FIND YOUR RHYTHM: Confluence Dance Project Embraces All Dance Backgrounds In Annual Show
Pablo Center and UW-Eau Claire join forces, weave storytelling through student and faculty choreography
This spring, dancers from all backgrounds at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire will take stage at the Jamf Theatre in the Pablo Center at the Confluence (128 Graham Ave, Eau Claire).
The Confluence Dance Project will perform at 7:30pm on both May 9 and May 10, featuring student, faculty, and guest choreographers. The showcase, presented over two acts, exhibits a broad range of dance forms and highlights the adaptability of both dancers and choreographers.
The first act will showcase 10 choreographed dance pieces and a video documentary about the creation of Mei-Yu, a dance production by Stephen K. Stone, the lead choreographer and dance faculty member at UW-Eau Claire. The second act will feature nine choreographed pieces by students and faculty, incorporating the Mei-Yu film and other course materials from the UW-Eau Claire dance program.
“Choreography is like a discussion with the audience,” Stone said. “Movement (acts) as a primary component of the storytelling. The Confluence Dance Project presents a concert dance model to the community."
Students from all departments audition in early fall by presenting their choreographed pieces to the dance faculty. The chosen pieces are then rehearsed throughout the school year and performed in the spring program.
Lexi Stock, a 2024 UW-Eau Claire graduate and choreographer in this spring’s Confluence Dance Project, has been involved with the project since early 2022. In addition to dancing in her peer's pieces and curating costumes, Stock choreographed three pieces for this year's showcase. She has continued to pursue her passion for dance through relationships with on-campus opportunities in the years preceding her final showcase.
“(The Confluence Dance Project) really aligns with values of collaboration and bringing art to life in Eau Claire,” Stock said. “Whether it's other students who I'm working with to set a choreographic piece or even the community of people who come to watch the show and get to see all the hard work that we have put in over the year.”
To purchase tickets for the upcoming Confluence Dance Project performances on May 9 and May 10, visit the Pablo Center events webpage. Learn more about the UW-Eau Claire dance program and other student-led dance movements online through the department’s homepage.
