Dance Production Debuts Work by Acclaimed Choreographer

Principia College’s Department of Theatre and Dance will present its annual Dance Production this evening through Saturday, April 4, in Cox Auditorium, nightly at 8 p.m. and 2 p.m. on Saturday. This year’s Dance Production will debut CHINBOBLESS, choreographed by former American Ballet Theatre (ABT) dancer John Gardner with former ABT prima ballerina Amanda McKerrow and student dancers. The music for CHINBOBLESS—Johann Sebastian Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 3—will be performed live on Principia’s 3,069-pipe Casavant organ.

During their distinguished careers, Gardner and McKerrow performed and worked with renowned dancers and choreographers, including Antony Tudor, George Balanchine, Agnes de Mille, Martha Graham, Twyla Tharp, Merce Cunningham, and Paul Taylor, among others. Since retiring from the stage, they have worked as répétiteurs for the Antony Tudor Ballet Trust, traveling to Europe, Japan, and throughout the United States staging its exceptional repertoire.

Gardner’s Third Ballet for Principia Dancers

For several years now, Gardner and McKerrow have conducted workshops at Principia College, providing a rare opportunity for undergraduates to study with world-class dancers. Stepping into new territory this year, Gardner wove classicism and humor into CHINBOBLESS, the third original ballet he has created for Principia dancers.

“The inspiration for CHINBOBLESS came from Bach’s music,” Gardner says. “My first intention was to create a dance that would attempt to bring it into a visual dimension. But what resulted in the process was really something more atmospheric—the feeling of some sort of chance encounter between music and people that surprised and delighted me with laughter!”

Freshman Maddi Demaree describes working with Gardner and McKerrow: “I’ve never worked with professional dancers of this caliber before; they are very kind and positive. They understand that our motive for producing art here at Principia is about expressing Soul through dance.” Courtney Puduski, also a freshman, agrees. “This is the kind of experience that makes Principia so special,” she notes. “It may be a small college, but we always go big with once-in-a-lifetime opportunities that bring blessings and growth.”

Something for Everyone

In its entirety, Dance Production will feature 40 student dancers, showcasing ballet, modern, lyrical, and African dance styles. “CHINBOBLESS will top our program,” explains dance professor Hilary Harper-Wilcoxen. “But be ready for other original works—from a piece that uses concepts from quantum physics for its inspiration to a dance where cows have their day as cowboys shake in their Stetsons. This year’s show is full of variety, excitement, and humor.”

Tickets are $10 for adults and $7 for students. Learn more and purchase tickets at www.principiacollege.edu/danceproduction. Cash and checks will be accepted at the door. Seating is unreserved.