“Dance Now!,” the annual dance concert presented by the West Virginia University (WVU) School of Theatre and Dance, will be performed January 30 and 31 at 7:30 p.m. and February 1 at 2 p.m. in the Lyell B. Clay Concert Theatre at the Canady Creative Arts Center (CCAC).
Fifty dance majors, along with faculty and guest artists, will perform dances from various styles, including African, ballet, Classical Indian, contemporary, jazz, modern and tap.
This year’s concert features two traditional West African dances, choreographed by guest artist Rita Addico Cohen. The WVU School of Music’s African Drum and Dance Ensemble and the School of Theatre and Dance’s New World Ensemble will accompany those performances.
“The piece I choreographed, ‘From North to South: Greetings from Ghana!,’ features two rhythms/dances from my native country,” Cohen said. “The Bamaya is a cultural dance from the North, while the Kpanlogo is the national dance of Ghana from the South where I am from (Accra). Childhood memories from performing with my school dance troupe and the experience of learning and performing with the Afrimuda Foundation in Cape Coast, Ghana, inspired my choreography.”
Along with Cohen, faculty and students choreographed dances throughout the fall semester that were performed during the November “Celebration of Dance” in the CCAC’s Falbo Theatre. Dance professors then selected some of those numbers for the “Dance Now!” performance in the Clay Theatre.
“It is a very long process, but it feels like an award at the end,” said Liana Brooks, a junior dance and multidisciplinary media studies student from Lewisburg, West Virginia. “‘Dance Now!’ has always been a special performance to me. From watching it as an audience member in high school to now performing and watching my own choreography is truly special.”
“Since this is the dance program's only show in the Clay Theatre, we want to showcase the creativity of both student and faculty and make this an unforgettable experience for the audience,” Brooks added. “With the big stage and beautiful lights, the Clay gives us an opportunity to make our ideas blossom and be seen in full effect.”
General admission to “Dance Now!” is $20, with child, senior and group tickets offered at a discounted rate. To purchase tickets, visit https://go.wvu.edu/ccam-tickets, call 304-293-TKTS (8587) or visit the CCAC Box Office.
For more information on the Dance program, visit dance.wvu.edu.