Faculty dancers ‘increase rigor and prestige’ of program

The Cal State Long Beach dance department faculty hopes to prove that dance is a lively art when it presents “HyperDrive” on April 23 in the Carpenter Performing Arts Center.

This spring, the CSULB dance department, which is ranked by Dance Magazine among the top 10 dance programs in the nation, focused on a performance that celebrates modern, ballet and jazz dance. Faculty members and guest artists choreographed all of the ensemble in the upcoming performance.

“And That We Call Being,” a choreographed work by Cyrus Parker-Jeannette, the dance department chair, is set to premiere at the performance. She said she was inspired by Walt Whitman’s poem, “Songs of Myself,” to choreograph a dance celebrating the individual. It will be accompanied by music by contemporary jazz artist and composer Fred Hersch.

“Even if I’m really pleased with my piece, when the curtains are about to go up I begin to tremble,” Parker-Jeannette said.

But the initial nervousness does not hinder her artistic interpretation of the poetry set to jazz music, she said.

“For me, it was finding the interpretation of the poetry and trying to convey that in movement and gesture without being too literal,” Parker-Jeannette said.

Her passion and love for dance began at a very early stage in her life.

“Whenever music came on I just had to dance,” Parker-Jeannette said.

Parker-Jeanette’s father’s religious beliefs hindered her from taking dance classes when she was child, but she said she believes that made her want it more. Parker-Jeannette’s dance beginnings contrast with that of colleague Andrew Vaca, assistant professor in the department and well-known entertainment and concert dance choreographer.

“I started dancing in college by taking a beginning jazz class, and I did cheerleading in high school,” Vaca said.

Vaca said he believes he knew he’d end up teaching dance because of his family’s involvement in the education field.

Although from a different background, Parker-Jeanette also strives to help the students.

“Teaching and mentoring these young artists is essential to my existence,” Parker-Jeannette said.

Even while handling the administrative side, Parker-Jeannette maintains her connectivity and passion for the craft.

For fellow colleague Lorin Johnson, an associate professor of ballet, connectivity to the craft almost waned at an early age.

At the age of 18, Johnson started dancing for the American Ballet Theatre but left the company when he was 27 after feeling “burnt out,” Johnson said. His work for the performance “Current” was inspired by the Christian prayer “Kyrie” in Mozart’s “Mass in C-Minor.”

“I’m 40 years old so I’m in this kind of mid-life [stage] where I inquire about the idea of the fleetingness of life,” Johnson said. “The title ‘Current’ comes from the idea of being carried through a life’s journey, being carried along in [the] rushing current.”

Johnson will also perform in “Just a Rose Will Do,” a premiering work by Susan McLain, a professor and former principal in the Martha Graham Dance Company.

McLain’s work is visually enchanting with a vibrant palette of red present throughout.

“I wanted to do a piece about love and loss [along with] the power of women,” McLain said. “I made the identity of woman to be synonymous with a rose and the dance has several sections that focus on the role of the rose in our lives.”

McLain has been teaching at CSULB for 16 years, but she began dancing professionally when she was 18 years old for various contemporary dance companies in the U.S., according to McLain.

“I feel like I’m the most blessed person in the world to have the job that I have,” McLain said.

As an artist, McLain said she wants the audience to be “moved” by her work at the concert and her colleagues share that feeling.

Vaca’s work for the performance “Gimme Lip” was choreographed in 2003 with the mentality of “moving” the viewer to simply think, Vaca said. His work, a lip-synching cabaret, is set to music ranging from the 60s to today.

“When I started working on the dance, I really wanted to make a piece that made the audience question some of their beliefs about gender and sexual politics,” Vaca said.

Lecturer Sophie Monat will also have her work “Six Sonatas” performed at the concert. The audience is guaranteed “hyper” dance performances enamored in variety, according to Monat.

“Going to see a dance concert is like opening a coloring book [where] you’re going to see outlines, but you bring the colors yourself [so] that you can color it in however you want to,” Vaca said.

Jeanette-Parker said she believes that as the program continues, students will take greater risks in their craft. She said she hopes more scholarship money for students in the arts will be available in the future as well.

“We’re trying to increase the rigor and prestige of our graduate program,” Parker-Jeannette said.

“HyperDrive” opens at 8 p.m. Thursday and shows again Friday at the same time. Tickets are $25 for the general public; $20 for students, seniors and CSULB faculty and staff; and $18 for groups of 12 or more.

For more information about tickets, contact the arts ticket office at (562) 985-7000 and for more information about the dance department, visit www.csulb.edu/dance.