The University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo Performing Arts Department offers its popular end-of-semester dance concert, Great Leaps, Saturday, December 1, and a Preview Show Friday, November 30. Both performances are at 7:30 p.m. in the UH Hilo Performing Arts Center.
This year highlights an additional array of visual technology with pieces showcasing the artistry of video complementing the art of dance. Kea Kapahua performs with music from Moana, Annie Bunker and Celeste Staton co-choreograph a dance depicting Hawaiʻi Island’s living island of active lava with eruption footage from Wrenn Bunker-Koesters, and Chuck Koesters has created an original sound score.
“Shift” is a contemporary and improvisational live dance and digital video collaboration between UH Manoa dance faculty Jhalak Kara Miller and dancers from the UH Hilo Ensemble directed by UH Hilo Dance faculty Celeste Staton.
Miller is an international dance artist, choreographer, improviser, dance educator, and yoga practitioner. Through her company Jhalak Dance, her performances, films, and choreography have been presented in Asia, Europe, Australia, North America, South America, and the Pacific.
The Environmental Dance class from Hawaiʻi Community College shares its video from outdoor dance explorations under the direction of Annie Bunker.
Dori Yamada, Lawrence Mano and Sarah Dunaway will also present original works that honor relationships. Laa Pi Bell will present her Senior Project utilizing Aerial Dance apparatus.
Tickets are open seating and priced at $10 General, $7 Discount and $5 UH Hilo/HawCC students (with a valid student ID) and children up to age 17. Tickets are available by calling the UH Hilo Box Office at 932-7490 or ordering online at artscenter.uhh.hawaii.edu.