By Brian Mezerski
Elon Performing Arts students are never limited to only McCrary and Blackbox theaters. That's why a group of students who took their talents to a different location on Sunday.
"We have a gorgeous campus," said Elon sophomore dancer Molly Semes, "so why always dance inside in a theater when we can use nature and what we have."
It's called "Dancing in the Landscape," a yearly performance at the close of Family Weekend. Each year student dancers head to a different location on campus to perform outside. Students focus on using the unique elements of that part of campus in their dancing.
"When you have a closed space, the energy is trapped in the space," said Sophomore dancer Kaitlinn Brewyer , "and when you're outside, the energy can expand. It's a completely different feeling."
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Although they went from performing inside to the grass outside of Koury Business Center on Sunday, the dancers at "Dancing in the Landscape" say the purpose was to connect with their audience.
"When I am performing," Semes said, "I want people to just get what they want out of it. If they want to just sit back and enjoy watching it, they can do that. Or if they want to get a theme out of it, they can do that too."
Jason Aryeh, an Assistant Professor in Performing Arts, has directed the show for two years and says this style of dance helps students express their stories to viewers.
"The audience is very close to them, right on their face," Aryeh said, "so they get to feel and understand the connection that happens between the audience and the performer."
Through the dancers' stories, Ayer says everyone can be impacted through the production.
"This, I think, enlightens you in a way of visualizing life in a different scope," Aryeh said.
Aryeh says these performances bring the human mind, body and soul to new understanding. And help students adapt to changes. Changes like dancing in the landscape.