The Department of Dance Presents Spring 2022 Thesis Concert Vitalitas

Three dancers jumping towards the middle of the photo.

The Department of Dance at Case Western Reserve University continues its 2021-22 season with the MFA thesis concert Vitalitas.

Vitalitas will be performed on March 24, 25 and 26 at 8pm and March 27 at 2:30pm at Mather Dance Center, 11040 Bellflower Road, on the Case Western Reserve campus in University Circle.

Vitalitas features works from MFA candidates Mary-Elizabeth Fenn, Stephen Martey Markwei, and Tingyu Xie, along with a work by the chair of the department Karen Potter.

Mary-Elizabeth Fenn will premiere two solo works, Reverie and Anamnesis. Reverie explores an enriched and broadened movement vocabulary while focusing on a deepening of the embodiment/experiment process, while Anamnesis is inspired by recollections of moments in time.

Be Yourself is a solo work choreographed and performed by Stephen Martey Markwei. The work employs a pragmatic approach to bring symbolism, analytical, and intellectual ideas connoting two personalities within one character. 

Tingyu Xie will premiere two works, Escape and Ruach. Xie’s ensemble work, Ruach, looks at the relationship between a figure and a higher being by presenting a story about the transformation of the figure as she is redeemed and led by the powerful spirit. 

Escape, based on Xie’s own personal experiences, presents a solo figure trying to escape from a situation in which she is trapped, only to question what is actually holding her back. 

Fenn and Xie will also dance in Tracing Time, choreographed by department chair Karen Potter. This duet traces the common ground and the echoes of the uniqueness of two individuals on a similar path in their life journeys.

Tickets are $10 for students, $12 for seniors age 60+ and CWRU personnel, and $15 for general admission. For reservations call 216.368.5246 or visit our Ticket Reservations page.