More than 20 dancers, seven choreographers and nine dances were part of the Hunter Dance Company’s spring concert, held on May 4 at the Kaye Playhouse.
As the lights went down and the audience sat in silence, a yellow spotlight reflected on the red curtain and Carol Walker, the chair of the dance department, appeared onstage.
“What you will see tonight is true passion, artistry and honesty,” said Walker.
The Hunter Dance Company Concert is the result of the hard work of dancers and professors during the spring 2019 semester. The event was open to the public and because of the multicultural background of the dancers, the auditorium was filled with people speaking different languages who came together under the rhythm of the music.
The Hunter dance department offers undergraduate programs, an accelerated five-year BA/MA in dance education and a master’s degree offered by the Arnhold Graduate Dance Education program. Undergraduate dancers who qualify can perform in a Hunter Dance Company concert or showcase at the Kaye Playhouse or the the Peggy Theater, performing works of renown choreographers.
Women performed most of the dance pieces. Only three pieces included men. Latin beats, hip-hop, classical and instrumental music were the main genres of the night. The concert featured choreography by seven BA students: Manuela Agudelo, Valentina Baché Rodríguez, Vienna I.R.C, Elena Loyacono Bustos, Helen Menashe Betesh, Chelsea Polanco and SarahIsoke Days. Kathryn McKenzie, a graduate from the dance department who is currently working as an office assistant for the department, was seated outside of the theater selling Hunter T-shirts.
“The students in the choreography classes in the department work all semester making these pieces,” said McKenzie. She also reiterated the importance of events of this kind of school “They are important for the students because it’s a platform to show your work to the general public in the middle of New York City.”
