Elon University underclassman dance majors were lucky for a rare and unconventional reason Sunday — the weather was clear.
“Dance in the Landscape,” the annual outdoor dance performance, took place in Pardue Court this year under a blue sky on Family Weekend.
Jason Aryeh, assistant professor of performing arts at Elon, directed the show with the help of the assistant director, senior Julie Crothers. Aryeh was in charge of choosing this new location for the dancers, who have typically performed in the Academic Village in the past. With Lake Mary Nell on one side and trees surrounding the outdoor stage, Pardue Court became a successful choice of scenery for the dancers this year.
“The dancers have to go the extra mile in terms of technique and energy because the audience is very close,” Aryeh said. “The challenge of not having the professional ground to perform on [makes them] really have to go with what nature gives to them.”
The closeness of the audience was another challenge the dancers faced. Families visiting for the weekend and fellow students could see every single move and facial expression the dancers made. The dancers had to bring their A-game to every piece.
There are many added challenges to having the concert outside. Crothers said there were certain technical movements they could not do because the dancers performed on the grass as opposed to a studio or stage.
“It’s more abstract and modern dance,” Crothers said. “Jason’s piece is kind of African influenced with tribal music, then the two other works are a little more out there, a little strange.”
But overall it was a much more informal performance than one that would take place in a recital hall. There were three pieces in all, one with freshmen, one with sophomores and an improvisation piece.
“The sophomores are all putting together an improv piece,” said sophomore Kayla McGrath. “It’s directed by senior Julie Crothers and she basically just structured it all. So she gave us the ideas, but we have to come up with all the movements ourselves.”
Though it was a dance performance, students from programs other than dance took “Dance in the Landscape” to the next level.
“For my piece I worked with a music professor, Clay Stevenson, who composed original music for my piece,” Aryeh said. “It is a collaboration work that I’m doing with other professors, as well. There are three total pieces. I’m working with the freshmen dance majors.”
Most seniors were busy with senior seminars, so the show mostly consisted of freshmen and sophomores, many of whom had never performed at Elon before.
“I’m most excited just to have it all come together,” Crothers said before the show.