More than 60 students from the State University of New York at Fredonia will take to the stage this October for a dance showcase.
The Orchesis Fall Showcase will be held today and Sunday at the Alice E. Bartlett Theater in the Rockefeller Arts Center on the Fredonia campus. Performance times are Saturdays at 7:30pm and Sunday matinees at 2:00pm.
Riley Stanton, president of Orchesis E-board, said diversity is at the heart of the fall showcase.
“Our showcase this semester has a variety of styles,” Stanton said. “The 16 songs we play have a little bit of everything: tap, jazz, contemporary.”
Founded in 1967, Orchesis is a Fredonia student-run dance company that annually hosts a major concert choreographed and performed by Fredonia students. Orchesis also sponsors guest artists, workshops, master classes, and charity events throughout the school year.
“Our showcases require a lot of time, effort, and consideration from everyone involved,” Stanton said. “Our dancers rehearse weekly from the beginning of the semester until showtime. As an E-board, we begin preparing for each show months in advance. In some cases, we plan an entire semester in advance. The week before the showcase is about 12 hours of preparation.
It takes dozens of people to bring a production to the stage.
“We have over 60 people involved in our showcase, from dancers to technicians,” Stanton said. “Everyone involved is a student here at SUNY Fredonia.”
Stanton said Orchesis hopes audiences will understand that dance is for everyone.
“As a club, our main goal is to provide a safe and open space for everyone to create, dance, build community, and just have fun,” she said. “Our showcase shows just this. We are a family and we are always opening our doors to more people who share our passion.”
Tickets for the Orchesis Fall Showcase can be purchased online 24 hours a day, seven days a week at https://www.fredonia.edu/about/ticket-office. Tickets may also be purchased by phone at 716-673-3501 during the same hours Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, or in person at the campus ticket office in the Williams Center.
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