Arts and Entertainment

Fort Collins Annual Fall Dance Concert

November 14, 2013

The 2013 Fall Dance Concert, put on by the CSU dance department, happens this weekend at the University Center for the Arts.

The concert will premiere Friday night, Nov. 15th, at 8 p.m., and will be available to see again on Saturday, Nov. 16th, at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.

As done every semester, the students of the CSU dance department have worked hard to put on a breathtaking show.

“This year, we have faculty choreography, we have two guest artists performing and we also have student choreography selected to be in the show,” said Emma Kimball, production assistant and CSU senior dance major.

The guest artists featured in this year’s concert are Caitlin Valentine-Ellis and Christopher Ellis, both from the Colorado Ballet.

“It’s exciting for us to be on stage with professional dancers,” Kimball said.

Also performing will be CSU’s Tour Dance Company.

Kimball described this organization as, “a group of students who perform for schools and nursing homes and in the community doing lecture demonstration performances.”

The show will consist of contemporary, classical dance numbers and will incorporate pieces from “The Nutcracker.”

Production Stage Manager and CSU senior theatre major, Elizabeth Stewart, explained what goes on behind the curtains.

“I don’t think people realize how much time and effort goes into a dance concert besides what they see on stage,” Stewart said. “It’s not only the performers and the dancers on stage…there’s a lot of great people collaborating with this production.”

Stewart hopes to someday be a producer, or perhaps run her own theatre company.

“It’s not stressful and it’s a lot of fun,” Stewart said. “Especially with the people involved in this production. I’m able to work with some really awesome collaborators, dancers and designers.”

Madison Lobato is one of the student choreographers and directors of the concert. She is also performing in the concert.

“This year I’m in repertoire, then I’m in three student pieces (and) I choreographed one,” Lobato said. “I dance all day and have rehearsals all through the night.”

The bright side is that Lobato doesn’t feel that she works a day in her life when she is doing what she loves.

“I don’t feel like I’m at school when I’m dancing all day,” Lobato said. “It’s all I know how to do and what I’ve always wanted to do.”

Lobato started dancing when she was three years old and is now a CSU junior dance major.

Tickets to see this weekend’s shows are only $8 for CSU students and $18 for adults and can be purchased online at www.csuarttickets.com.

Senior Entertainment Reporter Peyton Garcia can be reached at entertainment@collegian.com.