By Peg West
Grand Valley State University
The beauty of nature and how water, especially, inspired artists of the Romantic Era is at the heart of the dance performance featured in Grand Valley State University’s Fall Arts Celebration.
“Water: A Vision in Dance” is a multimedia experience that will evoke the power of water through musical selections and the choreography of BODYART, a New Orleans-based dance theater company. The performance is Monday, Oct. 28, at 7:30 p.m. in the Haas Center for Performing Arts, Louis Armstrong Theatre.
The musical part of the performance features Bedřich Smetana’s “The Moldau” and Debussy’s “La Mer,” both of which are inspired by significant bodies of water.
“When Smetana wrote his monumental tone poem, ‘Má Vlast,’ which was the story of his native land, the principal movement was the ‘Moldau’ because that mighty river gave life and sustenance to his friends, family and compatriots,” said Danny Phipps, chair of the Department of Music, Theatre and Dance. “Debussy’s ‘La Mer’ is a brilliant evocation of the power and mystery of the oceans.”
BODYART will unite dance, video and the music of the Grand Valley orchestra to bring these pieces to life, said Carrie Brueck Morris, associate professor of dance.
“This timely focus on water explores its aesthetic qualities and our local water landscape as the dance weaves together live performance with video projection that constantly evolves with the action on stage,” Morris said.
All Fall Arts Celebration events are free and open to the public.
