RWU Dance Theatre Ready for Spring Performance

Weekend of dance to include works by students, faculty and guest artists

BRISTOL, RI (05/04/2011)(readMedia)-- The Roger Williams University Dance Theatre is set to perform at the University's Performing Arts Center May 5-8, 2011.

Students will perform choreographed works by RWU faculty members and critically acclaimed guest artists Jenny Rocha and Kathy Gordon Smith. Additional performances will include works by dance theatre seniors Ashly Jenson of Croton, N.Y., Gabrielle Malek of Utica, N.Y., and Kathryn Proulx of Grafton, Mass.

The weekend's featured performance, "Excerpt from Mandorla," is a fusion of dance movements that will intrigue and capture the audience. The piece, choreographed by Jenny Rocha, exhibits the artistic vision she has acquired as artistic director and choreographer for her New York City-based dance company, Rocha Dance Theater.

An acclaimed choreographer, Rocha's solo piece, "Whisper Into the Glass," received high praise from The New York Times as "a fascinating portrait of a woman who is a steely warrior with an eminently crushable heart...a beauty in her clear bold way, her face nakedly revealed fierce self-confidence and vulnerability."

Guest choreographer Kathy Gordon Smith is a multifaceted artist whose work reflects her 20-year dance career. In addition to her public performances, Gordon Smith is an assistant professor of dance at Rhode Island College and also directs the dance program at St. George's School in Middletown, R.I. Smith has worked with renowned choreographers including Lucinda Child and BeBe Miller.

Performances will be held on Thursday, May 5 and Friday, May 6 at 7:30 p.m. Matinees are on Saturday, May 7 and Sunday, May 8 at 2 p.m. The Performing Arts Center is located on the University's Bristol Campus at One Old Ferry Road. Tickets cost $10 for general admission and $5 for students and seniors. Seating is limited. For ticket inquiries, call the box office at (401) 254-3626. For more information contact Associate Professor Gary Shore at (401) 254-3623.

About RWU: Roger Williams University is a leading independent, coeducational liberal arts university at which students live and learn to be global citizens. With 41 academic programs and an array of co-curricular activities on its Bristol, R.I., campus, RWU is committed to its mantra of learning to bridge the world. In the last decade, the University has achieved unprecedented academic and financial successes and continues to be recognized by U.S. News & World Report as one of the top ten educational institutions in its class.

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