Geneseo Dance Ensemble, L to R: Emily Rennells, Abigail Costa, Victoria Garland, and Penelope Zenhausern. (SUNY Geneseo/Matt Burkhartt)
SUNY Geneseo’s Department of Theatre and Dance proudly presents the Geneseo Dance Ensemble in Shifting Perspectives, featuring works by student choreographers with 31 performers.
Artistically directed and produced by professor of dance studies Jonette Lancos, the concert will be presented on campus in Brodie Hall’s Alice Austin Theatre on November 9, 10, and 11 at 7:30 p.m. and November 12 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $12, available at online at the Brodie Box Office or at the Student Association Ticket Office in the MacVittie College Union.
All dances are mentored by dance studies faculty Nicolette Ferguson, Deborah Scodese French, Allison Thomashefski, and Lancos, and choreographed by students minoring or concentrating in dance. Emily Rennells ’24 presents her work All Grown Up, a piece reflecting on childhood years and remembering not to grow up too fast. Penelope Zenhausern ’24 offers her work Ambivalence, which portrays the complexity of conflicting emotions. Abigail Costa ’24 presents her work Little Things, exploring the idea of finding small moments every day that influence our lives. Victoria Garland ’24 shows her work Living in the Now, which explores living in the moment with those around you even though you have a million thoughts in your head.
A new work will be performed by the Dance Composition class. Presenting their final projects using choreographic theory and the Elements and Principles of Design as exhibited in the images of the James Webb and Hubble Space Telescopes, Windows into the Cosmos will be performed by Shannon Altman ’25, Angel Bryant ’24, Shannon Ervay ’24, Madalyn Johnson ’25, Haley Neufeld ’24, Olivia Okoniewski ’25, Alexa Schulder ’24, Justine Soriano ’24, Stephanie Warner ’25, and Zenhausern.
Shifting Perspectives is directed by Lancos in collaboration with senior student assistants Costa, Garland, Rennells, and Zenhausern. Stage managers are Erin Schulz ’26 and Maxwell Worden ’26. Department Chair Johnnie Ferrell mentored student lighting designers Stephanie Billharz ‘24 and Eleanor Kephart ‘24, and costumes are coordinated by Lisa Miskell, costume shop supervisor, in collaboration with the costume shop crew.
Shifting Perspectives is supported by generous donations from The Geneseo Foundation.