Winter 2012
This semester New York based choreographer Tiffany Mills will be creating an original dance work with four- teen Alfred University students and teaching six classes through the Marlin and Ginger Miller Dance Residency Program. The dance work, It Only Happens Once…
Yesterday and Tomorrow, deals with a reoccurring dream that always begins the same way. Mills will be engaging the dancers collaboratively, which will allow students to experience how she creates work with her professional company.
Tiffany Mills is a choreographer, teacher, performer, and artistic director of the NYC-based Tiffany Mills Compa- ny. Her work focuses on human relationships and is grounded in partnering and improvisation. Her explora- tion is fueled by collaboration across mediums. She has most recently worked with filmmaker Ela Troyano, com- posers John Zorn and Ikue Mori, and experimental thea- ter director Peter Petralia.
The Company’s collaborative work has been presented at Portland Institute for Contemporary Art’s Time Based Art Festival (OR), Wexner Center for the Arts (OH), Contemporary Dance Theater/National Performance Net- work (OH), Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival Residency Program (MA), Guggenheim Museum Works & Process Series, Duke on 42 Street, Symphony Space Dance Sam- pler, Lincoln Center Out-of-Doors, Dancing in the Streets, Joyce SoHo, Danspace Project’s City/Dans Se- ries, Dance Theater Workshop Fresh Tracks, PS 122 Avant Garde Arama, Movement Research, Tribeca Per- forming Arts Center, HERE, Dance Place (DC), and in- ternationally in Mexico and Canada. She has received multiple grants from national and international funding agencies
The premiere of Tiffany’s work will be included in the AU Dance Theater Concert, which will also feature new
dances by faculty members D. Chase Angier and Robert Bingham, and by AU dance students Walner Edmond, Krystal Redding, Kim Rau and Kaitlin Vanderweide.
Among these dances will be small ensemble pieces and large group works, set choreography and structured im- provisation, singing, and dynamic performances by stu- dents and faculty members, including Laurel Jay Carpen- ter. Marketa Fantova and Stephen Kurzdorfer will design the lights.
Performances are February 16, 17 and 18 at 8 pm in the Miller Theater. Tickets are required. Tiffany’s communi- ty class will be on Friday, February 4th at 1 pm in Room 300 in the Miller Performing Arts Center.
D ANCE T HEATER C ONCERT TO
F EATURE W ORK B Y NYC C HOREOGRAPHER
Focus on the Performing Arts
To reserve tickets for events,
call 607-871-2828 or email [email protected]
$5 General Public
$1 AU Students with ID
Tiffany Mills, photo by Julie Lemberger
T HEATRE P RODUCTION
T HE W AY OF THE W ORLD
The Way of the World, written by William Congreve and directed by Becky Prophet, will be performed in Miller Theater on April 19, 20, and 21. Set in England in 1700, the year of its premiere, this Restoration comedy explores wealth and social power. The characters Lady Wishfort, Fainall, Petulant, and Witwoud scheme to get ahead of one another with witty banter, ridiculous spending, trap- ping one another in embarrassing situations, and showing off.
Woven throughout the play is the developing love rela- tionship between Mirabell and Millamant. The two, how- ever, are so caught up in the styles of the times that they cannot forego murdering friendships, playing games of
power, and trying to look better than everyone else. As the manipulations of the wealthier and more clever char- acters threaten to bring down everything humane in a sup- posedly friendly group, everyone faces the truth of their own shortcomings, not to live a better way one day, but to bring the play to a hilarious conclusion. The way of the world has not changed in 300 years. True love, honesty, and respect are still rare commodities.
The scenery will be designed by Nate Gibson, with Zach Hamm as technical director. The costumes and lighting will be designed by Marketa Fantova. Showtime is 8 pm nightly. Tickets are required.
D UE TO CIRCUMSTANCE BEYOND OUR CONTROL , T HE G UEST A RTIST R ECITAL ON M ARCH 16 WITH THE
A LLE -C ATT B RASS Q UINTET HAS BEEN CANCELLED .
C HORAL C ONCERTS
A PRIL P HOOLS AND P IPEDREAMS
There will be April Fool’s tricks and many treats as the AU Chamber Singers and the Alfred Volunteer Choir Company join for an April Phools Consort. The free evening of witty and phoolish music will begin at 7 pm in Holmes Auditorium in Harder Hall on Sunday, April 1, and will feature works by P.D.Q. Bach and his well known half-sister once removed, Laurel Bach of Walter, as well as Tom Lehrer and others.
Come hear variations on our beloved Alma Mater written in Music Depreciation, a faculty demonstration on how to write a book report from “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” and some unique counterpoint from the “Art of the Ground Round” It promises to be an evening of phun, phrivolity and phoolishness which hopefully will raise a few dollars for an upcoming Chamber Singers Tour. (Monetary donations will be accepted but no throwing of food please!)
On Sunday, April 15 at 3 pm., lullabies, night songs, songs to the moon and dreamy airs will fill the sanctuary of the Alfred Seventh Day Baptist Church as the Alfred University Chorus, Chamber Singers, Alfred Volunteer Choir Company and organist Laurel Buckwalter present Pipedreams, an afternoon of music for choir and organ.
The choirs under the direction of Luanne Crosby will present antiphonal, a cappella and accompanied works by Eric Whitacre, Z. Randall Stroope, Morten Lauridsen and John Rutter.
Dreams sweet and dark will be experienced as organist Laurel Buckwalter plays two movements from the Gothic Suite by Boellmann. All are invited to enjoy a springtime afternoon of lush music to dream by.
AU TO T HEATRE F ESTIVAL
B AND C ONCERTS
J AZZ B AND AND S YMPHONIC B AND
The AU Music Department will present two student recit- als this semester. The first one will be held in Howell Hall on Sunday, April 22, at 3 pm and will feature vocal- ists. The second one will be held in Miller Theater on Sunday, April 29, at 3 pm and will feature pianists and other instrumentalists and the AU String Orchestra. All are invited to these free events.
S TUDENT R ECITALS
Fourteen Alfred University theatre students and faculty members Becky Prophet and Steve Crosby attended and participated in the five day Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival (KCACTF) of Region 2 held this year in Indiana, PA. Each year, the festival cele- brates outstanding work in the region, which encom- passes Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Northwest New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Northern Virginia, Washing- ton DC and West Virginia. Over 200 of the best actors in the region competed for the Irene Ryan Acting Scholar- ship; student designers and stage managers exhibited the fruits of their labors from productions presented in the fall; and eight invited productions and select scenes from eight additional regional productions were presented.
Alfred was admirably represented at the festival. Six nominated actors and their partners participated in the Irene Ryan Competition with AU junior Kate Truini ad- vancing to the elite semi-final round of 32. Stage Manag- er Amanda Lynch was praised for her excellent exhibit and presentation. A scene from the fall production of LIE OF THE MIND by Sam Shepard, directed by Steve Cros- by, was invited to participate in the Festival.
Beyond these highlights, all students attended many of the 100 diverse workshops available to them. They also participated in the “Fringe Challenge,” receiving a third place finish. Students write, rehearse and perform a ten minute original theatrical piece developed while at the festival. Each is required to have a theme and theatrical style and must use a given prop, a piece of text, and some music, among other things. Faculty member Becky Prophet ran the “Student Directing Initiative,” working
with eleven students and their casts to have an immersion experience in directing. She also taught a workshop in Text and Image.
The AU Jazz Band will present its spring semester concert on Friday, April 13, at 8 pm, in Holmes Audito- rium in Harder Hall under the direc- tion of Chris Foster. The AU Jazz Band features Alfred University stu- dents and members of the Alfred community. Enjoy an evening of swingin’ charts, Latin tunes, and funk grooves! Selections will include Ar- mando’s Rhumba, Bill’s Thrills, With
Gratitude, Tower of Power’s What Is Hip, Morocco by The Rippingtons, and the beautiful ballad D’Ann. Ad- mission is free and open to the pub- lic.
On Friday, April 27, at 8 pm, in the Miller Theater, the Alfred University Symphonic Band will present its spring semester concert under the direction of Chris Foster. Members
include Alfred University and Alfred State College students, as well as members of the surrounding commu- nities. Selections will include First Suite in Eb by Gustav Holst, The Lord of the Rings, Mvt. V, “Hobbits,”
by Johann de Meij, and Vesuvius by Frank Ticheli. Admission is free and open to the public.
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