Loyola Marymount University students will perform part of the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company’s critically acclaimed “D-Man in the Waters” at 8 p.m. Nov. 16-19 at the Strub Theatre.
LMU’s public presentation of this Bill T. Jones-licensed work is made possible by a collaborative partnership between the university and the renowned New York City dance company that puts student dancers in touch with professional mentors.
Rosalynde LeBlanc Loo, an assistant professor of dance in LMU’s College of Communication and Fine Arts and former member of the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company, is restaging the dance with nine students. LeBlanc Loo first performed in “D-Man” in 1993, when the company was reeling from the loss of several dancers, including Demian “D-Man” Acquavella, to AIDS.
Since last spring, LeBlanc Loo has been teaching her students the athletic, expressive movements of the dance that touched upon themes of solidarity and strength during the AIDS epidemic.
“While ‘D-Man in the Waters’ is not about AIDS specifically, the dance absorbed the spirit of the late ’80s – a time marked by great despair and uncertainty, especially in high-risk communities. Today the dance evokes the spirit of a group of people banding together to overcome fear and adversity. ‘D-Man in the Waters’ is ultimately about love, empathy and the collective struggle for survival,” LeBlanc Loo said.
“This partnership that our Dance Program has developed with the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company holds a vast amount of potential for our students,” said Bryant Keith Alexander, dean of LMU’s College of Communication and Fine Arts. “For our first public performance in this new collaboration, we couldn’t be more thrilled to be presenting such a celebrated piece as D-Man to both LMU and greater Los Angeles community.”
For tickets, visit: http://cal.lmu.edu/event/an_evening_of_concert_dance#.WCIXPHju45Q
