing, artistic grounds of the Capstone.

Do they go on to Broadway? Have they gone on to star in lead roles in plays or dance productions? If you have ever found yourself asking this question, the answer is "Yes!" to all of the above.

UA students and faculty will have a rare opportunity to observe projects recent graduates have been doing in the areas of creating new dance works in the upcoming performance by the professional modern dance company Sanspointe.

Sanspointe, founded in 2003 is comprised of eight graduates form UA's dance department, seeking to perform high quality art with integrity and to collaborate artistically while connecting to the community.

Based in Birmingham, Sanspointe will be performing their latest work, Dances Fall, on Tuesday October 27, 2009 at the Morgan Auditorium.

The event begins at 5:00PM with an open discussion, followed by the concert at 7:30PM. Following the concert will be a Q&A session to conclude the evening.

Sanspoint is brought to Tuscaloosa through the generous sponsorship of the Department of Theatre and Dance, Creative Campus, New College, and the Honors College. This event is free and open to the public. Seating is on a first come, first served basis.

Former UA graduate Rhea Speights (whose choreography was also featured in ARDT a few years ago) will debut “It’s Only Paper”, featuring dancers wearing paper dresses and “Trick or Treat Me Like a Fool”, where four dancers’ faces will be covered with masks. Sounds perfect for Halloween, eh? Speights will also perform a solo to live music courtesy of local folk music group, Abram and Sarah.

Also on the program’s Shellie Chambers’ “Retrospect”. Chambers, also a UA grad, performs to a sound score with music by Robert Een, Sigur Ros and Mickey Hart. She will also dance a solo to “Burden of Choice” with music by Mogwai. New to Sanspointe, is Lynn Bowman and her lively choreography which features three dancers and will open the second half of the performance. Sainspointe founder, Michelle Hamff will share her “Neruda No. 5” with the audience. This piece encapsulates five solos to poems by Pablo Neruda.

A collaborative piece choreographed by UA dance faculty member Sarah Barry and Allison Hetzel will also be performed at the Dances Fall on October 27th. “So you want me always to paint flowers…” is their project that is based on the life and art of Georgia O’Keeffe.

The dance premiered on May 29th in Biel, Switzerland, as part of the 46th International Choreographer’s Showcase. Barry and Hetzel were inspired to collaborate around the idea of women artists, and found a mutual respect, interest, and fascination with O’Keeffe. They developed a script from the writings of O’Keeffe including her artist statements, letters to friends, and general reflections from various times throughout her life. Ultimately, the idea of a female artist fighting against the expectations of a male dominated art form helped to provide inspiration for the piece. They worked with finding ways to move and speak to create a shared dance/text world and a true duet, as opposed to just an actor and a dancer sharing the same space and time.

More about Sanspointe:

The evening isn't just about the spectacle of dancing. Prior to the performance, Sanspointe company members will also provide an open discussion at 5:00PM in Morgan Auditorium where they will share their experiences of creating and running a company. The concert will be followed by a question and answer period so that audience members may stay and dialogue with the dancers and choreographers about the work. This is an excellent opportunity for audience members to ask questions about the conception, creation, work process, or meaning of the dances viewed.

Many of Sanspointe’s artists are graduates from The University of Alabama holding degrees in dance and bringing to the company a wide range of skills and talents, often doubling or tripling their roles within the organization. "Each of us is passionate about presenting modern dance for Alabama audiences,” Hamff said.

Hamff said, “I wanted to present a modern dance concert, and that’s how it all started.”

Today, the company exists to provide choreographers and dancers with an opportunity to create new work, collaborate artistically and present quality modern dance performances for the community.

by Courtney Marr