During guided tours through Global Neighborhood, dancers could be seen emerging from behind trees, reaching out from gazebos and pirouetting on the volleyball courts. Families and students alike gravitated toward these performers scattered throughout the neighborhood during Elon University’s Family Weekend Oct. 1.
The crowd of spectators grew during the performance, captivated by “Dancing in the Landscape,” a performing arts production that transforms sites on campus into unconventional stages every year.
Whether following a tour guide or just walking with a small group, visitors took part in an 11-year-old program that showcases all freshmen dance majors. The performance gave students an opportunity to think about dance in a broader definition and start their college careers thinking experimentally and creatively.
Originally the brainchild of Lauren Kearns, coordinator of the performing arts dance program, “Dancing in the Landscape” was co-directed this year by Renay Aumiller, adjunct professor of dance, and Sara Tourek, assistant professor of dance.
“As a BFA major, this is the first performance of the entire year,” said freshman Shelby Durham. “It’s basically just about using the space that you’re given and experimenting with that.”
Durham said there is more to the production of “Dancing in the Landscape” than choreography. The set and the costumes contribute to the mood and story of each dance.
The performance was also a result of the combined efforts of Susanne Shawyer, assistant professor of theater, and William Moner, assistant professor of communications, who offered unique perspectives outside of dance.
Senior Allison Dyke and junior Julia Goldberg, assistant directors and choreographers for the event, coordinated advertisements and social media, as well as selected a cast of dancers and choreographed a dance using a specific space on
campus.
Goldberg picked her dancers with certain expectations in mind. The flexibility, spontaneity and elements of improvisation make the job of the dancers more difficult than an indoor production.
“On a stage, in a theater, we are able to control the elements of the environment in which we dance,” Goldberg said. “We set music cues, pick lighting design and know how many people to expect in the audience. In an outdoor concert, both the dancers and the choreographer have to expect the unexpected.”
Visiting parents appreciated the nontraditional approach to dance, some experiencing performing arts at Elon for the first time.
“This performance supports the diversity and enrichment that Elon is known for,” said Leigh Zahm, mother of freshman Fiona Zahm.
Seniors Caroline Bailey and Kaylin Dance came to “Dancing in the Landscape” after seeing the event on Facebook. They felt it was important to support their Elon peers’
performances.
“One of our friends is a dancer in the show, and she’s explaining it to us, and we’re like, ‘This sounds so inventive and interactive.’ So we had to come out and support her,” Dance said. “It was cool watching people walk by and just getting people involved, having people ask questions and seeing their faces like, ‘Oh, does this happen everyday?’”
Goldberg finds the purpose of the site-specific choreography to be the use of the space and surroundings as a medium.
After watching a group of dancers for a couple minutes, Bailey had already found this to be true.
“Dance is really unique,” she said. “This is a little more open to interpretation, like the musical theater shows I’ve seen, but it’s really creative. They go to a space, take the nature of that space and translate it into movement — and I just think that’s really interesting to see.”
Aumiller hopes that the audiences leaves with a new perspective on the campus and the infinite possibilities of dance performance.
“We want the audience to experience dance that is literally out of the box,” she said. “Dance and movement can happen anywhere, and this is an opportunity to move and present work outside of the theater so that we can highlight the beauty and imagery of our
environment.”