Annual CWU Orchesis Dance Performance Scheduled

March 4, 2005

Contact: Therese Young (509-963-1937/fax 509-963-1848/e-mail: youngth@cwu.edu)

ELLENSBURG, Wash. - Central Washington University's Orchesis Dance Company will present its 38th spring concert March 10-12 in McConnell Auditorium. Therese Young, CWU dance program coordinator, will direct the performance by the 23 member company, 14 of whom are dance minors at CWU.

"The pieces in the show are primarily modern and jazz," Young says. "There are some very interesting and varied styles of jazz this year, from modern jazz to lyrical to abstract jazz." In addition, several ballet works will be featured including a contemporary Balanchine style piece, created by Amy Willisford Thompson from the Ellensburg Dance Centre, and a traditional classic ballet piece choreographed by Young.

Guest performers will include three CWU exchange students from Japan, Koichiro Hattori, Mitsurori Yanagihara and Arisa Yamamoto, who will perform a piece that is a combination of three different kinds of street dance, according to Young.

The performances will be held at McConnell Auditorium Thursday at 7 p.m. and Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., with doors opening half an hour before each performance. General admission tickets are $8; CWU student tickets are $5. Tickets will also be sold at the door.

The Orchesis spring concert is co produced by the CWU health, human performance and recreation and theatre arts departments.

For more information, or for persons of disability to arrange for accommodations, call (509) 963-1937, or (for the hearing impaired) TDD (509) 963 2143. This is the first year Orchesis participation has been determined on an audition basis, Young notes.

"Requiring a certain level of skill achievement to be part of the company has allowed the choreographers greater freedom to pursue more technically difficult movements," she adds. "It also allows the choreographer more opportunity to express their ideas. The dancers and choreographers are both more challenged."