Centennial Dance Concert to feature Evening-Length Work on Aug. 27-28

A story of camaraderie, loss, rebirth, transformation, attraction and sacrifice will be presented Aug. 27-28 at the Centennial Dance Concert.

“Have You Passed Through This Night?” is unlike other University of Southern Mississippi dance concerts. The individual dances of this evening-length performance are combined to create a complete, interwoven viewing experience.

Stacy Reischman, director of the dance program at Southern Miss, started building this story back in 2006 with her work Misery. Love. Company. and continued in 2007 with Fragile Universe. Since 2006 she has created additional installations every semester, which culminates at 7:30 p.m. Friday Aug. 27 in the Mannoni Performing Arts Center.

“You may find a story that threads through all the dances, you may find one character whose journey draws your attention, you may feel transported to a strange and beautiful world altogether, in any case, you may find yourself moved emotionally,” Reischman said.

 “It has been a long, deliberate and patient journey for me as I have put into space and on dancer's bodies – as I have made real – the images, scenarios and characters I have been ‘living' with for the past five years.”

Taking on the role of both choreographer and storyteller, Reischman has kept the logic and story in her head for some time. The idea of the ‘Hero's Journey' will be played out through archetypes from film and fiction as Reischman tries to create a new myth in and through movement for the audience.

“A new myth, one that leaves you centered in yourself, whether it is on an emotional or cognitive level. I believe that I am not telling you something new, but telling you a very, very old story that our collective subconscious shares,” Reischman explained.

In addition to celestial guardians and creatures, this concert will feature current Southern Miss dance majors as well as a few alumni from the dance program.

Sarah Latza, a 2009 alumnus of dance performance and choreography from Hernando, Miss., has been involved on two of the four dances featured in “Have You Passed Through This Night?”

“This is the longest I have ever worked on a piece, the longest I've ever committed to developing a specific character and movement vocabulary,” Latza said. “The world Stacy has created for this concert is so rich and developed; it's been both challenging and intriguing work to bring this dance to life.”

Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for faculty, staff and seniors, and $6 for students. To purchase tickets, visit www.southernmisstickets.com or call 601.266.5418.  For more information on the Centennial Dance Concert, contact the Department of Theatre and Dance at 601.266.4161.

To see a related video, click here.