The UF School of Theatre and Dance will host the final performances of the 2015 Swamp Dance Fest this weekend.
Directed by choreographer and UF faculty member Trent D. Williams Jr., the intensive, which began on July 6, will come to an end Sunday.
It combined a rigorous schedule of classes, rehearsals, performances and artist talks where students, faculty and guest instructors from different backgrounds collaborated on various dances that have attracted audiences from around the state.
“They’ll be dancing from a very honest and truthful place,” Williams said of the performers. “I think the audience will be captivated in a way that will allow them to relate their own personal story, personal relationships, toward the work.”
In addition to directing this year’s festival, Williams collaborated with Mohamed Dacosta, senior lecturer at the UF School of Theatre and Dance, to create a new dance that merged contemporary and West African styles respectively.
Other teaching faculty and guest artists include Iyun Ashani Harrison and Helanius J. Wilkins. Harrison, a Juilliard School graduate and the founder and artistic director of Seattle-based Ashani Dances, is known for exploring the athleticism and deep emotional articulations of the human body through dance. Helanius, whose work is known for pushing the boundaries of male identity in society, is the award-winning artistic director of Edgeworks Dance Theatre, a Washington, D.C.-based dance company.
At the height of the Black Lives Matter movement, Williams feels the performances will shine a positive light on African-American men in society by showcasing the capacity of their work and skill set.
Esrom Williams Jr., a senior dance major and student participant, said this year’s show has been the strongest summer intensive yet due to the level of diversity among students and faculty.
“All the pieces are different in their own way and I think it’s created a melting pot in and of itself,” Esrom, 23, said. “I know it’s going to create a lot of artistic questions, but more than that will be a reflection of both personal and societal questions as well.”
Esrom said there will be energy on top of energy throughout four African-American presenters, as well as abstract and literal pieces.
The closing performances will run from Thursday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and on Sunday at 2 p.m. in the G-6 Studio of the Nadine M. McGuire Theatre and Dance Pavilion.
Tickets are $17 for the general public and $13 for students, UF faculty and staff, and senior citizens.
Tickets are available through the University Box Office located at Gate 1 of the Stephen C. O’Connell Center by calling 352-392-1653 or at ticketmaster.com. Tickets can also be purchased at the Constans Theatre Box Office starting 45 minutes prior to the performance.
[A version of this story ran on page 12 on 7/30/15]
