– Featured – What to watch: Orchesis Vitality
Cal Poly Dance Department’s company, Orchesis, performs its final run of their annual dance show this weekend in Spanos Theatre. This year’s show, titled Vitality, features 28 Cal Poly students dancing in 13 pieces.
Professor Christy McNeil returned to associate direct for her second year with the company.
“This year we have a whole new technical staff,” McNeil said, “It has worked great so far.”
The pieces exhibit a wide variety of dance styles including ballet, contemporary jazz, and modern. A majority of pieces were choreographed by Cal Poly dance teachers.
McNeil along with Professor Diane Stanton and Michelle Walter direct the company each year. This means they are in charge of auditions as well. The audition process is the toughest part, McNeil said.
Auditions are held the first week of fall quarter. Once the final decisions are made, the company begins rehearsing.
The company is made of a mix of both new and returning dancers, McNeil said.
Third year Cal Poly student William Bassett returned to Orchesis for his second time.
“I love orchesis because its a wonderful positive growing environment that encourages us to be the best dancers possible,” Bassett said, “Every year is very different and every year is a new dance family.”
This year, there are five pieces in Vitality that are choreographed by students and guest artists. The guest performers include: Doug Nielsen from University of Arizona, Daniel Cruz from Seattle, Nancy Cranbourne from Boulder, CO, Damon Rago from Loyola Marymount U and Ryan Lawrence from San Luis Obispo.
Members of Orchesis will be presenting at the American College Dance Festival at ASU from March 13-16. McNeil’s piece “Crash” and student Ella Richards’ piece “On Making Decisions” will be representing Cal Poly.
So far, Vitality has seen good audience turnout.
“Get tickets sooner rather than later,” McNeil said.
Seating is general admission.
What to hear: Frozen Sing-A-Long
Regal Arroyo Grande Stadium 10 is hosting a Frozen Sing-A-Long for the second weekend in a row. Sing-A-Longs for the newest Disney animated musical have been popping up at movie theaters around the country since the film’s growing popularity.
Third year Cal Poly student Chad Eckman, went to the sing-a-long last weekend.
“It was really fun to sing with everyone in the theatre,” Eckman said, “Some people came up to us afterwards to take our picture because we got really into singing.”
The Sing-A-Longs will be showing daily at 12:20 PM until Tuesday, February 12.
What to do: Oscar Nominated Animated Short Film Screening
San Luis Obispo’s Palm Theater is showing this year’s Oscar nominated short films in preparation for the Academy Awards. The screening includes five films:
“Feral” (Directors Daniel Sousa and Dan Golden, USA/Non-dialogue).
“Get a Horse!” (Directors: Lauren MacMullan and Dorothy McKim, USA/English).
“Mr. Hublot” (Directors: Laurent Witz and Alexandre Espigares, Luxembourg/France/Non-dialogue).
“Possessions” (Director: Shuhei Morita, Japan/Non-dialogue).
“Room on the Broom” (Directors: Max Lang and Jan Lachauer, voices by Simon Pegg, Gillian Anderson, Rob Brydon in UK/English).
Tickets at the door
Time Out: San Luis Obispo 