SWAMP DANCE FEST! 2015, directed by choreographer and UF faculty member Trent D. Williams Jr., is a transformative four-week dance intensive taking place July 6-Aug. 3, 2015 at the University of Florida (UF) School of Theatre + Dance. Intended for pre-professional and professional dancers ages 16 and above, SWAMP DANCE FEST! combines a rigorous schedule of classes, rehearsals, performances and artist talks, culminating in performances of works created during the festival, performed by students and guests.
“I wanted to create an experience that was life changing both for the students as well as for myself with this year’s SWAMP DANCE FEST!,” said Williams. “Directing the intensive allows me to make a change in the students’ lives and future careers as well as to show them how to approach or look at dance from a different perspective.”
2015 Faculty and Guest Artists
In addition to directing this year’s festival, Williams will create a new dance in collaboration with Mohamed DaCosta, senior lecturer in the UF School of Theatre + Dance. Williams and DaCosta’s work will bring about the merging of two unique dance styles, contemporary and West African. Other teaching faculty and guest artists include Louisiana native and artistic director of the Washington D.C.-based Edgeworks Dance Theater Helanius J. Wilkins, whose work often pushes the boundaries of male identity in society, and Iyun Ashani Harrison, artistic director of Ashani Dances, a Seattle-based dance company. Harrison’s work often explores athleticism and the potential of the human body—looking at human form and its capacity for deep physicality that conveys emotion, extremeness of bodyline articulation and dynamic shifts in energy and flow.
Schedule of Public Events
The public is invited to several events throughout this year’s SWAMP DANCE FEST!:
- Open Artist Talk: Visiting artists will speak about their work and answer questions about their careers in the dance field. The Artist Talk will be held in G-6 Studio of the Nadine McGuire Theatre and Dance Pavilion on Monday, July 6 at 8 p.m. (Free admission)
- Improvisation Jam: Join us on Wednesdays, July 8, July 15, and July 22 from 8-9:30 p.m. in G-6 Studio of the Nadine McGuire Theatre and Dance Pavilion for these sessions led by guest artists. (Free admission)
- Faculty Performance at the Harn Museum of Art: This performance will feature faculty, students and additional guests during the museum’s July Museum Night activity on Thursday, July 9 from 6-9 p.m. (Free admission)
- Friday Open Public Showings: Each Friday students and faculty share works learned and created during the week. The showings will be held in G-6 Studio of the Nadine McGuire Theatre and Dance Pavilion on Fridays, July 10, July 17 and July 24 from 5:15-6:30 p.m. (Free admission)
- Open Community Classes: Join us to experience SWAMP DANCE FEST! for yourself with lessons from Mohamed DaCosta (West African) on Saturdays, July 11, 18, and 25 from 12:30-1:45 p.m. and with Charles Chestnut of Chestnut Performance Training Workshop (CPT) on Saturday, July 25 from 11-12:30 p.m. in G-6 Studio of the Nadine McGuire Theatre and Dance Pavilion. (Free admission)
- SWAMP DANCE FEST! Culminating Performances: Culminating performances feature world premieres by this year’s visiting artists in G-6 Studio of the Nadine McGuire Theatre and Dance Pavilion July 30-August 2. Performance times are Thursday, July 30-Saturday, August 1 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, August 2 at 2 p.m. (Tickets required)
Tickets to the culminating performances are $17 for the general public, and are $13 for students, UF faculty/staff and senior citizens. Group rates are available for parties of eight or more. Tickets are available through the University Box Officelocated at Gate 1 of the Stephen C. O'Connell Center, by calling352-392-1653 or at ticketmaster.com. The University Box Office is open Tuesdays through Fridays 12-5:30 p.m. Tickets can also be purchased at the Constans Theatre Box Office starting 45 minutes prior to the performance.
The Nadine McGuire Theatre and Dance Pavilion is located at 687 McCarty Drive, Gainesville, FL 32611. Parking is available across the street from the UF Bookstore & Welcome Center on the University of Florida located on Museum Road.
SWAMP DANCE FEST! 2015 is made possible through the generous support of the UF Office of the Provost Creative B, the UF Office of the Vice President of Research and the UF College of the Arts. Learn more at arts.ufl.edu/swampdancefest and by using #SwampDanceFest.
About the School of Theatre + Dance
The School of Theatre + Dance is one of the University of Florida College of the Arts’ institutionally-accredited schools. Undergraduate students can pursue a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in acting, dance, musical theatre, theatre production—including costume design, lighting design and scenic design—or a Bachelor of Arts degree in dance studies or general theatre. Minors are also offered in dance and theatre as well as certificates in arts in medicine and dance in healthcare. Student organizations, showcase programs and other intensives provide students with invaluable professional experiences. UF is home to three School of Theatre + Dance performance venues, including the Constans Theatre, Black Box Theatre and G-6 Studio. To learn more about the School of Theatre + Dance, including upcoming performance dates and ticket information, visit www.arts.ufl.edu/theatreanddance.
About the College of the Arts
The College of the Arts is one of the 16 colleges and more than 150 research centers and institutes at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida. The College of the Arts offers baccalaureate, master’s and Ph.D. degree programs in its three institutionally-accredited schools — the School of Art + Art History, School of Music and School of Theatre + Dance. The college is home to the Center for Arts in Medicine, Center for Arts and Public Policy, Center for World Arts, Digital Worlds Institute, University Galleries and the New World School of the Arts in Miami. More than 100 faculty members and approximately than 1,200 students work together daily to engage, inspire and create. The college hosts more than 300 performances, exhibitions and events each year. Faculty and students also exhibit and perform at other local, national and international venues. To learn more, visit www.arts.ufl.edu.
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