The weeks following up to Spring Dance 2016 are filled with hours of rehearsal, sore bodies and determination for the 21 dancers in this year’s Spring 2016 Dance Concert.
What students and faculty should be aware of is how Spring Dance is a whole different ball game than Fall Dance.  While the Fall Dance Concert focuses on student choreographers, the Spring Dance Concert is choreographed by different Sonoma State University dance instructors.

The choreographers for this upcoming event are Kristen Daley, Christina Cali, Eric Handman and Jennifer Meek. Members of the Sonoma State dance community might know Kristen Daley and Christina Cali from their department block dance classes they instruct.

In addition, the performancecan’thappen without the help of the student-operated crew.

This crew consists of students involved in the Stagecraft class, like Rachel Eager, the Assistant Stage Manager and Wyatt Jadro, Stage Manager.

The crew is also made up of costume designer Ashley Williams along with other professional staff members that are in charge of lights and sound.  

Joining the other choreographers fromSonoma State University’s Blue Baronz dance crew is Reggie Reguindin, a Political Science Major and senior.

“The choreographers for Spring Dance are focusing on some very heavy-handed topics that are plaguing the contemporary world,” said Reguindin.

The themes of the performances are beginning to feel very different from last semesters Fall Dance Concert.

“The pieces I’m in are inspired by social issues that have sparked controversy in the media. Each piece [showcases] the tragedies behind these issues while still treating it with the respect it deserves,” said Reguindin.

Another student dancer taking part in this year’s Spring Dance showcase is Kyle Her, a Dance and Human Development double major and senior.

Her discussed why he joined both the Fall and Spring Dance family.

“I wanted the opportunity to be able to work with the artists and choreographers who have experience in the real world,” said Her. “The fun part about being in Spring Dance is really going through the whole process of putting the whole piece together and finally performing it and being able to share the beautiful work.”

Another part of Spring Dance is the behind-the-scenes production, which is crucial to creating a showcase such as this.

Christine Cali, an Assistant Professor of Dance at Sonoma State shared some insights of the department.

“The Theatre Arts and Dance Department at Sonoma State University is built upon a strong sense of community and collaboration,” said Cali. “This is one of the highlights of the Theatre Arts and Dance Department experience, everyone learns all roles in tech in order to understand the behind the scenes of production.”

Lastly, Cali discussed what it’s like to watch her student performers grow as dancers.

“The most inspiring part of working on Spring Dance is working with the students and being witness to their growth as dancers,” said Cali. “It’s a gift to have such rigorous, intelligent, and creative students to create.”

Performances are scheduled to be in Person Theater April 1-7 at 7:30 p.m., with a performance in Weill Hall on April 5 at 12:00 p.m.