By Chris Beswetherick
The Western club New Music New Dance invites the university to a show on November 12 and 13 at 7 p.m. at the Performing Arts Center choir room (PA 016). The performance features choreography from students, faculty, staff and community members who all worked together to organize the show.
The New Music New Dance club is most active in fall quarter, thanks to this show. This unique schedule makes them stand out from other clubs.
“New Music New Dance is an AS club but our big thing is to put on this performance,” Cassie Howlett a club coordinator said. “This is mainly a dance performance, but there will be different styles.”
The club’s performance will feature dancing and accompaniment music created by students and faculty. They are not reproducing any choreographer’s work; it’s all original. Howlett wants to unite anyone interested in dance through the hard work needed to put on this show.
“The purpose of this event and the club, in my opinion, is to have the dance and music departments work together to create a show that simulates what it is like to work with choreographers, composers, musicians and dancers in a professional setting,” she said.
The performance will demonstrate a lot of different areas of Western’s talents. Students are engaged creatively, physically and purposefully in this event, like a real show. The team’s contributions are in return giving them real-life experience in production and arts.
“[It will] make an amazing show,” Howlett said.
One of the most important elements of this work is the original dancing. The choreographers are also the ones organizing the event.
“When I was a freshman I joined the club as a dancer and choreographer and I had a really incredible experience being part of the show,” Howlett said. “Now I have been a club authority, helping put the performance together. It is lot of work but it is extremely rewarding to see all the hard work that everyone puts into it.”
The development of the show requires extensive planning, so the club uses as much assistance as possible, and as many hands it takes. In addition to choreographing, the club holds auditions, rehearsals and meetings in order to make their show a reality.
“The process starts by reserving our performance space, date, and time,” Howlett said. “Then the choreographers and composers are picked and paired up and start discussing how they want the music and the dances to go together.”
All at the same time, the club assembles their technical crew, schedules rehearsals, writes music and designs publicity for the show. After everything is lined-up, they then hold their dress rehearsals and create their tech cues for lighting and sound.
“When it comes to show I usually arrive early and help the tech crew set up the space and make sure the music works as well as making sure the dancers and choreographers get there on time,” Howlett said.
Following the show, Howlett and the club ask for audience feedback and begin reviewing the show for ways to improve next year.
