You follow their moves each week and analyze their style, their talent and their progress. You cheer for your favorites. The popularity of dance has soared in the United States, thanks to reality shows such as “Dancing with the Stars” and “So You Think You Can Dance.” But how much do you really know about the history of this art form?
Lamar University’s Repertory Dance Theatre will present a free demonstration/lecture on the history of American art dance at 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 23. The presentation is sponsored by the Texas Artists Museum in Port Arthur.
Repertory Dance Theatre is the newest company in Lamar’s dance program. It is dedicated to meeting the dance program's goal of educating dance artists, fostering dance arts appreciation in the community and expanding dance arts experiences.
Led by Dance Theatre director Michelle Ozmun, Lamar students will take the audience through a tour of eight dances that span the 20th century, including post-modernism, ballet, modern dance, jazz dance and tap. Student performers include Azarria Allen of Houston, Marrisha Babineaux of Fresno, Angel-Marie Goines of LaPorte, Keeley Guidry of Freer and Amy Stanger of Deer Park.
“Modern dance, jazz and tap all originated in the United States,” Ozmun says. “All Americans should know about this rich heritage.”
The presentation covers many famous dance innovators, such as modern-dance pioneer Loie Fuller, Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova, jazz choreographer Bob Fosse, and African-American modern dance choreographer Alvin Ailey.
It concludes with a postmodern dance created by Ozmun. “Postmodern dance is abstract and interpretative, characterized by free movement,” she says.
For more information, please contact Ozmun at (409) 880-7799 or lmozmun@my.lamar.edu.
