The Chapman University Dance Touring Ensemble, directed by assistant professor of dance Alicia Okouchi-Guy, consists of an elite group of 14 dance majors who rehearsed throughout the fall semester for an interterm tour of numerous high schools in Southern California as well as throughout the San Francisco and San Jose area and Las Vegas. \u00a0This year\u2019s tour ensemble presented an exciting, informative showcase highlighting a variety of genres of dance. This unique performance entertained, but also educated prospective students about the multiple possibilities a degree in dance can offer.\u00a0 The dance ensemble performed original works created by some of Los Angeles\u2019 top industry choreographers. Many young dancers are unaware of the variety of opportunities a professional career in dance has to offer. \u00a0The tour ensemble worked to inspire young students to find confidence in selecting dance as their major in higher education.<\/p>\n
Liz Maxwell, assistant professor of dance, organized a community outreach program during the interterm session highlighting the experiences of select Chapman dancers in learning the repertory of Merce Cunningham.\u00a0 \u201cChapman Dance Ensemble: Cunningham\u201d embarked on a series of performances targeted at high school performing arts programs in the Los Angeles and Orange County areas. The lecture-demonstration presented excerpts of Cunningham\u2019s work as a MinEvent<\/em>, a unique, uninterrupted sequence of excerpts of his work including repertory representing 70 years of dance making. This MinEvent<\/em> was an abbreviated version of the original 30-minute sequence staged by Daniel Squire which was performed in Chapman\u2019s Fall Dance Concert.\u00a0 The dancers demonstrated and discussed the process of learning the choreography and adapting to some of its unique qualities, in order to enlighten new audiences as to the importance of Cunningham\u2019s groundbreaking work and allow the Chapman performers to share the ups and downs of the yearlong process they spent learning about his work.<\/p>\n Chapman\u2019s University Singers, under the baton of Dr. Stephen Coker, director of choral activities, toured the Pacific Northwest in January, wending their way from Washington state down through Oregon and back into Northern California.\u00a0 During their 12-day tour, the University Singers made 20 separate singing “appearances”, including community concerts, high school workshops, and several worship services. These engagements involved audiences from 14 high schools from the Pacific Northwest and Bay Area.\u00a0 The Conservatory of Music and the Office of Alumni Relations also co-hosted a reception for Chapman alumni and prospective students following the choir\u2019s stunning concert performance in Lake Oswego, Oregon.\u00a0 The acclaimed 34-voice mixed chamber choir performed a beautiful program ranging from Mendelssohn, Byrd and Rossini to contemporary pieces by George Shearing, Conrad Susa and Andrzej\u00a0Koszewski.\u00a0 Back home at Chapman, the University Singers will offer a Post-Tour Concert featuring the same program on Friday, Feb. 3, at 7:30 p.m. in Memorial Hall.\u00a0 Tickets are $20 general admission, $15 seniors and non-Chapman students.\u00a0 For tickets, call 714-997-6812 (or purchase at the door).<\/p>\n On the heels of Chapman University Singers\u2019 tour, the Chapman Chamber Orchestra, led by Daniel Alfred Wachs, director of instrumental studies, and the Chapman Percussion Ensemble, under the direction of Nicholas Terry, headed to Las Vegas, joined by Robert Becker, director of string studies; Paul Sherman, conductor of the University Wind Symphony; and Teren Shaffer, adjunct professor of conducting and Chapman alum (\u201908). \u00a0The Alumni Relations Office, The Conservatory of Music and Office of Admissions co-hosted a reception for Chapman alumni and prospective students following a capstone performance at the Las Vegas Academy for the Performing and Visual Arts.\u00a0 \u201cWe were delighted to return to Las Vegas. Over the past few years, we have built relationships with the region\u2019s finest music programs, of which there are many. On this tour, in addition to performing, we held clinics and master classes,\u201d says Professor Wachs.\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s hope that what happens in Vegas doesn\u2019t stay in Vegas!\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Chapman University Dance Touring Ensemble, directed by assistant professor of dance Alicia Okouchi-Guy, consists of an elite group of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":35,"featured_media":79,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"custom_author_name":"","chapman_pin_hero_slider":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[49,76,52,9,37,77,78],"class_list":["post-76","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-copa-news","tag-chapman-chamber-orchestra","tag-chapman-percussion-ensemble","tag-chapman-university-singers","tag-conservatory-of-music","tag-dance-concert","tag-dance-touring-ensemble","tag-daniel-alfred-wachs"],"yoast_head":"\n