Dancers bring talents to the ‘edge’

Nearly four months of preparation and practice will be put together in what the dance department hopes will be another successful run of the spring dance concert titled ‘Razor's Edge: Dance on the Verge II.'

Directed by dance professor John Vaughan and part-time dance instructor Renee Liskey, the performance will consist of 25 dance pieces that will showcase a variety of dance styles and address many different themes.

These themes can range anywhere from very uplifting such a the performance that will be based around the psalms in the Bible to more depressing themes such as being haunted by the loss of a husband. There will also be more politically charged and risqué material such as a dance piece about two prostitutes who are getting ready to meet their pimp.

According to Vaughan this year's performance will have several differences from the first ‘Razor's Edge.'

"There are not as many politically themed pieces this time but there are still some pieces that members of the audience might be objectionable," he said. "There are also more student choreographed pieces, only five of the 25 total pieces are choreographed by faculty."

"I let anybody who wanted to choreograph a piece create one and then we started to eliminate some and keep others," Vaughan said.

Dance student Cymbaline Olsen, who is choreographing a piece she has titled ‘Haunted Memories' a modern dance piece to the song ‘My Immortal' by Evanescence that tells the story of a woman who is haunted by the memory of a man she loved and lost, said that she has thoroughly enjoyed the experience and learned much from it.

"Its interesting to take a movement that looks one way in your mind or when you do it and have someone else do it and see it change," Olsen said. "Putting my ideas or feelings into movements is a different experience from being told what movement to do based on someone else's vision."

Gayle Jett, who is not choreographing any pieces said that although she is not choreographing a piece, this performance gives her a lot of opportunities to express herself.

"Its nice to have the freedom and leeway to express yourself," she said. "I am a fun person so I enjoy more of the fun pieces such as the closer ‘The Wild Party' which is a very jazzy piece."

"But this performance has something for everyone," she said.

According to Vaughan, he has let the students express themselves freely but what he will put his foot down on is if he feels it is not in good taste.

"When students are in high school they do not get to express themselves freely but now that they are adults I think college should be about expressing those feelings or thoughts that have been pent up inside," he said.

"Overall I want students to learn to both express those desires or thoughts while still keeping good taste and to respect other's right to express ideas they may not agree with," he said.

"What I told students in the beginning is to take whatever is sharpest in their minds and take that to the edge," he said. "And then explore and express those emotions."

Vaughan said that there will be one more ‘Razor's Edge' performance next year in the form it is in now and after that it will be reassessed and changed if necessary.

‘Razor's Edge: Dance on the Verge II' will run the weekend of June 4 with a performance at 2 p.m. and at 8 p.m. as well as on June 5 at 2 p.m. in the Haugh Performing Arts Center. Tickets are $12 for general admission and $10 for students and seniors.
This performance contains adult themes some may find objectionable, viewer discretion advised.