CELEBRATING ST. LOUIS’ VIBRANT DANCE COMMUNITY
St. Louis Dance HQ’s Blog is a compilation of writings and performance reviews from a variety of St. Louis based dance writers. If you’re interested in sharing your writing on our blog, please email stlouisdancehq@gmail.com.
HQ Review: Webster University presents BFA Concert II: Intus Motus
I open this review with a humble opinion: college capstone shows are the best thing a dance lover can stumble upon. They feature a smorgasbord of styles and ideas, different enough to keep you rubbernecking to your program between pieces, wondering: now what was THAT one about? Fresh and unpretentious, these artists are still finding who they are, but the work is all the more special for that. And for this reason, I had my ticket for Intus Motus before I knew the date. This concert features the work of Webster University seniors Keshaun Brooks, Megan Burton, Trilhas Firsching, and Ahren Sims, each showing the culmination of years of hard work and research. Each student presented three works: a solo which they performed, a duet or trio, and a group dance, for a collective twelve dances. Intus Motus contained multitudes, and this show truly displayed the breadth of skill and ingenuity these Webster dancers bring to the St. Louis dance space.
HQ Review: Webster University presents BFA Concert I: Sotto Voce
On October 9th, 10th and 11th, Webster University’s BFA Dance students took the stage in Webster Hall’s “The Dot” theater to present Sotto Voce. The concert offered an evening of contemporary dance that explored the complexities of human experience through themes of identity, isolation, power, and the passage of time. Featuring original works by BFA student choreographers Bella Shea, Eilee McVey, and Keenon Hamburg, the program showcased a diverse range of artistic approaches, each offering a variety of perspectives on relationships and emotion. The choreographers invited audiences into abstract worlds where physical expression became a means of examining the psychological and emotional challenges of everyday life.
HQ Review: Webster’s New Works Concert
On November 6th through the 7th, Webster University's dance department performed original choreography at their annual New Works Concert. The talented BFA students learned challenging choreography from both alumni and faculty, with styles such as jazz, contemporary, and modern being highlights of the show.
HQ Review: Webster BFA Concert “The Paradox”
80s rock and roll, a disappearing moon, a thunderstorm, a trickle of laughter, a prop gun, and the indecisiveness of being a libra. All disparate elements that collectively contribute to the daring artistry of Webster University’s BFA concert “The Paradox.” Featuring three works by BFA candidate Ally Lamkie, as well as four works by recent Webster alumni, “The Paradox” is a fitting title to illustrate how these imaginative works existed beside each other. At times dramatic absurdity took hold as comedic expressions were undercut by tensions of seriousness. Elsewhere, the ecstasy of dance reigned supreme as the electricity of movement bounced from one dancer to the next. Though containing a hodgepodge of dance theatricalities, this concert’s contradictory features depicted the reality of existing in an illogically serious world.