Orange Coast College’s Dance Department will present its annual Spring Dance Celebration on Friday, April 25 and Saturday, April 26 at 7:30 p.m. in the Robert B. Moore Theatre. Dance chair Rachel Berman and dance faculty member Angelika Nemeth will co-direct this exhilarating evening.
This production will showcase the department’s exceptional dancing and cultural diversity, highlighting OCC’s World Dance Program. It will feature choreographic premieres by OCC students, as well as by faculty members Ms. Nemeth and Marru Mikaelian. Ms. Nemeth will present a Middle Eastern tapestry of rhythms and movements, while Ms. Mikaelian will create a Tahitian ‘Ote’a – a Polynesian dance to drumbeats. Guest performers will also present the classical Indian dance form of Bharatanatyam.
OCC students will premiere works in a variety of styles, including Hip Hop, Contemporary, Tap, and an Asian fusion dance symbolizing the Year of the Snake. As always, the concert will reflect the students’ artistry and their openness in addressing difficult subject matter and their everyday struggles. The dances will explore themes such as heartbreak, police brutality, love of one’s hometown, friendship and rivalries, the polarity of male and female identities, isolation, and uncertainty — all relatable issues for today’s youth. Through their art, the dancers maintain hope for this world.
On Friday, April 25, at 11 a.m., a special outreach show will be presented free of charge for elementary, middle, and high school students. This morning performance will showcase dance, music, costumes, and storytelling from around the world, featuring guest artists from the local American Ballet Theatre/ William J Gillespie School.
“This highly anticipated annual concert provides an opportunity to showcase our multi-talented dancers in works made by their faculty and peers,” says Berman. “This is the time of year where our student choreographers get to explore their unique artistry in a main stage production and highlight all we offer here at OCC.”
Tickets can be purchased at OCC Tickets for $20 for general admission and $15 for students. Parking will be available in Lots C and D near the Robert B. Moore Theatre.