Troy University theatre and dance students will come together Feb. 25-28 for a mixed-media performance titled “Art in Motion: All the World’s a Stage.”
Art in Motion is an annual effort by TROY’s Department of Theatre and Dance that features the dance program integrating with another artform.
“We’ve done it with art installations at the International Art Center, with photography students, and this year the integration is with theatre,” said Tori Lee Averett, Chair of the Department of Theatre and Dance. “This is the 50th anniversary of theatre at TROY as we currently study it. 50 years ago, they changed the way it was offered as an academic program and how they do productions. It is ironic and tragic that we’re celebrating this in a pandemic, but we are persisting.”
Because of COVID-19 restrictions, the shows will be performed in front of limited audiences. However, the public can view a livestream of the production’s first night on TROY’s official Facebook page Thursday, Feb. 25 at 7 p.m.
“We want everyone who wants to see it to be able to experience it via the livestream,” Averett said.
The show features 11 dance pieces that are all tied thematically to a play, musical or other theatre work that has been produced at TROY since 1970.
“The link may not always be apparent to the audience each time, but it is to us,” Averett said. “The other really important thing that is very cool is that this is student-choreographed work. We’ve been using Art in Motion as an opportunity for student choreographers to be chosen and awarded the opportunity to create work that the department then fully produces as a show. What a great opportunity for our students, and they get to do integrated work.”
Averett said the merger of dance and theatre has been a joy to watch.
“We can provide this really complex opportunity for our student artists to create not only dance, but dance that has all these other touch points and collaborators,” she said. “It has been a lot of fun for us to cross over and work together to merge theatre and dance on this show.”
About 60 students are involved in the production.
“We are able to space and manage it, and the goal is to give as many students an opportunity as possible when gathering in groups is not the best thing right now,” she said. “It’s a difficult balance but we’re doing it.”
