Springfield Dance Alliance, a non-profit collective of movement artists in the Springfield area, presents "Bloom," its third annual spring dance concert featuring a wide variety of professional artists and dance styles. "Bloom" will include live music and choreography by Missouri State University faculty, Phenomenon Dance Company, and many independent Alliance choreographers from the Springfield area. Springfield Dance Alliance concerts offer something for everyone: from aerial feats to powerful modern dance selections, from expressive contemporary dance to upbeat rhythm tap; and even some bellydance. "Bloom" will be performed Saturday April 18 at 7:30pm and Sunday the 19th at 2:00pm in Craig Hall Coger Theatre. Tickets are $12 adults, $10 students and seniors; children under 5 admitted free. Tickets are available online at www.springfielddancealliance.com/bloom, or can be purchased at the door. For more information call (417) 413-4568 or email info@springfielddancealliance.com.
Kerry Allan is president, co-founder and director of Springfield Dance Alliance, in addition to being on the faculty of Drury University and Springfield Ballet. She says SDA was "started to give performance opportunities to trained adult dancers, a lot of whom have graduated with degrees in dance and are around the Springfield area and were just looking for a lot more performance and choreographic opportunities."
For this concert the ensemble will have some live music, says Kerry. "We have an original composition this time around for one of our pieces, so we'll have a lovely string and woodwind quartet playing live."
As for the belly-dancing, Kerry says, "We always do an ensemble number (in our concerts) where everyone, or almost everyone, participates. And this time it's an improvisational, tribal style of bellydance. It's improv, and it's gender-neutral so the gentlemen can be involved as well. It's a series of movement cues that you have to pick up on--there's a leader and followers... and it changes its structure every single time we perform it. So it'll be an adventure!
"We do offer educational opportunities as well. So if you would like to start into dance or get back into dance, check out the website for upcoming workshops and classes."