Barnard Project dancers dazzle in coda performance

An exciting presentation of experimental, fresh choreography will be on display this weekend during The Barnard Project. A collaboration between new age choreographers and Barnard/Columbia dancers, the show will premiere at Dance Theater Workshop in Chelsea.

Dance Theater Workshop was founded in 1965 to give developing modern choreographers a place to display their work. This week’s show promises a set of distinct performances. Mishi Castroverde, CC ’10, is in a piece by international choreographer Susan Rethorst and said of the choreography, “There are parts that will make you laugh and parts that will make you sad.”

There are four pieces in the show, including one that incorporates props and another that pokes fun at weddings. Marie Janicek, BC ’12, said of one piece entitled Bismillah, “Nora’s piece is really intense, there’s no other word for it.” Nora Chipaumire is a self-exiled artist from Mutare, Zimbabwe and a former member of Urban Bush Women, a dance company dedicated to telling the stories of disenfranchised people through dance.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, choreographer Nicholas Leichter’s piece will feature elements of hip-hop and pop music as well as cocktail dresses. The piece is meant to satirize not only a wedding party but also the commercial dance style from which it takes much of its influence.

Choreographers held separate, selective auditions for each piece at the beginning of the semester. Once chosen, the dancers started rehearsing for about six hours a week. The project is particularly unique because rehearsals took place at Barnard studios but the performance is off-campus.

The dancers say they love the opportunity to dance somewhere other than Miller Theater because it feels more like a professional company. Yet while the stage is huge, the theater is still intimate.

“I like working with Nick [Leichter] because his teaching style is fast paced and it has helped me get faster at assimilating choreography, and the piece is just fun and exciting because of it,” said Sam Ashworth, GS ’09, a participating dancer.

The dancers like that the choreographers are laid back and fun to work with while still maintaining a professional atmosphere. According to many of the dancers, the best part of the Barnard Project at DTW is being able to work with established professional choreographers.

The Barnard Project is comprised of a cast of Barnard and Columbia students who hope the show will be a thought-provoking experience. If students are looking for an eclectic burst of NYC dance culture, the show might just be worth the trip.