Special Event
Progressions, Fundamentals of Dunham Technique
Progressions is an exposition of the fundamentals of Dunham Technique. Katherine Dunham composed the structure of "Progressions" during her time building the Performing Arts Training Center in East St. Louis, IL. Progressions highlight the energy and power of the technique.
In this project rehearsing at UMass Amherst, dancers will work with Saroya Corbett, a certified teacher in Dunham Technique and chair of History and Theory for the Institute for Dunham Technique Certification (IDTC). Dancers and drummers will also work with master percussionist James Belk, who specializes in the Dunham Technique Rhythms. Duane Lee Holland, Jr. will be the rehearsal director.
More about Saroya Corbett:
Saroya Corbett is a Mellon Postdoctoral Fellow in Africana Studies at Williams College. Her research explores Black social dance genres as a foundation to construct histories of the everyday lived experiences of Black people. Her recent dissertation specifically focuses on dance team culture in southern Louisiana and at historically Black colleges and universities.
She is a certified teacher in Dunham Technique and the chair of History and Theory for the Institute for Dunham Technique Certification (IDTC). In 2014, her chapter “Katherine Dunham’s Mark on Jazz” was published in Jazz Dance: A History of the Roots and Branches, which focuses on Katherine Dunham’s contribution to the evolution of jazz dance. Saroya has performed in several dance companies including the Katherine Dunham Museum Workshop, the Spelman College Dance Theatre, Kariamu & Company, and Flyground.
Saroya received her Ph.D. from UCLA in Cultures and Performance, her MFA degree in Dance from Temple University and her BA from Spelman College in economics. She is on the steering committee for the Coalition for Diasporan Scholars Moving (CDSM), a shadow organization supporting and providing resources to Black dance artists, scholars, and professionals navigating microaggressions and racism.
Upcoming Events
Friday March 28, 7:30, & Saturday March 29, 2:00* & 7:30, Mt Holyoke College, Studio Theater
Mount Holyoke Senior Capstone Project "Soul Ties"
The Mount Holyoke College Department of Dance presents the annual Senior Capstone Concert, “Soul Ties,” a culmination of a year-long process of research and choreographic inquiry featuring work created by members of the class of 2025 who have been deeply involved with the MHC Dance Department. The work within the concert spans a vast array of genres and research topics, and will be performed by students enrolled in the Five College Consortium. The Mount Holyoke College Department of Dance presents the annual Senior Capstone Concert, “Soul Ties,” a culmination of a year-long process of research and choreographic inquiry featuring work created by members of the class of 2025 who have been deeply involved with the MHC Dance Department. The work within the concert spans a vast array of genres and research topics, and will be performed by students enrolled in the Five College Consortium.
*Please Note: Saturday March 29 at 2:00pm is a relaxed performance with brighter house lights, softer music, additional intermissions, and additional accessibility options available. House will open at 1:15pm - audience members are invited to arrive early for a guided walkthrough of the theater space.
Thursday and Friday, April 3 and 4, 7:30pm, Hampshire College, Main Studio
Spring Dance Concert "Selcouth: The Unfamiliar, Rare, Strange and Yet Marvelous"
Featuring original works from Div I and Div II choreographers!
Suggested ticket donations $5 - $10.
Thursday-Saturday April 3-5, Hallie Flanagan Studio Theater, Smith College
Smith College Senior Dance Concert
The Smith College Department of Dance presents the 2025 Senior Dance Concert on April 3, 4, 5 at 7:30 in Hallie Flanagan Studio Theatre featuring original choreography by Evelyn Cauley, Claire Dana, Abbey Fluet, Delia Haston, Grace Su, and Taylor Zweil. The concert consists of six contemporary pieces with large casts created under the guidance of Artistic Director Rodger Blum, Professor of Dance. Tickets are $5-10.
Congratulations!
New England Regional Conference of American College Dance Association
Congratulations to Mount Holyoke College for being picked for the ACDA Nationals which will be held at George Washington University in Washington D.C. Professor Barbie Diewald's work Thousandth Orange was chosen from 3 days of performances of schools from throughout New England. Kudos also to Smith College's Dimitri Kalaitzidis who was chosen as an alternate for his work Going Here.
Announcements
Dance Magazine's 25 to Watch List
Julia Antinozzi '18
Congratulations to Julia for making Dance Magazine's "25 to Watch List." See our Five College Dance Spotlight on Julia here. From the article:
"Antinozzi graduated from Smith College in 2018 with a dance degree and an astronomy minor, and has been choreographing for her own dancers since 2022...Taken altogether, her works [The Suite and Third Variation both from 2024] illustrate a probing of her fascination with classical ballet filtered through a contemporary—and uniquely Antinozzi—lens, daring viewers to take a closer look."
Five College Dance featured in Dance Magazine
Five College Dance was featured in Dance Magazine this fall in an article by Stav Ziv. The piece includes information about the FCD program, this year's guest artist repertory project, an excerpt of Lucinda Childs's Dance, and interviews with faculty and students. Download a PDF of the article to read below.