November 1998
Coreographer/Dancer Dianne McIntyre (right)	Dance Company's Fall Concert Features Excperts from New McIntyre Piece By Tami Dimock Renowned choreographer/dancer Dianne McIntyre (pictured above, on right) returned to George Mason in late September for 10 days as an artist-in-residence with the Dance Division of the Institute of the Arts. McIntyre, a former Emmy nominee who has had four of her works produced by Theater of the First Amendment, worked with 10 dance students on Invincible Flower, a work-in-progress that she and jazz musician Lester Bowie began creating earlier this year at the Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival in Massachusetts. The George Mason students will perform excerpts from Invincible Flower at the Dance Company's Fall Concert, in Harris Theater Nov. 12, 13, and 14. For McIntyre and Bowie, however, the piece will continue to evolve until its premiere next spring in Minneapolis at the Walker Arts Center, which co-commissioned it along with Jacob's Pillow. McIntyre enjoys working with the George Mason students because they "have good technique" and are very open to new dance styles. "Whatever I give them, they really go for it," she says. "Working with them has helped me develop the work, and I'm hoping that they're getting something out of it, too." According to Marjorie Summerall, program coordinator for Dance, the students gain much from the experience. "One of the reasons the residency is so important to us," she says, "is that our young artists who think about choreography as a profession are inspired when they get to work intimately with artists and get to understand their creative process." McIntyre, who is particularly fond of George Mason University because of its multicultural population, calls the Dance Division a "gem." "I travel to many different universities, and I see a lot of performances," she says. "The dance department here is very solid, and it has a very good reputation throughout the country." The Dance Company's Fall Concert is open to the university community and the general public. Tickets are $10; $7 for students and senior citizens. A limited number of free student tickets is also available. Performances are at 8 p.m. on Nov. 12, 13, and 14, with an additional performance on Nov. 13 at 2 p.m. For more information or to purchase tickets, contact the Box Office at x38888.
Related Links Mason's Department of Dance