University At Buffalo - News Center: UB Department Of Theatre And Dance Presents Zodiaque Dance Company

Press release from the University at Buffalo - News Center:

CAS STAFF

October 13, 2021

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Zodiaque, UB’s premier resident student dance company, will be back on stage at the UB Center for the Arts, in close collaboration with the Department’s Design and Technology students and faculty, highlighting the rich versatility and creativity of the UB Department of Theatre and Dance. UB dance faculty, alumni and MFA candidates will create diverse works for the 47th fall season of Zodiaque.

The show is under the co-direction of faculty members Kerry Ring and Michael Deeb Weaver. It is punctuated by the contributions of new faculty member Chanon Judson, BFA ’01, co-artistic Director of New York City-based Urban Bush Women (UBW) and professional guest choreographer, Takehiro “Take” Ueyama, director of the Take Dance Company.

Judson will set the renowned UBW piece Walking With Pearl…African Diaries (2006). “Pearl Primus is one of the founding icons for modern dance,” says Ring. “We’re very excited that Zodiaque dancers can put Urban Bush Women movement on their bodies.”

Judson joined UBW in 2001. She has performed, taught and led leadership workshops across the country with UBW and as co-director of Builders Organizers and Leaders through Dance.

Ueyama performed with Paul Taylor for eight years, creating his first choreographic work for the company in 2003. Since then, he has earned accolades including the Asian Arts Alliance’s 2015 Jadin Wong Award for Emerging Asian American Choreographers, as well as awards from the International Modern Dance Choreographic Competition and the S&R Foundation.

Students will perform an excerpt from Ueyama’s Salaryman (2011), one of his signature modern dance works. The New Yorker described it as, “A day-in-the-life piece, consisting of vignettes drawn from interviews with overworked Japanese business executives. City sounds and metronomes tick off the emotional costs of corporate culture.”

Additional faculty choreographers include both Ring and Deeb Weaver; Melanie Aceto director of dance; and Tom Ralabate, professor. MFA Dance students Anna Caison Boyd, Jacquie Cherry and Meg Kirchhoff will also create new work. Kirchhoff’s piece will be a site-specific dance on film.

“We want to highlight the virtual aspects of dance performance and means of presenting dance,” Deeb Weaver explained,. “To have UB at the forefront of that mixed media experience in one night of dance performance is exciting.”

Live Performances: Oct. 16, 2021 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Oct. 17, 2021 at 2 p.m. UB Center for the Arts Drama Theatre and Mainstage

Location: UB Center for the Arts Drama Theatre University at Buffalo North Campus

Tickets: http://www.ubcfa.org/events-exhibitions/dance/zodiaque-dance-company-fall2021.html $20 Adult $10 Student/Senior Citizen Information or charge by phone: 716-645-6915 Tickets are also available at the door one hour prior to show. Campus Cash is accepted at the CFA Box Office.

Directions: https://arts-sciences.buffalo.edu/theatre-dance/news-and-events/venues-studios-shops/directions-to-venues.html

Online Streaming Performances: Oct. 29 - 30, 2021 at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 31, 2021 at 2 p.m.

Schools Performance: Oct. 29, 2021 at 10 a.m.

Tickets: showtix4u.com/events/18238 $10 Adult $5 Student/Senior Citizen General Information: 716-645-6897

Media Inquiries: Rob Falgiano 716-645-6921 rjf3@buffalo.edu

Group Sales: Mike Formato 716-645-0611 formato@buffalo.edu

UB Department of Theatre and Dance: arts-sciences.buffalo.edu/theatre-dance

UB Center for the Arts: ubcfa.org

Media Contact Information

This press release was produced by the University at Buffalo - News Center. The views expressed here are the author’s own.