‘Piece by Piece’ performance showcases different sides of contemporary dance

Extended arms and perfectly pointed toes were among the movements the contemporary dancers performed in the show “Piece by Piece: A Collection of Dances” at 3 p.m. Sunday in the John Waldron Arts Center.

The showcase of choreography featured work by Justin Zuschlag, Abigail Alyn Rich and Selene Carter.

All works were individually created and set to diverse background sounds, such as a poem, an audience member’s voice and opera music.

The eight pieces of contemporary dance included up to 11 members per dance.

The music contained very few words, while the story was spoken through the dancers’ movements.

Their simplistic outfits left all the visual expression to each dance move.

The crowd ranged from children to adults. A young girl stood in front of her chair in the first row mimicking all the dancers’ performances.

“I was very pleased with the turnout,” Zuschlag said. “The audience was very engaged and receptive. We love that in dance. There is nothing more inspiring than an appreciative audience.”

Carter performed a solo routine, “Eyes, Mouth and All the Rest: Surrendering to the Desires of Others,” in the middle of a circle of dancers.

Her movements were controlled by audience members and those sitting on stage that would call out whether to use her eyes, body or mouth to express her emotions.

Her dance movements were subtle as she listened to the sounds around her.

“I had a great time,” said junior Alex Lelchuk. “It was definitely a different performance. I liked seeing the diversity.”

Rich choreographed “Bukowski Dances,” a selection of three short dances set to the poetry of Charles Bukowski.

“There is a little bird in my head, but I will not let it out,” read the poet.

Each movement the dancers made reflected the words of the poem.

“Many of the dancers were onstage nonstop, but they didn’t let their exhaustion overwhelm them, and they kept performing to their utmost ability,” Zuschlag said. “Their drive is very gratifying as a teacher.”

Sophomore Stephanie Scott performed in two pieces, “Salvation is Noise” and “Selections from ‘Samson et Delila.’” Zuschlag choreographed both performances and said he was pleased with his dancers’ appreciation and dedication for the arts.

“I think overall it was really fun and everything came together,” Scott said. “It was definitely a great way to showcase Justin, Selene and Abigail’s work.”

Zuschlag said he was pleased with the outcome of the performance, especially after all his hard work.

“I don’t know that I would have done anything differently,” Zuschlag said. “I was very happy with the way the performance unfolded. When you spend months working on something, it’s so exciting to pull it off successfully.”