Seattle — Students at the University of Washington Dance Department have been preparing for “UW Dance Presents” for the last three months.
Around 30 students were selected to perform in this year’s concert. Artist-In-Residence Alana Isiguen started her journey at the school at the height of the pandemic in 2020. Since then, she’s navigated through many ups and downs to get to this point — a concert in collaboration with faculty and visiting artists.
“It’s one of our annual concerts, mainly our faculty choreographing new works on our undergraduate students. We usually have a guest artist or two come in and either create a new work or a bring an established repertory piece,” Isiguen said.
The guest artists residency gives students a different approach than what they’re used to. This year’s visiting artists are Nia Amina Minor, and Ronald K. Brown.
“A huge part of why we like to bring in guests is to bring in different perspectives and styles that we as faculty don’t do regularly, and expose students to different ways of moving, thinking, and creating,” Isiguen said.
You don’t have to be an expert in dance to appreciate the movements and choreography.
“It’s kind of just an experience for you to take what you want from it,” Isiguen said. “So, a nice way to process thoughts, emotions, looking at human relationships on stage. It might spark something in your mind and art is a way to help us process that.”
You can expect four dance works in the span of a little over an hour at the Meany Hall — Katharyn Alvord Gerlich Theater.
Doors open at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday night for UW Dance Presents. You can catch the performance again at 2 p.m. Sunday.
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