Students and community members will be able to celebrate the holiday season with the American Spirit Dance Company’s performances of Home for the Holidays.
This year’s production will feature new dances and technology that have not been seen before, but the show will keep the same themes as performances from the past.
Maddie Bowes, entertainment business junior, is the assistant light board operator as well as a production assistant for this year’s show. In the past, she has performed in the show as a dancer and has also worked on the wardrobe crew.
“There have been some dances that were staples, like the soldier dances and Santa kick-line. Those are not there anymore, and they’re being replaced with all new dances,” Bowes said. “I got to watch the first half last week, and it’s completely different.”
Elizabeth Ann Meier, dance universal freshman, will perform in Home for the Holidays for the first time. Meier said she first heard about the changes to the annual show at an informational session during Stars Week.
“90 percent of what people will be seeing are new dances entirely,” Meier said. “They said they’ve been doing the same show for so long, and they wanted to give the audience something new.”
Meier will perform in the numbers Christmas the Whole Year Round and Bows. She is also a swing for A Mid-Winter’s Night Dream.
“I just want to make sure that, personally, I do the school proud, and I make the choreographers for my dances proud,” Meier said.
Maridith Grimsley, entertainment business senior, will work as the moving light board assistant and a production assistant this season.
“Every single dance is brand new, and we also have some new lights and tech equipment coming in,” Grimsley said.
The changes to this year’s production are in an effort to engage new audiences and long-time fans, Grimsley said.
“We don’t want people to feel like they’re paying to see the same show every year,” Grimsley said. “Students especially feel like they’re seeing the same thing every year, and we want them to feel like they’re getting a new experience this year.”
Alexis Beaty, violin performance junior, saw the dance show in 2016.
“My friend was in it, so I remember going to see her and support her. I remember a lot of the cool dances and costumes, and there was one really good solo,” Beaty said.
Beaty said she is looking forward to seeing a new dance show.
“I think that would be cool for them to change it up and not do the same thing every year,” she said.
Performances will be at 8 p.m. Dec. 6-8 and at 2 p.m. Dec. 8 and 9. All performances will take place in the Kirkpatrick Auditorium in Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center.
Tickets can be purchased online at www.okcu.edu/main/tickets or in person at the Performing Arts Ticket Office in the Edith Kinney Gaylord Center. The Ticket Office is open Monday through Friday from 12-4 p.m.
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