Grand Valley State University is set to host their Fall Dance Concert in the Louis Armstrong theatre at the Haas Center for Performing Arts, courtesy of GVSU’s Dance Company. 

The event is free and open to the public, and performances will be held on Dec. 4 at 7 p.m. and Dec. 5 at 2 p.m.

GVSU’s Dance Company offers an opportunity for students to build their skill sets, as well as their network for their future careers while learning and working with a variety of different artists and performers.

This year, the performances will feature material from their rehearsals that began in Aug. 2021 and include work from a number of guest artists and GVSU faculty. 

GV Dance curriculum coordinator and associate professor of dance, Carrie Brueck Morris, helped choreograph the concert, and she is excited to see something that will feature such a wide range of styles and talent. 

“Two guest artists, Marlayna Locklear and Wallie Wolfgruber, came in earlier in the semester,” Morris said. “Each did a week of intensive rehearsals with the dancers to create their pieces, and then we’ve been continuing to rehearse them since that time. You’ll also see the work of Hannah Seidel, Deavondre Jones, Rachel Miller, Alissa Tollefson, Leah Fiore and myself.”

Morris said that the event purposefully has no theme, as the GVSU Dance Company wanted to give its choreographers full artistic freedom to pursue their own ideas. 

“There will be eight dances performed, with genres ranging from modern to contemporary and ballet to hip hop,” Morris said. “All of these dances have taken many hours of rehearsal to create and perfect, and it’s the performance of them that really completes the process for us. These dances aren’t done until the performers bring them to life for an audience.”

As with all of the live performances being held at GVSU this year, the Dance Concert is another step back towards normalcy, and a return to performing for the Laker community. 

This concert will mark the company’s first performance inside Louis Armstrong Theatre in two years. 

Morris said she is especially excited for this aspect of the concert, as she believes it will motivate the performers to be at their absolute best. 

“This is our first main stage performance since the pandemic began, and it’s thrilling to be back in the theatre again,” Morris said. “We’ve been creative with how we’ve held performances over this time period, but we’ve also greatly missed being on a stage. It’s been a long haul for us – this will be our first time back in the Louis Armstrong Theatre in two years, and therefore, for many of our students, their first time ever performing in that space.”

Those who wish to attend the concert do not need to RSVP. COVID-19 protocols will be in place for the event.