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March 27, 2015 — The Allegheny College Dance and Movement Studies Program will present its annual spring dance concert in the college’s Montgomery Performance Space at 7 p.m. on April 9, 10 and 11. This year’s concert will be an eclectic mix of genres, including Betsy Sumerfield’s advanced ballroom students performing four short dances that progress from “Speed Dating” to “The Proposal” to “The Wedding” and ending in “Celebration.”

Sumerfield also offers a new piece based on childhood experiences of education in the era of No Child Left Behind. Four musicians join John Hyatt to perform original music live for this work, Sumerfield’s “Nen Iuvenis.”

James Reedy will present an expanded version of a solo choreographed last year for student Kassandra Krason. This year additional performers will join Krason to create more images of “Crossing.” Live music will accompany the piece this year.

Eleanor Weisman and guest artist Jay Hanes will perform a duet inspired by John Dewey’s themes of the aesthetic process. Their piece, “Compress, Impulse, Express,” includes Hanes on the cornet and the creation of visual documentation of their work during the performance.

Weisman also worked with 10 students to create the piece “Earth Potential,” which incorporates unique body sock costumes that create strange shapes on stage. “Earth Potential” presents a look at underground activity of a newly discovered protein glomalin that helps to sequester carbon in the soil.

Other dances in the concert include a solo by recent Allegheny graduate Angela Adusah and a performance by Gretchen Myers’ ballet class.

The spring concert is free and open to the public, but reservations are recommended. Call 814-332-2813 for more information or to make a reservation.