“To have Susan Marshall on campus is a really big deal.”
That is how Emily Rawdon ’10 described the recent visit to Colgate University by Susan Marshall & Company, a renowned dance company based in New York City.
“This is such an amazing opportunity because I’m not only able to watch the dancers perform, but also interact with them–a once in a lifetime experience,” said Rawdon, a dual theater and studio art major.
Before the company’s performance of Cloudless, Rawdon joined fellow classmates from Colgate’s dance and theater community for two master classes taught by performers from Susan Marshall & Company.
First-year Editza Velazquez ’11 walked away from the improvisational class feeling “energized and connected to the arts at Colgate in a new way.”
“This is a chance for students to stretch their artistic limits by allowing the body and mind to reach beyond traditional dance positions,” said Susan Marshall, shortly before a dress rehearsal with her cast inside Brehmer Theater.
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| Susan Marshall & Company, a renowned dance company based in New York City, performs at Colgate University. (Photo by Timothy D. Sofranko) |
Marshall, an award-winning choreographer and dancer, noted that her visit to campus was just as meaningful for her as it was for students. “It’s wonderful that the university is providing this opportunity and also powerful for me to think young people can have a connection with my dancers.”
Cloudless was created in celebration of the company’s 20th anniversary. The production is a series of 18 short pieces that transform everyday movements into powerful abstract drama.
Following the performance inside Brehmer Theater, Marshall fielded questions from the audience of about 250 students, faculty, and others from the central New York community.
“People were very moved by the quality of the performance itself. Cloudless was abstract but still accessible, emotionally powerful, and visually stunning,” said Mary Ann Calo, director of the Institute for the Creative and Performing Arts, established in 2006 to enrich artistic experiences for Colgate students and the broader community.
The Institute and Robert Dorf ’80, managing director of Susan Marshall & Company, were responsible for bringing the group to campus.
Next semester, ArtsMix will present other acclaimed artists and performers, including Calpulli Danza Mexicana on March 28 at 7:30 p.m. at the Palace Theater.