Dancers do more than plie at Trees

The University of Pittsburgh dance ensemble will be performing its spring 2008 show,… The University of Pittsburgh dance ensemble will be performing its spring 2008 show, “Amalga-Motion,” in Trees Hall dance studio tonight, tomorrow and Saturday.

Amalga-Motion University of Pittsburgh Dance Ensemble Trees Hall Dance Studio Tonight through Saturday at 8:15 p.m. Suggested donation: $6 general public, $3 students

As the name suggests, samples of all dance styles from rumba to hip-hop to jazz will be featured in the performance. But the most significant aspect of the show won’t be what’s happening on stage – it’s what’s been going on behind the scenes for the past three months.

The eight students of Susan Gillis Kruman’s dance-production class have been working on turning Trees’ dance studio into a bona fide stage for performance, while students participating in the dance ensemble’s Tuesday night classes have been practicing routines for weeks in preparation for this weekend.

Kayleigh Cornell, a student in the dance-production class, said that she took the class not only because she likes the use of creative expression involved in the work, but also because someone doesn’t have to have experience in order to take the class.

“The goal of the class is to provide the students with a variety of dance-related experiences in the actual producing of dance concerts,” Kruman said. “The students do everything from writing press releases, performing and taking dance classes to working backstage on the actual production.”

Cornell added that each student handles a particular task, like e-mailing, budgeting, costuming or ushering, but they all help to coordinate the final event.

In the past, the dance ensemble has only held performances for two nights, but Kruman said that with larger audiences, because of the group’s growing popularity, they’ve extended performances to three nights.

Overall, 62 students are part of this spring’s formal show, with most of the routines choreographed by students themselves.

“It’s good if you want to take beginner classes here,” Cornell said, referencing the Tuesday classes open to everyone. “And a lot of people like the mix of choreographers.”

That mix this year includes guest performer Scott Lowe of Dance Alloy Theater, who auditioned several students to perform with him in his own choreographed routine. Pearlann Porter, artistic director of Pittsburgh’s hybrid artistic performance group “The Pillow Project,” also lends a hand as this year’s guest choreographer.

“I can’t overvalue the great experience the students have getting to work with a guest choreographer on new choreography,” Kruman said. “The students get to experience the creative process of a professional choreographer and then perform the work in a fully produced concert.”

“Many of the guest choreographers we’ve had in the past are now national figures in dance,” she added.

Any money made from the event goes back into the dance ensemble’s budget and helps to pay for costumes, lights and technical equipment not covered by the money the dance ensemble receives from SGB.

Performances begin at 8:15 p.m. Admission is by suggested donation, $6 for the general public, $3 for students.