Published: May 11, 2008 10:32 pm      

SHSU students to dance at concert tonight

Several dance majors at Sam Houston State University have prepared a night of dancing that covers a wide variety of styles and emotions for an end-of-the-year project — Progressive Elements: A Senior Studio.

The free program is open to the public and is scheduled tonight from 8-9 p.m. and Tuesday from 8-9 p.m. at Academic Building III, the Dance Theater on campus.

Four seniors have worked since the beginning of the semester to plan and organize the concert as part of their senior studio.

The dance students include Marian Hart, Emily Hine, Jessica Prachyl and Jamie Zahradnik.

Hine said the group is excited to present their concert to fellow students and the community.

“As a part of our final project before graduation, we are putting on a concert that is made up of our own choreography,” she said. “This is one of the final things we do as seniors. The entire project is student-led. We created the choreography, we prepared the costumes and even the lighting.

“We have a graduate teaching student who has guided us through the process, but we have all worked really hard to put this together.”

Hine said concert will include several other dancers as well, who take journeys through different aspects of dance and life.

“There’s really a wide variety of pieces that will be performed,” she said. “We’ll have a contemporary pointe piece that explores the qualities of fire and water. Two other pieces we’re doing will explore addiction and another will look at the different ways of being broken — heartbroken, physically broken or when your spirit is broken.

“Dance styles will range from ballet to pointe to modern dance, so there’s a good variety represented. One of the pieces is a tribute to one girl’s grandmother — it explores both life and death.”

Hine said the group is hopeful that the community will attend the concert.

“Yeah, we’re really hoping for a good turnout,” she said. “We’re really excited about it.”