A buzzing crowd gathered outside Koury Business Center Sept. 30 as dancers gracefully stepped into their places, framed by the sunlit fountain.
“Dance in the Landscape,” Elon Dance Company’s first performance of the season, explored the juxtaposition of natural elements and the crafted architecture of Elon’s campus. Featuring group improvisation and three choreographed works, the concert showcased the talent and versatility of the dance majors.
“You don’t have all the conditions you’re used to, like the perfect temperature and floor,” said freshman dance major Kayla McGrath.“It’s definitely something you have to adjust to.”
Throughout the rehearsal process, dancers faced many challenges, including thick Carolina mud, uneven ground and unforgiving brick.
“It’s a much more intense process,” McGrath said. “It’s pushed me to work harder, which I love.”
Although last year’s performance took place in the Academic Village, the move to Koury Business Center created intricacies and challenges that propelled the artistry of the choreography to new heights, according to Jason Aryeh, concert director and assistant professor of performing arts. Dancers repelled off the columns, ran through the pathways, dove into the soft grass and flew through the air, exploring all the elements of the space.
“One thing that drew me to the space around Koury Business Center were the huge pillars and the space in between to use as part of the choreography,” Aryeh said. “I loved the idea of the fountain as a background.”
This was Aryeh’s second year as director of the site-specific concert. His African heritage and dance training blended with contemporary dance motifs in the choreography.
“For landscape, it’s real natural to come up with moments because I’ve been dancing outside all my life,” Aryeh said. “Landscape is home for me.”
Aryeh took on a new challenge this year by collaborating with Clay Stevenson, lecturer of music, to create an original electronic score featuring dubstep beats. The music inspired different movement qualities in the group work and sparked excitement among younger audience members.
But upperclassmen have seen the annual fall concerts progress and evolve throughout their years at Elon.
“It’s more cohesive,” said Kelsey Herbst, senior dance major and assistant director. “What I like about it is that it uses different visual perspectives on the same space."
Another innovation in this year’s concert was the inclusion of student choreography. A trio of dancers gave a mature, emotive performance that explored the depth of the walkway, choreographed by Herbst. It was followed by Aryeh’s piece, which used the space from another viewpoint by framing the dancers with Koury’s massive columns. The small cast size and proximity of the audience created an intimate atmosphere, despite the wide open setting of this year’s performance.