APSU to host ninth annual Spring Dance Concert
February 10, 2015
Clarksville, TN – The Austin Peay State University Department of Theatre and Dance and Center of Excellence for the Creative Arts’ ninth annual Spring Dance Concert is returning this month, giving students and faculty the opportunity to present their work to the Clarksville community.
The concert is scheduled for five performances: 7:30pm, Wednesday, February 18th; 7:30pm, Thursday, February 19th; 7:30pm, Friday, February 20th; 7:30pm, Saturday, February 21st; and 2:00pm, Sunday, February 22nd. All five shows will take place in the Trahern Theatre on APSU’s main campus. [Read more]
APSU hosts 8th Annual Spring Dance Concert
February 13, 2014
Clarksville, TN – Last fall, Marcus Hayes, Austin Peay State University associate professor of dance, traveled to Colombia to study that country’s folk dances. He spent a week in the South American nation, traveling to museums and dance centers, and he was struck to discover that many of the dances had their origins in Africa.
“It went even further than I thought,” he said. “Because of the colonization of South America and the introduction of slavery, West African dance is infused in Latin American dances.”
Austin Peay State University Dance Program expands Reputation
February 26, 2013
Clarksville, TN – In 2005, Austin Peay State University developed a dance minor program with one faculty member and a handful of students. Seven years later, the program has three full-time faculty members and several graduates enrolled in Master of Fine Arts programs around the country.
The name “Austin Peay” is also becoming more familiar in collegiate dance circles, with the school having choreographed pieces selected two years in a row to be performed at the American College Dance Festival gala performance.
APSU assistant professor of dance Margaret Rennerfeldt, associate professor of dance Marcus Hayes and chair of the APSU Area of Theatre and Dance Brian Vernon inside one of the APSU dance studios.
Austin Peay State University Annual Dance Concert February 27th through March 3rd
February 21, 2013
Clarksville, TN – The Austin Peay State University dance minor is only seven years old, but from February 27th through March 3rd, the program’s faculty and students plan to unveil just how far they’ve come in the last few years.
At 7:30pm throughout that week, and at 2:00pm on that Sunday, the APSU Area of Theatre and Dance will present its annual dance concert, “Out on a Limb,” in the Trahern Theater. [Read more]
Austin Peay State University Area of Dance recognized at regional dance festival
April 17, 2012
Clarksville, TN – On a recent Thursday afternoon, Margaret Rennerfeldt flipped through a small, flimsy journal to read a few notes she’d jotted down earlier this month while attending the American College Dance Festival Association’s Southeast Region conference in Albany, GA.
The Austin Peay State University assistant professor of dance had brought a work she choreographed to the event, and she wanted to remind herself of what the panel of judges had said about the dance.
APSU dance students perform assistant professor of dance Margaret Rennerfeldt’s piece “Finding Place,” which was selected for the gala performance at the ACDFA’s regional conference.
Austin Peay State University Music and Dance Faculty collaborate on Stravinsky Concert
February 7, 2012
Clarksville, TN – The Russian composer Igor Stravinsky’s extraordinary musical/theatrical/dance work “The Soldier’s Tale” premièred at the end of World War I, during a time of moral and economic turmoil. Nearly 100 years later, with the world in a similar state, two Austin Peay State University creative arts departments are resurrecting the complex work for a rare, one night only collaborative performance.
“It’s based on a Russian folk tale about a soldier on leave who unknowingly makes a deal with the devil,” Dr. Gregory Wolynec, APSU associate professor of music, said. “It’s based on the basic moral that the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.”
Acclaimed performance artist Tim Miller comes to APSU as Acuff Chair
October 26, 2011
Clarksville, TN – Several years ago, the internationally acclaimed performance artist Tim Miller began a romantic relationship with an Australian citizen. Things went well at first, but when the couple looked at settling down in America, they encountered an unexpected obstacle – immigration.
Normally that isn’t too much of a problem for binational relationships. If the couple is serious, they’ll simple marry, allowing the other partner to remain in this country legally. But Miller’s situation was different. He was gay.
“If you have an international partner, but you’re not allowed to marry, how do you deal with that,” Marcus Hayes, associate professor of theater and dance at APSU, said. [Read more]
Stellar Theater and Dance Performers to Visit APSU this Year as Acuff Chairs
August 28, 2011
Clarksville, TN – For more than 50 years, Chicago’s famed Second City Theater and School of Improvisation has produced some of the country’s most beloved comedic talents. Its alumni – consisting of luminaries like Bill Murray, John Belushi, Steve Carell and Tina Fey – have gone on to successful careers in movies and television shows such as Saturday Night Live and the Daily Show with Jon Stewart.
At 7:30pm on October 7th, the group’s touring company will visit Clarksville to perform its hilariously original works on the Austin Peay State University campus.
“They were here four years ago, and the students loved them,” Darren Michael, chair of the APSU Area of Theater and Dance, said. [Read more]
APSU Area of Dance Recognized at National Dance Festival
April 27, 2011
Clarksville, TN – For the last few weeks, whenever Austin Peay State University assistant professor of dance Marcus Hayes turns on his computer in the morning, he finds several emails waiting in his inbox with the subject line, “ACDFA.”
The acronym stands for “The American College Dance Festival Association,” and the emails are from those who attended this year’s central region competition at Wichita State University in Kansas and were mesmerized by the works the APSU Area of Dance performed.
APSU dance students Kevin Loveland and Rafael Tillery perform in a piece titled “By a Thread,” choreographed by APSU assistant professor of dance Marcus Hayes.
Acclaimed Dancer Fenley to Perform at APSU on Friday, March 25th
March 25, 2011
Clarksville, TN – Internationally acclaimed dancer and choreographer Molissa Fenley and her company will stop by Austin Peay State University’s Trahern Theater at 7:30pm, March 25th, to present an evening of dance as a part of the 25th anniversary celebration for the Center of Excellence for the Creative Arts.
The performance will feature several works choreographed by Fenley with sound scores composed by contemporary composers. [Read more]
