ROCK SPRINGS — Local dance company Converge Dance Works in partnership with Western Wyoming Community College’s Dance Club present Life: Our Stories, an original dance production choreographed by local dance artist and college employee, Ann Jantz.
The concert will take place April 29 in WWCC’s Theatre. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the show begins at 7 p.m. This production is funded generously by a grant from the Sweetwater Board of Cooperative Educational Services and is free and open to the public.
Life: Our Stories takes its inspiration from the different experiences we all encounter in our lives, and each piece is set to the music of The Beatles. The idea for the show has been sitting on the back burner for a while, until a unique opportunity presented itself, according to Jantz.
“The idea came to me right after we wrapped up our last show, Quotes. That was six years ago, and since then we lost our rehearsal space and two company members lost their battles with cancer,” Jantz said. “Life intervened and we all became wrapped up with family and work. It seemed liked we were done for good.”
Then WWCC ended its dance program. Jantz said she heard from several dance students still at the school who voiced their sadness about this loss. An idea slowly began to form: Why not choreograph for the college’s dance students and create an original dance production using their talents?
Jantz took the idea to Vice President of Student Learning Cliff Wittstruck and pitched the idea of offering this unique learning opportunity for Western students. She said he voiced his support of the idea and took it to the Presidents Cabinet, who gave it the green light.
WWCC Dance Club students joining Jantz and company member and college employee Kit Kofoed in this project are Sierra Bird, Haruka Aoki, Inez O’Connor, Sara Horiuchi and Jorja Warembourg.
“I am so grateful for Dr. Wittstruck’s support. This show would not have happened without it,” Jantz said. “I also thank the college’s Dance Club members who chose to be a part of the show. They have given much of their free time to attend rehearsals. They made a huge commitment and have followed through beautifully.”
The show consists of nine dance works, all set to the music of The Beatles. Jantz said the music choice was the only choice to accompany the idea of each work because “The Beatles’ music speaks to every part of our life experience.”
“Come for the dance or come for the music or come for both,” she said. “If you enjoy the music of The Beatles, come and tune in and see how we use the music to create beautiful movement and images,” Jantz said.
