Grace, rhythm and creativity came alive on the stage of this year’s Fall 2024 Dance Concert at the Colorado State University Center for the Arts Nov. 15 and 16, showcasing the versatile talent of students and faculty alike.

Presented by CSU’s School of Music, Theatre and Dance, the concert is an annual performance featuring seven individual dance pieces, each curated with a uniquely captivating theme and style. Assistant Professor Grace Gallagher is the lead concert director and said the concert is designed to include a wide array of student interests.

“We try to make sure many choreographic and aesthetic voices can be included,” Gallagher said. “Something that I think is really beautiful about our program is that there is so much diversity in expertise and goals and aspirations.”

The concert was a large-scale collaborative effort that involved students in all fields of the theater department working alongside faculty to perfect lighting, choreography, costume design and more.

“This is what we made. But really we’re exploring and thinking more about the ways that we can talk about issues and the ways that we can move about issues.” -Oliver Myers, CSU student, choreographer and dancer 

“The lighting designers take ownership over the piece, and the choreographers take ownership over the piece, and the dancers take ownership over the piece,” Gallagher said. “We try to make sure that everybody’s vision feels seen and their ideas heard.”

The result was an incredibly heartfelt concert with unique elements like live music played by student Damian Lesperance-Young, original poetry by students and thematic scenes projected behind the dancers. There were also many creative choices within the dances, such as the piece “talking to my(shadow)self,” in which dancers were connected to one another with long gloves.

The audience was packed, with all three shows sold out well in advance. CSU President Amy Parsons attended to show her support for the arts as well.

“It just felt really powerful to be able to share a concert with so many people,” Gallagher said. “To have people from our higher-up leadership team at the university really prioritizing this was a big deal.”

The concert lasted under two hours, showcasing the art that students and faculty spent months planning and collaborating over their performances. Oliver Myers, one of the student choreographers and dancers, had been working on their piece titled “Look Like” since summer.

“It’s a really long process,” Myers said. “Choreographing is definitely a commitment.”

Myers’ piece used ballet to delve into themes of gender nonconformity and the struggle to find belonging against all odds. As the dancers took the stage, they presented books that have been banned in some states for their queer content while Myers’ own poetry played in place of music, creating an emotional and vulnerable atmosphere.

“Let us learn to see ourselves and each other,” Myers’ poem read. “We will keep telling our stories until we all know what we look like.”

Several other pieces also addressed serious topics, like Kristianne Johnson’s “Soliloquy,” which depicted the emotional turmoil and healing process associated with self-harm.

“There are so many opportunities for the audience to reflect, and that’s what I love about dance: It’s abstract,” Gallagher said.

The show concluded with a breathtaking 22-dancer piece honoring CSU’s Climate Initiative, which Gallagher is a part of. Set to ODESZA’s “Line of Sight,” the dancers moved across the stage as videos of climate change’s impacts played in the background. The performance ended on a hopeful note, with the dancers joining hands to watch footage of communities caring for the environment.

“This is what we made, but really, we’re exploring and thinking more about the ways that we can talk about issues and the ways that we can move about issues,” Myers said.

Reach Chloe Waskey at entertainment@collegian.com or on Twitter @CSUCollegian.