Christina Oddo

News Editor

The Department of Theatre and Dance and the Bucknell Dance Company (BDC) will host the Spring Legacy Dance Concert Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. in the Weis Center for Performing Arts.

This year’s concert will feature work by student choreographers Kelsey Fletcher ’14 and Anna Loveys ’13, as well as work by faculty and guest artists Sascha Radetsky, American Ballet Theatre soloist, and Nicole Bradley-Browning ’97.

“This year as a choreographer was way more meaningful for me, mostly because I will be graduating,” Loveys said. “This was my last chance. Ultimately this piece is about gratitude and acknowledgement. Life is all about relationships and the connections we make with others who come in and out of our lives. Bucknell has been my home for the past four years. The relationships and connections I have made here are some of the most meaningful. This piece is going to honor the friendships, relationships and connections I have made.”

“I am honored to have been chosen to choreograph for the legacy concert,” Fletcher said. “It feels wonderful to be an integral part of a remembrance of the roots of the dance department. I think it is really important to know where you came from and being a part of this concert helped me to find that both within the dance department and for my own self.”

Bradley-Browning believes it was a distinct honor to return to the University to participate in the construction of the concert and to particularly have the opportunity to work with the seniors. Bradley-Browning staged a piece that brings the seniors together, ultimately honoring their time as dancers at the University before they part ways.

“I staged a dance entitled, ‘us’ … ‘us’ offers the dancers the chance to share moments of joy, support and the bittersweet nature of endings and new beginnings,” Bradley-Browning said.

The concert will also celebrate the legacy of dance through a piece choreographed by José Límon, a pioneer of modern dance, as well as through a re-imaging of “First Blush” by Associate Professor of Dance and Co-Director of the BDC Er-dong Hu. “First Blush” was originally choreographed by Danna Frangione, the late first director of dance at the University.

“Returning to Bucknell provides me with the gift of being able to reflect upon all of the numerous opportunities for growth and development at the institution, but even more so, the faculty and staff provided for me as a student, a visiting choreographer and a visiting professor,” Bradley-Browning said. “The relationships that I had with my mentors, the late Danna Frangione, and Er-Dong Hu helped shape who I have become as an artist, educator, colleague, advocate for the arts and mentor for my very own students.”

This specific piece by Frangione and Er-Dong also incorporates contributions by Kristy Kuhn ’00, and features 20 alumni dancers, as well as costume design by Emily Riggins ’10.

“It has been a great pleasure for me to work with my students and fellow colleagues in the Theatre and Dance Department as a team to commemorate the legacy of the dance program,” Er-Dong said. “This concert brings joy and excitement by celebrating the history of dance through the blending of generations with the return of 20 alumni.”

“This show brings together the works of past and current students and faculty of Bucknell,” Loveys said. “It is the culmination of years of dance and the hard work it took to get to this level of dance that Bucknell is able to offer today.”

Former President Gary Sojka will be giving the opening address for tonight’s concert, and President John Bravman will be opening the concert tomorrow night.

“As the newest addition to dance faculty, I’m grateful to be a part of such a beautiful legacy,” Dustyn Martincich, assistant professor of theatre and dance said. “Getting to work with passionate and talented artists is such a gift. From the beautiful and collaborative spirit of the students and colleagues in the department, to the generous support from alum and the Bucknell and Lewisburg community, it really will be a weekend of celebration.”

“This experience has been extremely meaningful to me,” Loveys said. “The Weis Center is a breathtaking venue and to be able to leave my final mark on this stage with some of my best friends leaves me speechless.”

Tickets are $10 and $5 for students and can be purchased at the Campus Box Office or online.

“I think the audience can expect a great show,” Fletcher said. “The dancing is as strong as it always is, but there is a feeling of family in this show that I don’t think the audience has seen in the past.”

“The dance program at Bucknell is unlike any other that I have ever known,” Bradley-Browning said. “The opportunities afforded to the students are remarkable. The dances performed are breathtaking. The relationships established are lifelong.”