Published: November 02, 2023

Evening of Experimental Dance To Include Creative Writing and Ars Sonora

This year’s Evening of Experimental Dance at The University of Tampa will feature exciting collaborations between creative writing, music and dance. Directed by Amanda Gabaldon, assistant professor of dance, the theme of the event is “the body as an instrument.” The performance will take place at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 10, in Sykes Plaza and is free and open to the public.

The Susan and John Sykes Ars Sonora on campus will set the stage for this year’s showcase of investigational movement.

The Susan and John Sykes Ars Sonora on campus will set the stage for this year’s showcase of investigational movement. “This impressive musical sculpture not only serves as a striking focal point, but it becomes interwoven with the dancing body throughout the evening, whether it’s exploring jazz dance icons or the steel reinforcements underneath the bells themselves,” said Gabaldon.

The program will feature original choreography by Gabaldon and dance program director Susannah LeMarquand '01, with music performed by Joshua Cessna, Ars Sonora curator. In addition, brand new works will be presented by returning Dance Professor Emerita Susan Taylor Lennon and part-time faculty member Dakota Kuharich Stevenson. The performance is rounded out with collaborative works by student writers from a creative writing course taught by Visiting Assistant Professor of English and Writing Kweku John in conjunction with a dance improvisation course taught by Gabaldon.

UT’s Ars Sonora, the first of its kind in the U.S., is a 105-foot-tall musical sculpture adorned with 63 hand-crafted bronze bells that can be played by a remote keyboard. The sculpture is next to the Sykes Chapel and Center for Faith and Values and reflects the importance of character and values, interfaith understanding and cultural literacy.