On March 26th, the School of Theatre & Dance invites you back to the Stars and Stripes Drive-in for DanceTech, an evening of dance featuring original choreography by Texas Tech dance faculty and guest artists. This year's work features a wide array of themes and design elements, including a "Prince-inspired glam rock ballet!"
Entitled "The Movement," the show represents of the social activism, upheaval, and the experiences of American society within the past year. Led by Co-Artistic Directors Mallory Prucha and Joshua Whitt, dance numbers illustrate a variety of topics and styles, including themes of immigration, the political divide in society, and humans in relation to the space around them.
Typically, dance faculty serve as artistic directors for dance productions, but Prucha and Whitt saw an opportunity to further enhance the presentation of the dance pieces through film. Head of Design/Technology, Prucha used her skills to guide the overall aesthetics of the productions for the big screen. Whitt, Production Manager for the School of Theatre and Dance, played a large role in moving the entire season to a virtual modality.
Like many artistic directors, Prucha and Whitt gave choreographers the artistic freedom to explore individual themes in their own style, aided by a longer rehearsal time: thirteen weeks compared a normal six-week timeframe. This elongated rehearsal period gave the team more time to interact with the dancers and learn from each other, helping them come together to create the final film.
The student dancers proved to be adaptive in transitioning from live to filmed performances. Many did similar work for Fall Dance Festivalin the fall of 2020, helping them to prepare for the cinematic processes of DanceTech. This rehearsal process provided another opportunity for them to familiarize themselves with film production, which comprises a substantial amount of work in the dance industry.
Prucha and Whitt noted that they could not have mounted this production without the help of students involved in the project. "Chris Ruiz was helpful with recording and getting equipment to the choreographers," says Prucha. Whitt continues, "Our stage manager, Tiffany Viasca, took on some of the production management duties allowing me to focus on artistic direction."
The team worked with freelance lighting designer and video editor Chris Wood, who advised Prucha and Whitt, providing valuable insight for showcasing dance on film. Due to the online format of the 2020-2021 season and the knowledge of technology and video production by both artistic directors, the process behind-the-scenes was streamlined with effective communication and quick decision-making.
DanceTech will be broadcast on the big screen Friday, March 26th at 8:30 p.m. at Stars & Stripes Drive-In. Tickets are $15 per car and must be purchased in advance on the School of Theatre & Dance website. Space is limited so make your reservations now!
