USD Theatre Closes Season with Spring Dance Showcase
This one-night-only event highlights the creative scholarship of undergraduate student choreographers, dancers, designers and technicians in 14 original pieces.
Their creative scholarship is overseen by Patricia Downey, Ph.D., professor of theatre, who serves as the director of the dance showcase as well as the primary choreographic mentor and teacher of dance technique. She has worked with Alexander Pikiben and Anna Pikiben, both visiting assistant professors of theatre, Sabrina Egeland, costume studio manager, Victor Shonk, associate professor of scenic design, Scott Mollman, production manager and professor of theatre, and other USD faculty and staff to mentor the creative scholarship of over 30 students involved in the showcase.
Allison Sahr, a sophomore nursing major, said she has enjoyed taking on a project outside of her major. “Before this class, I had never worked on the set of a play or dance showcase. It has been a major learning curve understanding all the moving pieces to getting this production ready in time,” Sahr said. “Collaborating with my dancers has been a wonderful experience, and I give the credit to my dancers as well as Dr. Downey. They have made my life easy by being flexible and receptive to questions, feedback, and more.”
The Spring Dance Showcase performs April 30 at 7:30 pm in the Wayne S. Knutson Theatre on the USD campus. Tickets – which are free for USD students with ID and benefit-eligible employees and $10 for all other attendees – can be purchased starting at 6 p.m. on the day of the performance. Tickets can also be purchased now online.
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