The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Department of Theatre and Dance will be presenting “Art in Motion: A Concert of Dance” from Nov. 1-3. Not only will the concert feature pieces from the first “Art in Motion” concert last February, it will also showcase brand new pieces.
The Racquet Press sat down with Ashley Dobrogosz, professor of dance and the main choreographer of the concert.
“Even if you saw the show in the spring, you might have a different view of it this time around, and you also get the new stuff, too,” said Dobrogosz.
The concert covers a wide range of styles and a variety of topics including love, loss, and mental health. Dobrogosz created a piece for last concert titled “Five Stages”, which is being remounted (using the same choreography but with different dancers getting the opportunity to have a different role) for the upcoming performance.
“All the dancers represent a specific individual stage, and it was something almost cathartic for myself to be able to…create a piece that represented those different stages as I was going through specific things in my life,” said Dobrogosz.
Dobrogosz mentioned another piece in the upcoming concert also touching on mental health; the piece is choreographed by Anna Montgomery, a fourth-year musical theatre student. She spoke about how choreography she made for a class last semester turned into something they would be performing at the concert.
“Our final was creating a three-to-four-minute piece of choreography, and we had the option to put it in the dance concert last year, and it got remounted this year,” said Montgomery. “It was a really interesting process because we had to work with our other classmates on it, so getting to conceptualize, put together and perform our own choreography was a really cool process.”
Participating in the concert is not a requirement for dance minor students in the program, and is also open to any interested students.
Dobrogosz estimates there are about 26 students in the concert, half of which are in the dance minor program; the other half are students who aren’t dance minors but are still interested in having the creative outlet dancing provides.
Despite only being in its third year, the dance minor has continued to see steady growth. The program now has around 27 students, up from 21 last year and an overall significant uptick since the minor was introduced.
“I love to say this: we started with three [dance minor students] in the fall of 2022, so, almost three years later, here we are with 27,” said Dobrogosz.
While reflecting on her time spent in the dance program, Montgomery explained how even though middle and high school dance experiences can be overwhelming, the dance program at UWL is different.
“This program is so welcoming and work[s] with you…I feel like I have a whole new appreciation and love for dance,” said Montgomery.
Lindsey Overell, a second-year psychology student with a dance minor, shared a similar experience during her time in the program.
Towards the end of her high school career, Overell was beginning to lose interest in dance and not getting as much enjoyment out of it as she used to; she was worried that she wouldn’t have a good experience dancing at UWL. However, Overell said that her time on campus has only been positive.
“For the first time in years, I was leaving class, and I felt this high from being able to dance,” said Overell. “I was like, ‘This is why I love dance.’”
Both Montgomery and Overell value the concert for the new experiences it brings them.
For Montgomery, it’s the opportunity to be a featured dancer in one of the pieces, which is never something she was able to do in her past experiences.
For Overell, what makes the concert special is the people.
“There’s no competitiveness, there’s no jealousy. Everyone is happy for everyone,” said Overell. “The people make [the concert] what it is.”
If you attend:
Who: UW-La Crosse Department of Theatre and Dance
What: Art in Motion: A Concert of Dance; choreography led by Ashley Dobrogosz
Where: Toland Theatre, Lowe Center for the Arts (333 N. 16th Street, La Crosse)
When: Nov. 1-2 at 7:30 p.m. and Nov. 3 at 2:00 p.m.
Online tickets: $20 adults; $18 senior citizens/non UWL students/military; $8 UWL students. Online tickets will have a small credit card processing fee added at checkout. Patrons are encouraged to buy their tickets online and download the tickets to their phone/email. Tickets may be purchased online at www.uwlax.edu/theatre-and-dance.
In person/phone tickets: $22 for adults, $20 for senior/non UWL students/military and $10 for UWL students (processing/printing fee already included in the price); call (608) 785-6696. Box office opens Oct. 28 for in person/phone ticket sales. Box office hours are Monday through Friday 1:00-3:00 p.m. and one hour prior to each performance.
Parking: Due to the construction near the Lowe Center for the Arts, patrons are encouraged to arrive early and park in the university parking ramp located on the corner of Farwell & 17th Streets. Parking in the ramp is free after 7:00 p.m. and on the weekends. For those with mobility issues, there is a drop-off site next to the Lowe Center for the Arts on the corner of 15th and Vine Streets.
