Campus News

The Hylton Center Announces Engagement Activities with Acclaimed Dance Company PHILADANCO!

Zoe Harr — Wed, 28 Feb 2024 19:28:42 +0000

The Hylton Center Announces Engagement Activities with Acclaimed Dance Company PHILADANCO! Zoe Harr Wed, 02/28/2024 - 14:28

PHILADANCO! dancer

The Philadelphia Dance Company, better known as PHILADANCO!, is widely recognized for its artistic integrity, superbly trained dancers, and electrifying performances. On March 15, PHILADANCO! will perform a dynamic program at the Hylton Center and, as a Hylton Center Artist-in-Residence.

Formed in 1970 by Joan Myers Brown, a barrier-breaking African American ballet dancer, PHILADANCO! launched to provide artistic opportunities for Black dancers who were denied membership in local dance schools. In the company’s Hylton Center debut, PHILADANCO!’s “impressively skilled dancers” (New York Times) will present Francisco Gella’s Seasons, set to Max Richter’s reimagining of Vivaldi’s "The Four Seasons;" Ephrat Asherie’s out-side-in, an exuberant, theatrical version of breaking and house dancing; Ray Mercer’s This Place, a festive and technically challenging work set to Bongi Duma’s music; and Anthony Burrell’s Conglomerate, which he calls “a rich history of Black Dance in Philadelphia.”

PHILADANCO!’s Artistic Director, Kim Y. Bears-Bailey, expands upon the company’s excitement to be a 2023–24 Artist-in-Residence. She notes, “PHILADANCO! is thrilled to have an opportunity to connect with the Hylton and George Mason University communities of all ages through the Art of Dance & Conversations. These interactions will have a long-lasting effect on all. PHILADANCO!’s performance will indeed be an exciting culmination of this amazing interactive week."

“PHILADANCO! is a legendary dance company with a strong and longstanding commitment to education. We are looking forward to the company sharing their expertise and artistic vision with our community members.”
-Hylton Center Education Coordinator, Marit Majeske

As an Artist-in-Residence, the artists will work with the community through classes and workshops surrounding their Hylton Center performance, which includes the following engagement highlights:

Lifelong Learning Institute of Manassas (LLI) Lecture Demonstration

Company members will lead a class about the history of the company, along with a discussion of the repertoire that will be part of their Hylton Presents performance on March 15. This class will also include gentle movement for those who wish to participate.

Masterclass with George Mason University School of Dance

Dance majors from Mason School of Dance will participate in masterclasses with members of the company.

Visit to Hunters Woods Elementary School

First grade students from Hunters Woods Elementary School in Reston will participate in an interactive movement session and watch a short demonstration from members of the company. Students will also have the opportunity to ask questions from the artists.

Colgan High School Dance Masterclass

Dance students from Colgan High School’s Center for Fine and Performing Arts program will participate in a masterclass with members of the company.

Masterclass at the Dance Institute of Washington

The Hylton Center and Dance Institute of Washington (DIW) will collaborate to offer a masterclass with members of the company for Intermediate to Advanced D.C. dancers as part of DIW's Community on 14th programming—an initiative that provides networking and training opportunities through dance classes, seminars, workshops, talkbacks, and discussions that facilitates creative careers in dance and the arts for D.C. talent.

Conversation with the Northern Virginia Black Chamber of Commerce

PHILADANCO! founder and Artistic Advisor Joan Myers Brown will participate in a moderated conversation with members of the Northern Virginia Black Chamber of Commerce.

Get your tickets today for PHILADANCO!’s electrifying Hylton Center performance on March 15, plus enjoy watching their talented group of dancers below:

A pre-performance discussion with PHILADANCO! Artistic Director Kim Y. Bears-Bailey and Rehearsal Director Tracy Vogt, moderated by Mason School of Dance Professor Lawrence M. Jackson, will take place one hour prior to the performance.

Learn more about the Hylton Center's Artist-in Residence program and how these residencies create spaces for transformational experiences to happen.

In This Story

Marit Majeske

Buy Tickets

Learn More About Artist-in-Residence Program

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Campus News

Mason Artist-in-Residence A.I.M by Kyle Abraham Leads Events Across Campus and Community

Zoe Harr — Mon, 08 Jan 2024 20:40:32 +0000

Mason Artist-in-Residence A.I.M by Kyle Abraham Leads Events Across Campus and Community Zoe Harr Mon, 01/08/2024 - 15:40

A.I.M by Kyle Abraham performs at the Center on February 17. (Photo credit: Steven Pisano; Dancer: Donovan Reed).

On February 17, A.I.M by Kyle Abraham presents works by acclaimed choreographers, as well as its artistic director and MacArthur Genius Award-winning choreographer Kyle Abraham, in an evening of visionary works using various dance and music styles that uncover the relationships between identity, history, and geography.

In a 2023 New York Times article, the company’s goals are emphasized, stating, “Kyle Abraham has a mission—and it’s bigger than himself. He likes to spread the love with his company, A.I.M., and, in doing so, broaden the viewer’s experience of what a dance concert by a choreographer-led company can be."

This Black-led contemporary dance company aims to create a body of dance-based work that is galvanized by Black culture and history while promoting the power of dance and diverse perspectives.

“As an artist born in the late 1970s, I’ve experienced a change in society that brings me hope. My choreography is a reflection of that hope, but also lives in the reality of my experiences and the cultural work that still needs to be done,” says Kyle Abraham, artistic director.

Want to learn more about A.I.M by Kyle Abraham’s mission and core values? Read more on the company’s official website.

As a Mason Artist-in-Residence, A.I.M by Kyle Abraham company members will also work with the community through classes and workshops surrounding the performance, which are detailed below.

In a classroom visit to Mason School of Dance’s “Senior Synthesis” course taught by instructor Susan Shields, senior dance students will be joined by A.I.M company members and discuss career opportunities, professional development, and advice, through the lens of A.I.M company members lived experiences.
The company will engage with the students of Mason’s African and African American Studies (AAAS) program.
City of Fairfax Theatre Company members and A.I.M artists collaborate in a workshop titled “Unifying Uniqueness.” Part conversation and part movement workshop, “Unifying Uniqueness” investigates the ideologies surrounding uniqueness and likenesses in each participant. Led by A.I.M company members, students of all levels will learn phrases of material from A.I.M repertory; engage in a dialogue centered around early memories; and integrate movement with ideas of perception, family, and freedom.
A.I.M. company members will lead an A.I.M Movement Workshop with local high school students at Fairfax Academy and Colgan High School, as well as Mason School of Dance students and Washington, D.C.’s Dance Place adult students of both intermediate and advanced skill level.

In addition to these special residency events, a pre-performance discussion with A.I.M by Kyle Abraham Rehearsal Director Jessica Tong will take place on Monson Grand Tier prior to the performance on February 17. The discussion will be moderated by School of Dance faculty member, Lawrence M. Jackson.

Get tickets today and experience “one of the most consistently excellent troupes working today” (New York Times), A.I.M by Kyle Abraham on February 17.

In This Story

Susan Shields

Lawrence M. Jackson

Learn About Mason's Artist in Residence Program

Black History Month at the Center for the Arts

The A.I.M by Kyle Abraham residency is part of February Black History Month events at the Center for the Arts. Read more about the offerings.

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Mason Artists-in-Residence

Artist in Residence

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Black History Month

A Contemporary Composer Fuels a New Mason Collaboration

Emily Schneider — Tue, 07 Mar 2023 19:19:10 +0000

A Contemporary Composer Fuels a New Mason Collaboration Emily Schneider Tue, 03/07/2023 - 14:19

In This Story

Lawrence M. Jackson

Dr. William Lake, Jr.

Growing up in the Black church, Assistant Professor of Music and Director of Concert Bands, Dr. William Lake, Jr., deeply understands the power of music and movement.

After hearing Come Sunday by composer Omar Thomas, Lake dreamed of bringing this work to life with movement, bringing together the George Mason University Bands and the School of Dance. Working on such a project would not only expand his students' musical vocabulary but also create an authentic and expansive cultural experience for the Mason community. Associate Professor of Dance, Lawrence M. Jackson, had similar experiences, growing up in “the southern Black church, a very charismatic church” and reflected on his own upbringing and research into African diasporic dance forms. This collaboration came to life onstage in the Center for the Arts on Mason’s Fairfax Campus on February 28.

Students from Mason's School of Dance performing with the Mason Wind Symphony to Omar Thomas's Come Sunday on February 28. Photo by Will Martinez.

As a composer, arranger, and educator, Omar Thomas works with some of the most respected names in composition and education, including multiple GRAMMY-winning composer and bandleader Maria Schneider, Ken Schaphorst, and Frank Carlberg. Born to Guyanese parents in Brooklyn, New York, Thomas pursued music diligently, completing his Master of Music at Berklee College of Music and becoming the first Black composer to ever receive the National Bandmasters Association/Revelli Award for Come Sunday. His compositions are described as “thought-provoking, multi-layered masterpiece[s],” which made embarking on a partnership around this piece even more exciting for Jackson and Lake.

“I really hold dear my experiences as a musician in the Black church (I started playing the piano for my children’s choir around age 6) to my musical upbringing. Since I know gospel and other sacred music intimately, I can infuse the music with the extra nuances that can’t be described using notation but are true to the style. This piece has been performed by many great ensembles across the country… however, there hasn’t been a performance that centers movement and these great sounds.” said Lake.

Professor Jackson’s career often includes collaborations, a hallmark of his practice at other universities before coming to Mason in the fall of 2022. While the invitation to work with Dr. Lake at the end of the fall semester was a surprise, it also felt reassuring to find this partnership so early on and to begin exploring what this experience would mean for Mason students from both the School of Dance and the Dewberry School of Music.

A student from the School of Dance smiles at the audience during the performance of "Come Sunday" by Omar Thomas, performed by the Mason Wind Symphony. Photo by Will Martinez.

Building a vocabulary for the dancers was an opportunity for Jackson’s students to explore the storied culture of the Black church's sacred space and develop an understanding of the types of movement vocabulary that would reflect the energy and history of these spaces and traditions. From watching Alvin Ailey’s Revelations and clips of a particular scene from the movie Blues Brothers, Jackson offered context to his creative process, “blending contemporary dance forms, African diasporic dance forms, and pedestrian movement that is derived from the Black church, all merged into an amalgamation of movement vocabulary uniquely designed for this work.”

“The Mason School of Dance students are excited to work with the musicians,” said Jackson. “These dancers, most of them, if not all of them, have never had the experience of working alongside a symphony or a band. I’m excited for them to experience the unique energy of the symphony and adapt in the moment.” All of the dancers performing in this piece are seniors in their final semester with the School of Dance, which made Jackson that much more eager to share this experience with them before they embark on the next stage of their careers.

The dancers are not the only ones expanding their understanding and skills with this performance. “The jazz and gospel musical vocabulary is foreign to my students,” said Dr. Lake.

“It’s inspiring to see how invested our students are in something that they realize is new and different. My hope is that through music and collaborations, my students have a gateway to appreciate cultures different than their own,” Lake adds.

Dancers from Mason's School of Dance perform Professor Lawrence M. Jackson's original choreography to Come Sunday by Omar Thomas, performed by the Mason Wind Symphony on February 28. Photo by Will Martinez.

Unlike most concerts, the Wind Symphony will be moved further upstage than normal and without the acoustic shell to allow for the choreography to be presented downstage. This has resulted in the assistance of the Center for the Arts Artistic Staff to add audio, lighting, and stage-managing support. This unique concert has been chosen as one of the Mason Arts at Home features that will be captured via six cameras in the hall and even GoPros! Dr. Lake shared, “I’m jealous of the audience, I won’t get to experience the concert from their vantage point – I’m thankful that the School of Music and the College of Visual and Performing Arts have agreed to record, edit, and professionally mix our hard work”.

The duo is optimistic that this is just the beginning of collaborations between the Mason School of Dance and the Dewberry School of Music.

You can watch an in-depth interview with Jackson and Lake on the College of Visual and Performing Arts YouTube channel, including behind-the-scenes footage of rehearsals leading up to the performance.

The Wind Symphony’s performance from February 28, 2023, including Come Sunday featuring the School of Dance, will be available to watch from March 28 through April 28, 2023 exclusively through Mason Arts at Home.

Topics

College of Visual and Performing Arts

Mason Arts

Dewberry School of Music

College of Visual and Performing Arts School of Dance

The LIVE Center Awarded $10,000 Grant from the National Endowment for the Arts

Emily Schneider — Mon, 31 Jan 2022 16:57:21 +0000

The LIVE Center Awarded $10,000 Grant from the National Endowment for the Arts Emily Schneider Mon, 01/31/2022 - 11:57

In This Story

Christopher d'Amboise

The LIVE Center (or the Center for Live Interactive Virtual Education) within George Mason University’s College of Visual and Performing Arts has been approved for a $10,000 Grants for Arts Projects award from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). This funding will support future programming from this groundbreaking center at Mason: the LIVE Center Mentoring Series.

Developed to expand the reach of the LIVE center’s groundbreaking virtual instruction technology and the connections it makes possible, the LIVE Center Mentoring Series is a new project that offers direct access to exciting classes and conversations with globally recognized artists, choreographers, and performers. Students from the College of Visual and Performing Arts at Mason will be joined by high school and university students from around the country, broadening access to exceptional training and connections in the professional dance world. This grant will fund three iterations of the LIVE Center Mentoring Series during 2022. The first class is anticipated for May 2022, and will be shared live with about 300 participants across the United States. More details about the dates and participating artists will be announced as they are finalized.

"This is a unique opportunity to connect leading artists with the next generation of performers in a supportive and meaningful way," said Christopher d’Amboise, Heritage Professor of Dance and leader of the LIVE Center.

Christopher d'Amboise teaching a class in front of the LIVE Center Window Wall, in the Fall of 2021.

In 2019, d’Amboise saw a need for video conferencing that allowed for life-sized, full body interaction. From this, the concept of the Window Wall was created: a teacher in a remote location could be projected live and life-sized onto the wall of a studio, while a live feed of the students is projected for the teacher.

This concept became the basis for the flagship initiative of the LIVE Center. By eliminating the barrier of distance, theWindow Wall expands possibilities for virtual teaching, performances, and one-of-a-kind events.

The LIVE Center Mentoring Series project is among 1,248 projects across America totaling $28,840,000 that were selected to receive this first round of fiscal year 2022 funding in the Grants for Arts Projects category.

“The National Endowment for the Arts is proud to support arts projects like this one from George Mason University’s College of Visual and Performing Arts that help support the community’s creative economy,” said NEA Acting Chair Ann Eilers. “George Mason University’s College of Visual and Performing Arts in Fairfax, VA is among the arts organizations nationwide that are using the arts as a source of strength, a path to well-being, and providing access and opportunity for people to connect and find joy through the arts.”

To stay in the know, visit the LIVE Center site.

Topics

grants

grant program

National Endowment for the Arts

Dance

dance education

virtual education

College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA)

College of Visual and Performing Arts School of Dance

Campus News

The LIVE Center

Mason honors 2020 graduates with a virtual celebration featuring Stacey Abrams

Colleen Rich — Tue, 19 May 2020 09:00:16 +0000

Mason honors 2020 graduates with a virtual celebration featuring Stacey Abrams Colleen Rich Tue, 05/19/2020 - 05:00

Stacey Abrams
Photo provided

George Mason University honored the largest and most diverse graduating class in its history with a virtual Celebration of the Class of 2020 on May 22.

The online event recognized the graduates whose final semesters were impacted by the COVID-19 crisis and was livestreamed on GMU-TV. The celebration included remarks from Mason Interim President Anne Holton, a graduating student, and a special congratulatory message from Stacey Abrams, former Georgia gubernatorial candidate, author, entrepreneur and voting rights advocate. In addition, the Green Machine performed.

As part of the event, each school or college had its own slide show, including personalized slides for graduates.

In surveys, the 2020 graduates noted a strong preference for a future ceremony at EagleBank Arena. With a traditional Spring Commencement not possible because of the pandemic, the virtual event was a way to acknowledge students’ achievements until an in-person ceremony can be safely held on campus. The virtual program will last about 20 minutes.

Holton has frequently noted how proud and impressed she has been by the resilience of the 2020 graduates, who pushed through the unexpected challenge to complete their degrees. The university shifted 5,200 courses online and extended the academic calendar so classes could be completed.

The 2020 graduating class is projected to include 9,719 degree earners and 744 certificate earners, from 83 countries and 45 states, plus the District of Columbia, Guam and foreign military installations.

A projected 50.5% of the 6,018 bachelor’s degree earners are part of minority populations—an all-time Mason high—and 32% of undergraduates say they will be a first-generation graduate in their family.

The graduating class reflects Mason’s standing as the largest producer of tech talent in the state. Thirty-five percent of the 2020 undergraduate degree earners are in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields, and 24% of the 3,528 master’s and doctorate degree earners are in STEM fields.

The top undergraduate majors are criminology, law and society; information technology; psychology; information systems and operations management; and computer science.

The top degree programs for the 3,222 master’s degree earners are curriculum and instruction, special education, data analytics engineering, education leadership, and business administration—the same five and same order as last year.

Of the 306 doctoral degrees to be awarded, the top five PhDs choices are education, psychology, economics, conflict analysis and resolution, and public policy.

The university will also award 173 law degrees.