WT’s ‘Falling into Dance’ Performances to Highlight Student Choreographers

Copy by Chip Chandler, 806-651-2124, [email protected]

WT's 'Falling into Dance' Performances to Highlight Student Choreographers

CANYON, Texas - Choreography from seven senior dance majors from West Texas A&M University will be in the spotlight in an upcoming performance.

The dancers' work in solo and group numbers will be the focus of WT Dance's annual "Falling into Dance" concerts, set for 7:30 p.m. Nov. 21 to 23 and 2:30 p.m. Nov. 24 in the Happy State Bank Studio Theatre in the Sybil B. Harrington Fine Arts Complex on WT's Canyon campus.

Tickets are $12 for adults, $8 for seniors and students and free for WT students, faculty and staff with a Buff Gold Card. For tickets, visit cur8.com/17516/project/127110, email [email protected] or call 806-651-2810.

The students' inspiration runs the gamut from self-acceptance to deep personal loss to ecstatic joy.

"In a way, each dance is the students' own personal stories," said Crystal Bertrand, dance program director in the Department of Art, Theatre and Dance in the Sybil B. Harrington College of Fine Arts and Humanities. "Each one of them reflects numerous hours of both rehearsing and personal growth, resulting in something that is truly captivating."

Gisselle Torres, a senior dance major from San Antonio, said her group number, "Down with the Monarchy," addresses complicated issues within the dance community.

"We sometimes can feel very confined to certain expectations," Torres said. "We're working towards perfection, and sometimes we forget that perfection is not attainable. Sometimes we need to take a step back and remember that we're here because we love dance, not because we want to be perfect."

Madelynn Welch, a senior dance major from Lubbock, is using her group piece, "Woven in Absence," to explore a tragedy close to home - the loss of her sister in 2017.

"It's a personal journey, sometimes calm and sometimes chaotic," Welch said. "I think this piece isn't closing the door on my grief, but it's more like, this chapter is done, and now we can move on."

Amon Fredinand, a senior dance major from Amarillo, said he has enjoyed the experience of setting his group dance, "Jireh," on his classmates. The title, a Hebrew word meaning "to provide," is taken from the contemporary Christian song by the bands Elevation Worship and Maverick City Music.

"I think I've always had a creative mind, so getting this opportunity is so freeing," Fredinand said. "It's fun to see how the work you put on others comes to life."

Also choreographing solo and group numbers are senior dance majors Kaleigh De La Cruz from Chicago; Marisa Garcia from Corpus Christi; Kaitlyn Roberson from Pampa; and Lorelai Stager from Seguin.

Dance majors also performing include Caris Balboa, a sophomore from Hobbs, New Mexico; Gannon Duffy, a junior from Lubbock; Krisanne Freeman, a junior from Amarillo; Nova Gore, a junior from Amarillo; Camila Jimenez, a junior from Fort Worth; Jayden Lucas, a junior from Amarillo; Anna Martin, a junior from Midland; Hannah Metzger, a sophomore from Perryton; Bryanna Miller, a freshman from Canyon; Fantasia Morgan, a sophomore from Roswell, New Mexico; Ariana Perkins, a freshman from Fort Worth; Erin Potter, a freshman from Amarillo; Maia Soto, a junior from El Paso; Emily Wilson, a freshman from Lubbock; and Zarek Womack, a junior from Christoval. Sarah Gil, a senior psychology major and dance minor from El Paso, also is performing.

Fostering an appreciation of the arts is a key component of the University's long-range plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World.

That plan is fueled by the historic One West comprehensive fundraising campaign, which reached its initial $125 million goal 18 months after publicly launching in September 2021. The campaign's new goal is to reach $175 million by 2025; currently, it has raised more than $160 million.

About West Texas A&M University

WT, a Regional Research University, is redefining excellence in Canyon, Texas, on a 342-acre residential campus, as well as the Harrington Academic Hall WTAMU Amarillo Center in downtown Amarillo. Established in 1910, the University has been part of The Texas A&M University System since 1990. WT, a Hispanic Serving Institution since 2016, boasts an enrollment of more than 9,000 and offers 58 undergraduate degree programs, one associate degree, and 44 graduate degrees, including an integrated bachelor's and master's degree, a specialist degree and two doctoral degrees. The University is also home to the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, the largest history museum in the state and the home of one of the Southwest's finest art collections. The Buffaloes are a member of the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference and offers 14 men's and women's athletics programs.

Photo: West Texas A&M University Dance will offer "Falling into Dance" in four performances from Nov. 21 to 24. Senior dancers and choreographers are, front from left, Kaitlyn Roberson, Gisselle Torres and Lorelai Stager, and, back from left, Marisa Andrea Garcia, Amon Fredinand, Kaleigh De La Cruz and Madelynn Welch.

-WT-

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