Dance at Herberger College presents “New Danceworks II”

WHAT: The Herberger College Department of Dance at ASU presents “New Danceworks II,” a modern dance concert comprising two pieces. A photo/text exhibit entitled, “Nothing to Hide: Mental Illness in the Family,” sponsored by the Arizona State Chapter of the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, accompanies the concert.

Both choreographers are professionals who have returned to the classroom for masters’ degrees. Kimberly Karpanty is an assistant professor of dance at Kent State University whose work has been produced in New York City. Brad Garner danced and toured professionally with renowned jazz choreographer Danny Buraczeski.

WHEN: March 6, 7, 8, 7:30 p.m.; March 9, 2 p.m.

Special Preview! The second dress rehearsal on March 5 is open to the public. Same admission charge; show time is 4 p.m.

WHERE: Dance Theatre, PE East 132, 551 E. Orange St. on the ASU campus in Tempe.
TICKETS: $14 adults, $12 seniors, faculty and staff; $5 students.
CALL: 480-965-6447.

Two of the Valley’s brightest dance artists will have their most striking works presented in “New Danceworks II.” This modern dance concert showcases the choreographic talents of two masters of fine arts (MFA) graduate students in the Herberger College Department of Dance at ASU. This is their thesis performance.

Two pieces make up this dance concert:

• PLENTY: Surviving Fear and Depression,” in five sections, choreographed by Kimberly Karpanty and set on 14 dancers.

• Crash,” in three sections, choreographed by Brad Garner and set on 16 dancers.

Choreographed by Karpanty, the work “PLENTY: Surviving Fear and Depression” intends to heighten awareness of clinical depression and anxiety disorders. “Plenty” comments on societal stereotypes and damaging stigma and attempts to inspire new insights and behaviors in those with depressive illnesses.

“The scope of the piece includes cross-disciplinary collaboration in medical research, original music, video, poetry and text to create an artistic representation of real experiences,” Karpanty says.

Karpanty is an assistant professor of dance at Kent State University. She has an MA in Dance and Dance Education from New York University and is attending ASU this year in pursuit of her MFA in choreography and technology.

The work will be accompanied by a photo/text exhibit entitled, “Nothing to Hide: Mental Illness in the Family,” sponsored by the Arizona State Chapter of the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill.

“Crash” combines exhilarating new choreography and multimedia by Garner with a powerful new score by ASU student composer Julian Peterson.

“In the piece, Isaac Newton’s first law of motion is manifested in the daily news through a seemingly endless series of collisions – sometimes fatal, always devastating,” Garner says. “‘Crash’ is a look into the lucid state of shock following a psychological hit and run.”

Garner graduated from University of Minnesota in 1997 with a BFA in choreography and performance. He has produced three evenings of dance with his wife, Cynthia Gutierrez-Garner, on their shared dance company, Garner Gutierrez-Garner.

The department is nationally ranked in the top 10 by Dance Teacher Now magazine. Its graduate program is ranked 5th and its undergraduate program is ranked 9th. The ARCO Performance Arts College Guide calls the department one of the “most highly recommended programs” in the country.

Media Contact:
Megan Krause
480-965-8795
megan.krause@asu.edu