[New post] College Spring Dance Festival ready for 2023
gqlshare posted: "In preparation for Mendocino College's 41 st Spring Dance Festival andkeeping in mind that the college is celebrating its 50th anniversary, Eryn Schon-Brunner, professor of dance and festival director, did a retrospective of pastperformances going back to" The Willits News
In preparation for Mendocino College's 41 st Spring Dance Festival andkeeping in mind that the college is celebrating its 50th anniversary, Eryn Schon-Brunner, professor of dance and festival director, did a retrospective of pastperformances going back to 1982, to Leslie Saxon-West's first production in LakeCounty, prior to the construction of the Ukiah campus.
"I grew up here and remember being inspired throughout my childhood bythe women who danced in the spring festivals, and I recognize the names ofteachers, friends and others I knew," she says.
Schon-Brunner explains that the festival originally incorporated communityand cultural dance but about 8 or 9 years ago, when she began teaching, theytransitioned into student-based productions. Dancers in her choreography classwere able to present their work on stage and "take their piece from I-don't-know-what-I-am-doing to a final production, being able to set lights, choose costumes,edit music and direct each other. It's a thrill to watch their whole creative processbe born and presented."
Dancers in Venus, a piece choreographed by Randi Page: Kayla Harrison, Percy Knutson, Jacob Kubin, Jennifer Lolley, Rocio Ramos, Ari Sunbeam, Megan Youell. (Some dancers are not shown.) "Dance is a language; it's really powerful having other people feel what you feel, communicating and being heard in that way. I feel understood when people dance what I've created," says Page. photos by Karen Rifkin
Megan Youell, who received a Studio Arts degree from the college last year,has three pieces in the show, one of which is called Retribution, a contemporary,pop culture work she choreographed about climate change, inspired by music ofDerek Gripper and Mike Block.
She molded the piece around the song, listening, envisioning the movementin her head and how she wanted the dancers to move; male and female dancersrepresent the wrath of nature and one male dancer, Ari Sunbeam, represents thedestruction wrought by mankind.
"It's how I feel that nature would dance," she says.
And have they fulfilled your vision?
"Yes, it's been a group effort and I appreciate them all; together they look sobeautiful."
Randi Page, a student at the college since 2019, is the recipient of thisyear's Kayla Grace Chesser Scholarship, an award that goes to an individual whohas shown significant growth and has contributed not only to the college but to thegreater dance community, specifically, in this case, to the children at SPACE,taking their art out into the public.
As a performer, working with peers, Page says, "I get an opportunity to stepinto the other person's mind and how they feel things, much different fromchoreographing my own piece.
"Dance is a language, the most uncensored way I communicate, the mosteasily I can convey. It's really powerful having other people feel what you feel,communicating and being heard in that way. I feel understood when people dancewhat I've created."
Venus is one of two pieces they choreographed, inspired by the song of LadyGaga, energetic, with a unique style. The first time putting their own creation onstage, Page says that it has taken a great deal of work to come to fruition.
"Once you put the choreography out there, the dancers will interpret andperform it in their own way; you don't have control over that. There's that aspectof letting go; it will turn out differently than how it looks in your head and youhave to accept that if you want your piece to make it on to the stage."
Rocio Ramos, originally from L.A., has been a student at the college, on andoff, for a long time.
"When I moved here, I found this amazing community of dancers and like-minded people that has kept me anchored. Dance is life, a way to release the stressand a way to build relationships beyond the college community, especiallyimportant to me since I didn't grow up here."
Her choreographed piece Ayer, Hoy, Manana, soft Folklorico, is inspired bydaily life in Mexico, its culture and aesthetics— colorful, vibrant and full of life.Next fall, after an absence of ten years, she will be teaching a BalletFolklorico class at the college.
"I think the community is missing that piece of cultural representation andnow there's a whole new group that can carry on this legacy and hopefully inspireothers to be a part of it."
She explains that as a choreographer, she brings her vision to the table,incorporates everyone's ideas and collectively they come up with a rough draft.
"The dancers make it their own; it's a group effort with Eryn's input andsuggestions; the process of questioning clarifies my own vision and makes it moresolid."
As the dancers warm up and the strobe lights are adjusted for the nextnumber, Schon-Brunner talks about being a dance teacher.
"I love to watch art, the choreography, come alive. It's one of the mostexciting things about my job, to offer my students the opportunity to express theirown voices and manifest their own visions. In dance, they are able to express theirthoughts non-verbally, sometimes being able to say things they couldn'tnecessarily say with words.
"It's a process of self-discovery and a refinement of their tool—themselves.As they grow, they learn how to represent, to share to articulate themselves. Wecan take that anywhere; it doesn't ever leave us, so valuable in anything we do,right?
Student dancers/choreographers include Megan Youell, Percy Knutson, AriSunbeam, Jennifer Lolley, Alex Marsh, Randi Page, Rocio Ramos, Kayla Harrison,Jacob Kubin, and Yves Charles. The show also includes performance pieces byEddie Vedolla, Kristen Turner, Julie Castello and Juvenal Vasquez.
Festival performances will be held at the Mendocino College Center ofVisual and Performing Arts Theatre on May 4 th , 5th, 6 th at 7:30 p.m. and May 7 th at2:00 p.m. On May 5 th at 7:00 p.m., prior to the performance, there will be apreshow Scholarship Gala with wine and hors d'oeuvres catered by the college'sculinary students. Tickets are $10 for all ages available at Mendocino BookCompany, online at www.artsmendocino.edu. or by calling 707 468-3079. Ticketswill be sold at the door, if available, cash or check only.
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