Performances spotlight UA student work

The UA College of Fine Arts boasts an array of talented students across a variety of disciplines. Art is meant to be shared and it is an integral part of an art student’s college career to exhibit their art to peers, mentors and the public, but throughout the year, there are too many public performances to count.

This is nowhere near a complete list, but here are a few notable art student showcases from the past year.

Tarantella

It is not often that a world-renowned ballet dancer assists university students with their performance, especially not for a performance that was originally written for the dancer himself. But that is precisely what ballet legend Edward Villella did last semester for the School of Dance students working on their performance of George Balanchine’s “Tarantella.”

The eight students performing the ballet had the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to work with Villella and this along with their individual talents were evident on stage in the incredible performance that resulted.

Villella himself remarked on the abilities of the eight featured dancers and of the UA dance program in general and the great respect and love the dancers have for classical ballet. As anyone in attendance can testify to, their love and dedication show through their dance.

I Dream in Widescreen

Every spring semester, the School of Theatre, Film and Television presents their senior film showcase, “I Dream in Widescreen.” It is the biggest annual event put on by the department and this year’s was no different.

“I Dream in Widescreen” 2017 was held on Saturday, April 29 at the Fox Tucson Theatre. Ten short films were screened, all created by seniors in the film and television program and featuring student casts and crews.

Every film told a unique story that showcased the talent of their creators and brought the audience on a 7-to-15-minute journey into a character’s life.

For the first time in several years, the show sold out the entire 1,164-seat theater as friends, family and members of the community came from all over to see the talent coming out of the film and television department.

Les Noces

Collaborations between the different schools in the College of Fine Arts always make for amazing performances and “Les Noces” from earlier this semester is no different. A combination of students from the Fred Fox School of Music and the School of Dance worked together to bring Igor Stravinsky’s classic ballet to life and provided a special opportunity for the Tucson community.

“Les Noces” is known as a revolutionary piece in the world of ballet and is challenging for even the most skilled of musicians. It isn’t performed very frequently because of this, but the undergraduate and graduate musicians and dancers did the work justice and showed the prowess of the two programs here at UA.

School of Art MFA Thesis Exhibition

The School of Art’s Master of Fine Arts Thesis Exhibition is always a sight to see for those who appreciate art in all forms.

This year’s exhibition, on display from April 15 to May 12 at the UA Museum of Art, featured art from 11 different MFA students graduating this spring and was attended by community members, students and faculty of all ages.

The lower level of the UA Museum of Art and the neighboring Joseph Gross Gallery were filled with masterpieces of all mediums, some awe-inspiring to look at, others creating moving experiences through interaction.

Whether it was the three-dimensional glacier-centric exhibit and its message about the human race’s interaction with nature or the exhibit helping an artist get rid of dirt she had collected over a year’s time, the exhibition had something for everyone to connect to.

Twelfth Night

It’s difficult to single out one production as the best of the year from the Arizona Repertory Theatre when so many amazing shows are presented each semester, but the department’s production of “Twelfth Night” was truly a sight to behold.

Any play written by the great William Shakespeare is going to come with intense challenges for the crew, specifically the actors, set and costume designers, but the students involved with “Twelfth Night” took these challenges in stride.

The show ran from mid-March to early April and featured impressive performances and elaborate set and costume design fit for a Broadway production. Not only were the technical executions successful, but the Shakespearean comedy had the entire audience laughing about the characters and their ridiculous love triangle.

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