The culminating performance of 11 Slippery Rock University senior dance majors will be on display April 25-26 as the SRU Dance Department presents “Ephemeral: A Senior Capstone Dance Concert.” This concert, based on the research of senior Bachelor of Fine Arts dance students, is divided into two shows, 2 p.m., April 25, and 5 p.m., April 26, both at the Stoner West Dance Studio Theater. Tickets are $10 for each show and they can be purchased at sru.edu/tickets.
This concert showcases each senior’s journey at SRU while highlighting their individuality and unique aesthetic preferences. In the final piece of each show, the senior class will feature choreography by guest artist Elisa Alaio. “Welcome to the Circle” highlights each senior and combines everyone’s strengths in a powerful final performance.
“The way that these choreographers have translated their written research to a physical language is remarkable.” said Jennifer Keller, professor of dance, department chair, and artistic director of the concert. “Each dance is a beautiful expression of complex journeys, emotions, and lived experiences that speak directly to the audience. I am so proud of what these seniors have achieved in the past four years and where they are headed as the next generation of dance artists.”
The senior BFA dance majors and their work include:
April 25 concert:
- Gianna Dobrich, from Erie (Mercyhurst Prep HS), whose work explores themes of connection, identity and the empathy that comes with feeling emotions intensely.
- Rayna Halper, from Mars (Mars HS), whose piece explores the role of dance in the Holocaust, using powerful imagery to remember the disconnectedness of the past.
- Amber Kay, from Miamisburg, Ohio (Miamisburg HS), whose work delves into the deterioration of mental health that occurs before incarceration.
- Brooke McCarthy, from Pittsburgh (Upper St. Clair HS), whose piece reflects the tension of holding onto where people come from while allowing them to evolve.
- Lauren Mortimer, a dual early childhood education and dance major from Butler (Butler HS), whose work explores the inevitability of change and the lasting imprint of lived experiences.
- Katrina Rowe, from Chagrin Falls, Ohio (Kenston HS), whose piece invites the audience to perceive and feel the arc of acceptance through movement.
April 26 concert:
- Shea Cooper, from Hanover (South Western HS), whose work reveals how memory lingers beneath the surface, shaping how people move, hold tension and release.
- Lilia McHugh, from Willow Street (Solanco HS), whose piece invites the audience to rethink how society views addiction and the humanity behind the experience.
- Paula Rodríguez-Alvarez, from San Rafael, Costa Rica, whose work goes on a journey of ritual, trance, self-discovery and euphoria through rhythmic choreography and movement.
- Summer Salos, from Annapolis, Maryland (Gunston HS), whose piece highlights dance as both an art form and a sport, creatively combining explosive physicality and emotive artistry.
- Mari Sprague, from Buffalo, New York, whose piece explores the complexities of censorship and the commonness of what people do not see.
More information about dance at SRU is available on the program’s webpage.
