Kennesaw State Dance Company to present "D-Man in the Waters"
For media inquiries: Cheryl Anderson Brown, Director of Public Relations,
770-499-3417
or cbrown@…
Georgia
(Nov 11, 2010) —
For media inquiries: Cheryl Anderson Brown, Director of Public Relations,
770-499-3417
or
cbrown@kennesaw.edu
KENNESAW, Ga.—The Kennesaw State University Department of Theatre, Performance Studies & Dance
will present "D-Man in the Waters" Nov. 17-20 at 8 p.m. in Howard Logan Stillwell Theater. The performance, made possible
in part by a National Endowment for the Arts American Masterpiece Grant, will include
four contemporary works featuring the choreography of guest artist Bill T. Jones,
KSU artist-in-residence Lauri Stallings, and KSU faculty members Sandra Parks and
Ivan Pulinkala.
Pulinkala, director of the Program in Dance, explains, “It is very exciting for the
KSU Program in Dance to receive the National Endowment for the Arts American Masterpiece
grant this year. This nationally competitive grant brings a level of recognition and
visibility to our program that is a great honor for our students, faculty and university.”
Each of the four works to be performed are distinctive and “each artist works with
his or her own palate of vocabulary and ideas,” says Pulinkala. “The programming represents
a diversity in our curriculum, that is integral to our pedagogical philosophy.” The
performance will feature contemporary ballet, Israeli gaga technique and contemporary
modern technique. A highlight of the concert is the performance of "D-Man in the Waters"
choreographed by internationally acclaimed Tony award-winning artist Bill T. Jones.
“The reason I chose Bill T. Jones’ work for the company this year is because he represents
many aspects of diversity that are important to our program, department, college and
university,” Pulinkala explains. “He is an openly gay, HIV-positive, African-American
choreographer. These aspects of his personal identity are significantly tied to his
choreographic work and integral to his creative process. The work provides a powerful
opportunity to teach our students about valuing and respecting all kinds of beliefs,
people and experiences.”
The KSU Program in Dance was started as a dance minor in 2005. In
January 2009, the program launched the Bachelor of Arts degree in dance that enrolls
more than 80 dance majors in less than two years. The program has garnered a national
reputation at the American College Dance Festival, and the KSU Dance Company has been
invited to represent dance programs in the southeastern United States for two consecutive
national years, performing in New York City in 2008 and at the Kennedy Center in 2010.
For more information about the Program in Dance, click the dance link at www.kennesaw.edu/arts.
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Kennesaw State University is the third-largest university in Georgia, offering more
than 70 graduate and undergraduate degrees, including new doctorates in education,
business and nursing. A member of the 35-unit University System of Georgia, Kennesaw
State is a comprehensive, residential institution with a growing student population
of more than 22,500 from 142 countries.
The KSU College of the Arts is one of only four Georgia institutions to have achieved
full national accreditation for all of its arts departments.
A leader in innovative teaching and learning, Kennesaw State University offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its nearly 43,000 students. With 11 colleges on two metro Atlanta campuses, Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia. The university’s vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 6 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.
