A semester long tour will be brought to a close as University Theatre opens its last show of the season, Ball State Dance Theatre’s “On the Move: BSDT On Tour.”
The company has toured across the state, stopping in elementary schools and dance studios.
Touring over the course of the semester offered its own challenges and rewards.
The company was forced to adapt to changes in space at each venue, unable to rehearse in the new environments before performing.
“You really have to feel who you’re dancing with, really breathe with and be aware of your surroundings,” said Sarah Ponto, a senior dance and psychology major.
The selection of pieces varied among the venues; students performed less serious pieces for younger children and more complex and serious pieces for older audiences.
Working with and performing for young children became a hallmark of the tour. During intermissions, performers instructed students in dance-related warm ups and played games to illustrate how dancers warm up, create movement and illustrate ideas.
As a psychology major with an interest in dance therapy, Ponto received an additional layer of insight from this series.
“I didn’t fully expect [the children] to fully comprehend what it was about, but they were developing their own stories,” Ponto said. “You could tell these pieces were making these kids create their own stories.”
Rehearsal for the show began late last semester, a week or two before finals. The department had performed a majority of the content in the past, allowing dancers to begin learning the material over winter break by video.
Ponto said performing the pieces so often in front of live audiences in ever-changing environments prepared the group for the upcoming performance at Ball State. The dances reached a high level of quality months ago.
She attributed this intense preparation to the high level of confidence the performers felt about this show.
This production has punctuated the path many seniors have taken from their introduction into the dance program.
Senior Michele Mackowiak originally majored in exercise science with a minor in dance and auditioned twice to be inducted into the major.
“I never thought I would be cast in a show,” Mackowiak said.
Ball State dance instructors contributed the choreography for the show and seniors note that even their teachers have grown over the years.
“They’re not doing the same choreography they did four years ago,” Ponto said. “They all have their own style which is noticeable.”
She also said the inspiration for this evolution is apparent to their students.
The show contains an artistic variety of pieces: from slow to fast and from serious to quirky.
Mackowiak described the choreography of one piece to prompt dancers to be “sarcastic in [their] movements.”
Each piece is performed to live music.
“There’s definitely a feel to the show, but I can’t put into words how it’s supposed to feel,” Ponto said.
