51¸£ÀûÉç Dance Program Presents the
2025 Fall Dance Concert: A Celebration of Artistry, Innovation, and Community

The 51¸£ÀûÉç Dance Program invites the community to an unforgettable evening of movement, music, and storytelling at the Fall Dance Concert, held on The Lindenwood Theater stage at the J. Scheidegger Center for the Arts. This year’s concert highlights the diversity, creativity, and exceptional talent of Lindenwood’s dancers and choreographers, featuring works that span genres from classical ballet and jazz to tap, contemporary, and traditional Chinese dance.

Returning this year is Traditional Chinese Dance, first offered at Lindenwood in 2019. In “Chinese Opera Dance” by Weiwei Fu, dancers embody the lively and playful spirit of the Huadan role in Peking Opera. Using water sleeves to express emotion, the choreography captures both youthful energy and refined elegance in a vivid display of cultural artistry.

“GRIT” by Olivia Emert opens the concert with a powerful, mysterious tone—eighteen dancers moving as one through a journey of perseverance and strength.

The concert also features student and faculty choreography that showcases a wide range of voices:

• “When we leave this room, it’s gone” by Maeli McManhen explores the fleeting nature of everyday life with quick pacing and intricate contemporary fusion movement.
• “Urban Grooves” by Tracy Dupre energizes the stage with buckets, drumsticks, and rhythmic tap percussion inspired by the pulse of the city.
• “Beethoven Bounce” by Mariko Kumanomido reimagines classical ballet through Jon Batiste’s jazz-infused reinterpretations of Beethoven’s music, blending tradition with modern flair.
• “Five senses to poppies” by Kayona Brown brings a vibrant jazz-funk aesthetic inspired by The Wiz, using bold orange and red tones to create a captivating atmosphere.
• “Mix it Up” by Amy Gammon delivers a playful medley of songs and styles, celebrating the dancers’ versatility and joy for performance.
• “flash, fade, fragment: cassette dreams” by Tricia Zweier pulses with nostalgia, weaving classic hits by Bon Jovi, Pat Benatar, and Earth, Wind & Fire into a high-energy contemporary and jazz mash-up.

This concert exemplifies the Lindenwood Dance Program’s commitment to celebrating a wide variety of genres and creative perspectives, while continuing to honor cultural and historical roots of dance forms from around the world.

Performances

• Thursday, November 20 at 7:30 p.m. - 
• Friday, November 21 at 7:30 p.m. -
• Saturday, November 22 at 7:30 p.m. - 

Don’t miss this dynamic evening of artistry, rhythm, and inspiration—a celebration of dance at its most diverse and expressive.