As the lights dim in the Stevie Eller Dance Theatre this weekend and the first notes echo through the space, the audience at the University of Arizona is invited to experience Dance Springs Eternal, the annual School of Dance concert that transcends movement while telling stories of resilience, community and creative growth.
For graduating senior Madison Reznicki, the performance is not just a culmination of the semester but the finale of her collegiate dance journey. Reznicki will take the stage in “Sound FX,” a whimsical, inventive piece choreographed by longtime UA faculty member Sam Watson.
“The piece is really cool,” Reznicki said. “It’s a mixture of different sound effects. We have a rollercoaster section, a water section. It’s about translating sound into physical movement.”
She emphasized how special it is to dance alongside her senior cohort, a group she’s grown with since freshman year.
“It’s our last time performing together, and it’s been such a fun process. Sam gave us room to explore and create,” she said. “We improvised to sound effects and built choreography from there.”
“Dance Springs Eternal” is the school’s main stage concert performed every spring, said Director Duane Cyrus.
Among the most anticipated pieces is Martha Graham’s “Chronicle.” The two sections – “Steps in the Street” and “Prelude to Action” – have been reimagined for the UA stage under the guidance of Masha Maddux, a former principal dancer with the Martha Graham Dance Company.
“What makes it special is one, we have this legacy work, an amazing work by Martha Graham that was choreographed in 1936 and yet the focus of the work is relevant today,” he said.
“It’s a very powerful piece,” said Madison Kotch, a third-year student featured in the piece. “It was created as a political statement after Martha Graham declined an invitation to perform at the Olympics hosted by Nazi Germany. It’s really a call to action, and I think it’s incredibly relevant today.”
Kotch described the rigorous preparation process that began in January, including a two-week intensive and weekend rehearsals that often stretched six hours. “Even though it was a long process, it was uplifting. Masha brought this incredible balance of encouragement and constructive feedback.”
For junior Sasha Schick, who performs in three separate works including “Chronicle,” the variety of pieces is what makes Dance Springs Eternal stand out.
“It’s such a great representation of how diverse our training is,” she said. “Every piece is completely different. We’re telling stories through movement, and the audience gets to experience a whole spectrum of emotions.”
Schick said “Chronicle” was particularly impactful to learn due to its historical and emotional weight.
“We have a section called ‘Breadline’ that symbolizes grief and devastation,” she siad. “A lot of the movement is deeply tied to war imagery. It’s one of the first pieces of modern dance with a political message, which makes performing it today feel so significant.”
The School of Dance is bringing back its popular “Dance Spring Eternal’ showcase. Last year, the dancers performed Annabelle Lopez-Ochoa’s “Sombrerísimo.”
Behind the scenes, Cyrus plays a key curatorial role in the showcase.
“I begin discussion with guest choreographers as well as the faculty who set works a year to a year and a half in advance,” he said. “My role is to curate what’s going to be in the program and to find the resources. … I’m kind of like the person that helps envision it and bring the resources together to make it happen.”
“An art form that speaks to everyone in one way or another,” he said. “You don’t have to have specialized training to be visually moved or emotionally impacted by an art that speaks beyond words.”
Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday, April 10–11; 1:30 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 12; 1:30 p.m. Sunday, April 13; 7:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday, April 17–18; 1:30 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 19; and 1:30 p.m. Sunday, April 20, at the Stevie Eller Dance Theatre, 1737 E. University Blvd., on the University of Arizona campus. Tickets are $38 for adults, $33 for seniors, military members and UA employees, and $15 for students. Tickets are available at tickets.arizona.edu.
Arizona Sonoran News is a news service of the University of Arizona School of Journalism
