Roxey Ballet will host the second annual River Dance Festival Aug. 18-20 at Mill Ballet in New Hope, featuring dancers, choreographers, and creators from across the nation.
The mission of the festival is to give artists a platform to present their work, showcasing a variety of talent with an emphasis on BIPOC artists. The company is proud to be hosting artists of diverse backgrounds, providing the opportunity to influence cultural or racial change in society, speak their truth, and advance efforts to create equity in the arts.
One of the featured choreographers at the River Dance Festival is Seyong Kim, an associate professor of dance at Western Michigan University and a former Roxey Ballet Company member. His piece, “A Poem Written at the Golgotha Hill,” is inspired by J.S. Bach’s aria “Erbarme dich, mein Gott” and the Gospel of Matthew, and is made as a contemporary ballet performed by female artists using symbolic gestural movements and cultural themes.
“A Poem Written at the Golgotha Hill” is presented within an aesthetic atmosphere filled with sadness. The piece can be diversely interpreted to express trans-cultural perspectives beyond religious aspects in the current globalized world. Kim’s choreography can be seen at the River Dance Festival Saturday, Aug. 19, and Sunday, Aug. 20.
Also featured at the River Dance Festival is dancer and choreographer Grace Marguerite Sellinger, who is interested in exploring the challenging parts of daily life through the choreographic process. Sellinger believes that to conquer adversity, exploration of one’s own emotions is necessary.
Her creative process includes choosing from her own experiences, processing her emotions, and prescribing movement to the narrative. Through the choreographic experience, Sellinger aims to confront and address difficult topics, using art to overcome adversity. She is enamored with music and its unique ability to inflict visceral feelings and creates pieces that tell stories through a combination of music and movement. Sellinger believes that dance and music go hand in hand and as a result, her choreography is based in musical exploration.
Sellinger hopes audiences feel a personal connection with her work. Though her choreography is personal to her, she chooses topics relatable to all people and aims to tell others’ stories through the telling of her own. Sellinger’s creation, “For Our Viewing Pleasure,” can be seen at the River Dance Festival on Friday, Aug. 18, and Saturday, Aug. 19.
Tickets to see the works of these and other talented artists are available now at roxeyballet.org/riverdancetickets. The River Dance Festival takes place at 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 18; at 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 19; and 3 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 20. Mill Ballet is located at 46 N. Sugan Road, New Hope.
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