The MTSU Dance Theatre will take audiences on a journey of historic and contemporary migrations with “The Exodus Project,” a special dance concert in the University’s Tucker Theatre Jan. 12 and 13.

The production, which precedes the Martin Luther King Jr. national holiday on Jan. 16, features commissioned works by nationally recognized guest artists with unique perspectives on issues of diversity and multiculturalism. They include:

• Travis Gatling, who choreographed “A Lantern for the Hitching Post” as an exploration of the Underground Railroad;
• Holly Handman Lopez, who created “Yours, Faithfully” to embody her own heritage and the legacy of the Holocaust; and
• Cynthia Guttierez Garner, who developed “Parched” to examine the Mexican border crossings.

The concerts begin at 7:30 each night. They also will include four dances choreographed by Professor Kim Neal Nofsinger, artistic director of the MTSU Dance Theatre. The world premiere of “The Clearing” features MTSU dance faculty, and 20 members of the company will perform the other dances. Those works will be complemented by performances from the T.Lang Dance Company of Atlanta and Company d, a Memphis troupe of dancers with disabilities.

“The Exodus Project” was made possible with support from the MTSU Office of the University Provost, Black History Month and the MTSU Distinguished Lecture Fund.

General-admission tickets for “The Exodus Project” are $10 for adults and $5 for children up to 12th grade, as well as $5 for MTSU staff. MTSU students will be admitted free with a valid student ID. The Tucker Theatre box office will open at 6:30 p.m. before each performance.

For more information, please visit www.mtsu.edu/dance/specialevents.shtml.