From the graceful sways of ballet to the curious passages of modern dance, the community will have a special opportunity to experience the beauty of these unique dance styles and much more during the Laredo Community College “Dance In Concert” program on Sunday, April 3.
Sponsored by the LCC Music and Dance Department in association with the City of Laredo, the Spring 2005 dance concert will begin at 3 p.m. in the Guadalupe and Lilia Martinez Fine Arts Center theater. Admission is free and open to the public.
Danuta U. Gazdyszyn, LCC dance instructor and the lead organizer of this event, said that the college dancers are ready to entertain after months of practice with instructors who helped them perfect their skills on the dance floor.
From LCC, the concert will feature performances by the Lyric Ballet/Jazz Ensemble, directed by Sandra Harsa; and the LCC Dance Theatre, directed by Gazdyszyn.
A dance extravaganza will also feature guest performances by local dance ensembles, including Grupo Ceres, directed by Alicia Ledezma; and the Higher Ground Dance Studio-Senior Diamonds, led by Harsa.
“The students have endured months of preparation to present a quality dance concert which I’m sure will be greatly appreciated by all who attend this free community event,” said Gazdyszyn.
Harsa noted how excitement continues to grow among students, faculty and community with the new LCC Martinez Fine Arts Center.
“Our dancers and the community appreciate the opportunity to enjoy the benefits of the beautiful Martinez Fine Arts Center, which opened in 2003. Students love their new home to help them better expand their talents and skills,” said Harsa.
The Dance Theatre will launch the program with the performance of Yann Tiersen’s C’est La Vie, which is described by Gazdyszyn as a lyrical modern dance depicting a dancer’s life.
The concert will follow the Lyric Ballet performance of “Graceful Dreams” with music by Rachmaninov.
Grupo Ceres will be next on the program with their performance of a modern dance, entitled Lo que soy es lo que tengo.
The program will continue with Higher Ground Dance Studio performing a jazz selection, entitled Snakes, with music by the group No Doubt.
Afterwards, there will be a performance choreographed by college student Sarai L. Araiza. The modern piece, Thoughts, features music by Buto-Sha Tenkei.
Next on the stage is the Jazz Ensemble, dancing to the rhythm of a Michael Jackson tune, entitled “Don’t Stop.”
Another piece choreographed by Araiza and classmate Lori M. Martinez takes center stage. The performance, entitled Pinning of the Fjords, with music by Thomas Zirkle.
The Dance Theatre returns to perform “Swing, Swing, Swing,” featuring music by Chris Boardman and Janis Siegel.
After a brief intermission, the concert will continue with a performance featuring a dancing trio from the Dance Theatre. The dancers will perform Three Muses with music by Jaques Offenbach.
Higher Ground returns to the stage to dance The Orient. Music is by Zamfir.
Grupo Ceres will continue with their performance of Reflejos.
Also, the Jazz Ensemble will thrill the visual senses with their performance of the Alicia Keys song Fallin’.
The concert finale will feature the Dance Theatre in the performance of the modern Tango #48. Music is by the Gotan Project.
LCC students have a variety of dance classes available to them throughout the year. Some of the courses for dance majors and for personal enrichment include dance fitness, modern dance, ballet technique, dance appreciation, jazz, dance performance (ballet folklorico and Spanish dance forms), dance improvisation and dance conditioning. Many of these classes are part of the State of Texas Core Curriculum, which can be easily applied toward a bachelor’s degree at any other Texas higher education institution.
This semester, LCC will also promote the culture and traditions of Latin America through the presentation of the LCC Culturas Dance Concert. The event will be on Sunday, May 1, at 3 p.m. in the Martinez Fine Arts Center theater. Admission to the event is free of charge.
Other cultural performances at LCC include the Opera Workshop musical Into the Woods, April 14 to 16, 7:30 p.m.; Mariachi Palomino’s Noche Mexicana concert on April 20, 7:30 p.m.; and a Showband Concert on April 24 at 3 p.m., among other scheduled engagements.
For more information about the college’s music and dance courses and events, contact the LCC Music and Dance Department by calling 721-5330.
Student dancers Sarai Araiza (l) and Ari Espinoza will be among the featured performers in the LCC Dance Concert on Sunday, April 3, at 3 p.m. in the Guadalupe and Lilia Martinez Fine Arts Center theater.
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