MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Middle Tennessee State University’s Department of Theatre and Dance’s upcoming annual Fall Dance Concert will showcase the original choreographic work of students, faculty and guest artists for three nights, Thursday-Saturday, Nov. 20-22.

The concert will be held at MTSU’s Tucker Theatre, located at 615 Champion Way, inside the Boutwell Dramatic Arts Building, beginning at 7:30 p.m. all three nights. A campus map is available at https://bit.ly/3IOkyuL.

The pre-professional company will feature choreography that explores a variety of themes, such as transformation, community, and resilience, while showcasing the versatility and dynamic performance of MTSU’s dance program.

General admission tickets are $10, $7 for senior citizens and $5 for K-12 students. MTSU faculty, students and staff can attend free with their current MTSU ID. Tickets can also be purchased online at https://bit.ly/MTFallDanceConcertTickets.

A silent auction will be held in the Tucker Theatre lobby to help raise funds for dance program scholarships. Doors open for silent auction bidding at 6:30 p.m.

With the generous support of the MTSU Distinguished Lecture Fund, the Department of Theatre and Dance was part of the creation of “In It Together,” a new work developed with choreographic guest artist Matt Del Rosario.

“Every guest artist experience is unique and offers an original perspective into the practice of dance making marked by the various professional performance experiences brought to our students,” said associate professor Jade Treadwell, director of dance.

She continued, “Matt’s choreographic residency created a space for vulnerability, authenticity and connection for the dancers in this cast.”

About Matt Del Rosario

Del Rosario attended the University of North Carolina School of the Arts and joined the prestigious Pilobolus dance company in 2008. He toured and performed with the leading company for eight years.

In 2017, Del Rosario established “Flow Kākou,” a Hawaii-based dance company that provides services in education, empowerment and inspiration through dance and theatre. He has taught master classes and workshops in over 300 educational settings nationwide, as well as in 10 different countries.

His focus is not on teaching dance to create dancers, but on using the wisdom of dance to build better community members. He lives his life through curiosity, imagination and determination.

Other contributions

This year’s dance concert will also include a dynamic introduction to the dance theatre company through the work of “The Stories We Tell.”

Created to highlight the spirit of community, the piece is choreographed by instructor and dance coordinator Kim Holt, in collaboration with the dancers, and sound engineer Kevin O’Donnell, who developed an original sound composition.

Treadwell’s “Wakings,” a contemporary modern dance piece that explores introspective glances into morning rituals in various forms, will also be featured.

Additional faculty works include assistant professor Jee Ahn’s “Resurge,” a contemporary dance that takes the audience on a journey of transformation and celebration of renewal, and lecturer Alexandra Winer’s “Utility,” a contemporary dance that investigates the intricacies of who participates in social movements and the consequences.

The concert will also feature the new work of student choreographer Kenzie McCroskey, “Catharsis,” a contemporary dance about overcoming obstacles we face in life.

For more information on the upcoming performance, call 615-904-8051 or email dance@mtsu.edu. Visit https://bit.ly/4ewFxvQ for the show’s digital program.

— DeAnn Hays (deann.hays@mtsu.edu)