SMU Meadows Division of Dance kicked off its fall season Oct. 6 through 10 with DanceWorks, a student-choreographed event held at the Gene and Jerry Jones Grand Atrium in The Owen Fine Arts Center.
The typically quiet atrium was transformed into a stage complete with a temporary dance floor, inviting students, faculty and visitors to connect with the dancers in a close-distanced setting.
Performances took place every Monday, Wednesday and Friday during class hours, with many students stopping in the atrium to watch as they passed by. Unlike other Meadows productions, DanceWorks is performed outside of the theater.
Senior dance major Lauren Lee said this difference is what makes DanceWorks so special.
“I think the space that it is in makes DanceWorks different from other performances at Meadows. It’s the only event we have in the atrium,” Lee said. “It is absolutely gorgeous with all of the lights so it just feels very different. It feels more open and I really just love dancing in that space.”
That setting and its accessibility are intentional, according to Professor Westwick, who organizes the event and has taught dance at SMU for 14 years.
“This one is intended to be informal, and people can just, like, they can just come to part of it, or they can come and eat their lunch here” Westwick said. “It’s intended to kind of bring other SMU students and people in here, just kind of see what we’re doing.”
Unlike other Meadows dance productions, DanceWorks is entirely student-run, from the performers and musicians to the choreographers.
“It’s different because it’s entirely student produced, they find their own costumes, they find their music, and they also audition dancers from the dance division,” Westwick said.
One of those students is senior dance major Amberly Seaburn. She choreographed “Just like Clockwork” which was an energetic dance to “Ants Marching” by Dave Matthews Band.
“I knew I wanted to choreograph for DanceWorks, so I was looking for music that inspired me,” Seaburn said. “I came across Dave Matthews and I knew that his songs were naturally really energetic and groovy. They have this lighthearted vibe, and I knew I wanted to do something in that happy realm this year.”
After choosing her music, Seaburn began translating its energy into movement. The challenge forced her to assume responsibilities beyond performing.
“I really enjoyed stepping into this new position of being a choreographer and taking on a new level of leadership,” Seaburn said. “It was really fun to get to experiment with my own choreography, collaborate with my dancers, and build a narrative that looked good on their bodies and expressed the story I wanted to tell.”
With DanceWorks coming to a close, the dance department’s next performance features faculty choreographers and a restaging of the famous “The Envelope” By David Parsons. The Fall Dance Concert takes place in Bob Hope Theatre in Owen Fine Arts Center from Nov. 13 through 16.
