Celebrate 30th anniversary of MaDaCol with performances this weekend

MaDaCol posterMore than 60 dancers will take stage at the Mather Dance Center to celebrate the 30th anniversary of MaDaCol (Mather Dance Collective)—the Case Western Reserve University Department of Dance’s graduate, undergraduate and community dance ensemble.

The fall concert will be held at 8 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 21, and Friday Nov. 22, and at 7 and 8:30 p.m on Saturday, Nov. 23, at Mather Dance Center.

New works, plus others from past seasons, will celebrate three decades of MaDaCol’s broad style of creative, diverse choreography and staging. This season begins with a new piece titled, Constellations, choreographed by Hannah Barna, a restaging of Su-Z-Q by Dani Dowler and the return of Case Western Reserve alumna Beth Salemi Szpak’s A Pilgrim’s Book.

Barna, a long-time MaDaCol participant and second-year graduate dance student, choreographed Constellations to Steve Reich’s “Cello Counterpoint.” The piece presents an abstract view of MaDaCol over the past three decades.

Dowler, an Masters of Fine Arts candidate, restages Su-Z-Q, which is set to three music selections by Caravan Palace: “Dragons,” “Jolie Coquine” and “Star Set.” Drawing inspiration from dance of the 1920’s through 1940’s, Su-Z-Q presents light-hearted and upbeat explorations of spatial calligraphy and musicality.

Case Western Reserve alumna Szpak originally choreographed A Pilgrim’s Book for MaDaCol in spring 2000. The dance is reborn for a third time with a cast of 10 dancers. Inspired by a quote from J. D. Salinger’s Franny and Zooey, the piece explores ideas of belief and uncertainty.

General admission is $5. Tickets are available at the Mather Dance Center before each performance.

Visit dance.case.edu/spotlight for more information.