The rehearsal rooms are filled with laughter and sweaty bodies. Music of various styles can be heard from each space, filling the halls with an energy that is second to none.

While most students are winding down with exam preparations, Wayne State University dance students are gearing up for their fall presentations that will be highlighted Dec. 6-8 during the annual December Dance Concert.

This annual tradition features student-choreographed works in an array of styles, stories, and theatrical styles through movement.

“The Maggie Allesee Department of Theatre and Dance is proud to produce student works alongside guest artists and faculty at each of our mainstage events,” said Dr. Biba Bell, associate professor and director of dance, and one of this year’s artistic directors. “Each student piece was chosen through a rigorous audition process.”

Dance faculty Hannah Andersen and Karen Prall will also present pieces in the concert. Andersen, co-artistic director of the concert and director of the department’s Pilates program, has created a work exploring ideas of support, togetherness, do-over, and risk. Prall, artistic director of To Sangana, the department’s African Dance Company, has created a new work celebrating the contributions of African and Black Dance styles.

This year’s December Dance Concert will feature the talents of two Detroit community artists. Jit artist and Kresge Fellow Micheal Manson will present a solo work set to the famous “Flight of the Bumblebee” by Rimsky-Korsakov, while Smutek will present a piece inspired by the experiences of motherhood that was developed while in residency at Jacob’s Pillow.

Lastly, the December Dance Concert will also feature a piece by the 2024-2025 Allesee Guest Artist Contra-Tiempo. The piece highlights joy in the face of hardship and injustice and will represent the department at the 2025 American College Dance Association conference in spring 2025.

In addition, the dancers and cast invite the community to assist in their partnership with Mittens for Detroit to provide the gift of warmth. The community can drop off gifts of new, warm, durable pairs of gloves and/or mittens to the drop-off box located in the lobby of the Hilberry Gateway. More information on the specific types of gloves needed is available by going to the Mittens for Detroit website.  

See all dates and times and purchase tickets online or by calling the Hilberry Gateway box office at (313) 577-2972. 

For all Press and Media Inquiries: 

Brandon Graves, theatremgmt@wayne.edu, (313) 577-3010 

 

About the College of Fine, Performing and Communication Arts 

The College of Fine, Performing and Communication Arts is home to today’s aspiring artists, performers, technicians, scholars, dancers, debaters, entrepreneurs, and communication professionals who all represent the college’s legacy of excellence in our respective fields. The college serves students majoring in 17 undergraduate programs, 10 graduate programs and three graduate certificates through its departments: the James Pearson Duffy Department of Art, Art History and Design, the Maggie Allesee Department of Theatre and Dance, and the departments of communication and music. From debate to dance, jazz to journalism, and fashion design to center stage, our students create captivating performances, inspire artistic and academic excellence, and conduct innovative research on behalf of our Detroit community. 

About Wayne State University 

Wayne State University is a premier urban research institution offering approximately 350 academic programs through 13 schools and colleges to nearly 24,000 students. Through its multidisciplinary approach to research and education and its ongoing collaboration with government, industry and other institutions, the university seeks to enhance economic growth and improve the quality of life in the city of Detroit, state of Michigan and throughout the world. For more information about Wayne State University, visit wayne.edu. 

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