In this montage, Josey Milligan ’22 rehearses aerial dance moves in preparation for her performance of “Statues in a Moonlit Garden,” as part of the Student Choreographers’ Concert.
The Fall 2022 Student Choreographers’ Concert showcases SUNY Potsdam creativity Dec. 1 to 4, with five individual choreographic works that include an aerial performance for the first time at the Performing Arts Center Dance Theater.
Titled “Frames in Motion,” the free concert run Dec. 1, 2 and 3 at 7:30 p.m., with afternoon shows Dec. 3 and 4 at 2 p.m. Students have been rehearsing their works since early fall in preparation for the live performance.
Josey Milligan ’22 is finishing her final semester in the North Country with an eye to one day integrate aerial performance with dance therapy to help people mentally and physically through movement.
“I just always danced, as soon as I could walk, and kept going,” Milligan reflected. “There is so much you can say with movement that you can’t with words.”
Before she leaves the College, Milligan brings the treat of an aerial silks performance titled “Statues in a Moonlit Garden.”
“I wanted the audience to think about how we are sometimes made to fit molds we are not meant to be in—or that don’t fit us—and that’s OK,” Milligan said. “This piece talks about how it’s OK to go out and find your own form of beauty and present that to the world.”
“We have such beautiful pieces this year and everyone has worked hard to bring these performances forward,” Milligan said.
The concert works include “Twofold,” by MacKenzie Mooney ’23, which tackles duality and good and evil in confrontation. Camryn Douglas’ “Serenity” is a piece inspired by the movement of trees and is a reminder “to sit back, relax and take in what the earth has to offer,” Douglas ’23 said. “City Scape” by Rosalin Batista '23, explores the ambiance and chaos of the city. “All the train lines connect with each other at some point, why can’t we?” she said. And “Ayrus,” by Brianna Pemberton-David ’23, reflects a sisterly bond disrupted by death, with a reconciliation of emotions in the aftermath, the student choreographer said.
“Working on this has truly been a labor of love and passion,” said Pemberton-David. “I have combined my talents for design and dance in a way that captures the essence of what dance means in my life, what it meant to the inspiration of this piece, and reflects the beauty, uniqueness, and talent of every single one of my dancers. I am so grateful that they have allowed me the space to embark on this journey with them, and I am so tremendously proud of them.”
The SUNY Potsdam Department of Theatre and Dance engages in highly collaborative arts endeavors ranging from directing, choreographing, acting and dancing to designing, technical work and arts management. For more information on the production, please contact the SUNY Potsdam Department of Theatre and Dance at (315) 267-2556.
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