Dance Special Programs

Concert Series
Two faculty dance concerts and one guest artist concert constitute the annual dance series sponsored by the Department of Dance. Master classes and workshops accompany guest artist concerts.

A selected list of artist and dance companies presented includes:

  • Dinizulu Drummers and Dancers
  • Risa Steinberg
  • Molissa Fenley
  • Claire Porter
  • Stephen Koester and Terry Creach
  • Art Bridgeman and Myrna Packer
  • Merian Soto and Pepon Osorio
  • Sara Pearson and Patrick Widrig
  • Guandong Modern Dance Company
  • The Dayton Contemporary Dance Company
  • Ririe Woodbury Dance Company
  • Moscow Chamber Ballet
  • Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company
  • The dance companies of:
  • David Parsons
  • Murray Louis/Alwin Nikolais
  • Jose Limon
  • David Dorfman
  • Mark Taylor
  • Ralph Lemon
  • Doug Varone
  • Carolyn Dorfman
  • Martha Graham
  • Doug Elkins
  • Ellis Wood
  • John Jasperse
  • Trisha Brown

Student Performance
Advanced students have the opportunity to appear in the work of faculty and guest choreographers on faculty concerts. In addition to the two faculty concerts included in the concert series, individual faculty members produce additional concerts of their own, as well as choreography for Opera at Rutgers and other campus venues. Faculty occasionally use student dancers in works produced off-campus at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark and locations throughout New York City. A juried concert of student choreography and a B.F.A. senior concert are produced each year. Numerous informal presentations of student work for guests and fellow students are a regular part of the program.

University DanceWorks
University DanceWorks, the department's touring performance company, travels throughout the New York metropolitan area, presenting formal concerts, lecture/demonstrations, and workshops. Past guest choreographers have included Sean Curran, Jeanine Durning, Ben Munisteri and Heidi Latsky, among others. Student choreography is also chosen for presentation. DanceWorks is open to junior and senior B.F.A. students by audition only.

Repertory
Besides the new work created by faculty, dances of special historic note are sometimes reconstructed in a modern dance repertory class. Doris Humphrey's Water Study, Don Redlich's Gybe, Arnie Zane's Freedom of Information and Hanya Holms' Homage to Mahler have been learned and performed by students in recent years.