MISSOULA – The University of Montana School of Theatre & Dance will present the innovative and immersive dance concert “Dance Up Close” to audiences in November.

William Munoz
UM’s School of Theatre & Dance will present “Dance Up Close” to audiences November. (UM Photo by Bill Munoz)
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“Dance Up Close,” produced by UM dance Professor Michele Antonioli, will be performed at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Nov. 10-11, as well as 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 11, in the Masquer Theatre in UM’s Performing Arts and Radio/TV Center.

General admission tickets cost $16, while senior and student tickets cost $14. Admission for children 12 and under is $10. Tickets are available by calling the UMArts Box Office at 406-243-4581 from noon to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, or ordering online. The box office also will be open one hour before each performance.

A highlight of the dance program’s season, this annual black-box showcase provides audiences with a chance to see new, original work of emerging and established dance artists in an intimate setting. It also gives developing designers the opportunity to collaborate with those dancers. This year’s “Dance Up Close” will feature 10 new works by faculty and students, including two junior projects – a requirement of the undergraduate dance curriculum.

Junior BFA dance major Logan Prichard will debut a new work titled “The Orchard. With compelling visuals, the piece explores beauty through organizing and aestheticizing the movements and postures of the human form as it experiences torment and distress. In collaboration with UM Scene Shop manager Brian Gregoire, “The Orchard” blurs the line between body and design. Prichard also has collaborated with local musician Charlie Apple to create an original sounds score for the work.

“Two Degrees Celsius,” choreographed by junior BFA dance major Katie Conrad, explores the devastating effects of ocean warming on coral. An increase in ocean temperatures of only 2 degrees Celsius results in coral bleaching and the subsequent destruction of coral colonies. Seven dancers explore the movement inherent in these colonies and the marine life they support. Conrad seeks to bring awareness to the importance of these incredibly diverse ecosystems and the havoc that would result for all marine life should they disappear.

For more information, email michele.antonioli@umontana.edu. A complete schedule of UM School of Theatre & Dance productions for the 2017-18 academic year is online.

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