concert director Brandon Whited

Back in its original position as the closing performance of the UCSB Dance Season, Kinetic Lab 2022 will feature new works by Junior BFA Dance majors focusing on the craft of small group form. Kinetic Lab is a creative process-focused choreography course for students to discover their individual compositional methods and unique artistic voices.

Under the direction of Brandon Whited (Assistant Professor of Dance/Director of Dance Performance) the program will feature 45 students in new works by junior BFA student choreographers:

• Jaliana Apawan-Semien
• Jessie Chin
• Bailey Dodgion
• Emily Eckert
• Mia Griff
• Jazz Hayes
• Madeline Josa
• Nina Lopez
• Dalya Modlin
• Leia Zorba

The choreographers are particularly excited for the opportunity to work with Michael Klaers who will provide Lighting and Production Design for the concert.

The primary framework of Kinetic Lab is to allow the student choreographers to explore the complexities and potentials of choreography for small groups in shorter format works.  They then proceed to processes with larger casts and longer formats within their BFA Capstone projects in the senior year.  Building on foundational choreography courses focused on solo and duet development, the student-choreographers step outside the action to inhabit the directorial aspects of the process of choreography.

Drawing from personal, lived experiences—and in large part a reflection of our current state of the world—these choreographers depart on a journey of personal discovery and development to provide a rich experience for the audience.  The students’ work draws from the aesthetics and techniques of Modern and Contemporary Dance, Jazz, Ballet, Pointe, and Theatrical-based work—expressing the broad range of trainings and interests present in the budding dance artists within our field.

Performances run June 1^st – 3^rd at 7:30pm in UCSB’s Hatlen Theater.