University of South Carolina Dance Company revives famous work

As part of its Columbia Festival of the Arts performance, the University of South Carolina Dance Company will reprise three works, including a specially licensed performance of one of Martha Graham's most famous works, "Sketches of Chronicle," Saturday, April 28, at 7:30 p.m. at the Koger Center for the Arts.

Tickets to the performance, which also will include "Serenade" by George Balanchine and "Glennies" by Alan Hineline, are $14 for the public, $12 for faculty and staff and military and $10 for students. Tickets can be purchased by calling the Koger box office at 803-251-2222.

The university's dance company is the world's only company, outside of the Martha Graham Dance Company, licensed to perform "Sketches of Chronicle" in its entirety. Miriam Barbosa, assistant dance professor at the university and a former dancer with the Graham company, will perform the original solos. Barbosa will dance the solos as part of the agreement to allow the university's dance company to perform this work. Along with Shatzer, the cast includes Carolyn Bolton, Susan Dabney, Amanda Harring, Hayley Hayes, Kristin Hill, Lauren Lanford, Erin Levenson, English Nye, Omoniyi Osoba, Jessica Peters, Jessica Stroupe and Danielle Wilson.

"Sketches from Chronicle" is a ballet that "evokes war's images through artistry and imagination, all the while suggesting hope for the future," Barbosa said.

SCETV is producing a documentary, on the university's performance, which is expected to air later this year and will document the ballet, rehearsals, interviews with the dancers and historic footage of Martha Graham's South Carolina experiences.

The program will also feature "Serenade," staged by Carolina dance professor Stacey Calvert, and "Glennies," choreographed and staged by guest artist Alan Hineline. "Serenade," set to Tchaikovsky's "Serenade for Strings" is Balanchine's first ballet created in America and one of the most frequently performed ballets of the 20th century. All the elements of the ballet reflect the actual rehearsals that took place in 1934. "It is one of Balanchine's iconic ballets," Calvert said. "It is romantic and spiritual. The music is unbelievable."

"Glennies," inspired by deaf composer Evelyn Glennie, is "a high-energy contemporary ballet. ... It is fun and vibrant. It's cute and lighthearted; it's ballet for ballet's sake," said Susan Anderson, the university's artistic director for dance.