The Fall 2022 Student Choreographers’ Concert, which was just staged at the Performing Arts Center Dance Theater from Dec. 1 to 4, showcased SUNY Potsdam creativity with five individual choreographic works that included an aerial performance for the first time in the history of the Department of Theatre and Dance.
Titled “Frames in Motion,” students had been rehearsing their pieces since early in the fall semester in preparation for the live performance.
Josey (Emma) Milligan ’22 is finishing her final semester in the North Country with an eye to one day integrate aerial performance with dance therapy to help people mentally and physically through movement.
“I just always danced, as soon as I could walk, and kept going. There is so much you can say with movement that you can’t with words.”
Josey Milligan '22
Josey (Emma) Milligan ’22 rehearses aerial dance moves using silks hanging from a grid and truss system.
Josey (Emma) Milligan ’22 rehearses aerial dance moves using silks hanging from a grid and truss system.
Josey (Emma) Milligan ’22 rehearses aerial dance moves using silks hanging from a grid and truss system.
Josey (Emma) Milligan ’22 rehearses aerial dance moves using silks hanging from a grid and truss system.
Josey (Emma) Milligan ’22 rehearses aerial dance moves using silks hanging from a grid and truss system.
Josey (Emma) Milligan ’22 rehearses aerial dance moves using silks hanging from a grid and truss system.
Josey (Emma) Milligan ’22 rehearses aerial dance moves using silks hanging from a grid and truss system.
Before she leaves the College, Milligan brought the treat of an aerial silks performance titled “Statues in a Moonlit Garden.”
“I wanted the audience to think about how we are sometimes made to fit molds we are not meant to be in—or that don’t fit us—and that’s OK,” Milligan said. “This piece talks about how it’s OK to go out and find your own form of beauty and present that to the world.”
The concert works included “Twofold,” by MacKenzie Mooney ’23, which tackled duality and good and evil in confrontation, “Serenity,” by Camryn Douglas, which was inspired by the movement of trees and is a reminder to relax and appreciate nature, “City Scape” by Rosalin Batista '23, which explored the ambiance and chaos of the city, and “Ayrus” by Brianna Pemberton-David ’23, which reflected on a sisterly bond disrupted by death.
Denaisha Clarke dances in “Ayrus,” a choreographed piece by her classmate Brianna Pemberton-David ’23, during the 2022 senior choreographers' concert “Frames in Motion,” held in the Performing Arts Center dance theater.
Emma Stillwell dances in “Ayrus,” a choreographed piece by her classmate Brianna Pemberton-David ’23, during the 2022 senior choreographers' concert “Frames in Motion,” held in the Performing Arts Center dance theater.
Denaisha Clarke dances in “Ayrus,” a choreographed piece by her classmate Brianna Pemberton-David ’23, during the 2022 senior choreographers' concert “Frames in Motion,” held in the Performing Arts Center dance theater.
Emily Levy, left, and Emma Stillwell dance in “Ayrus,” a choreographed piece by their classmate Brianna Pemberton-David ’23, during the 2022 senior choreographers' concert “Frames in Motion.”
Meghan McCarthy, center, dances in “Ayrus,” a choreographed piece by Brianna Pemberton-David ’23 during the 2022 senior choreographers' concert “Frames in Motion.”
Emma Stillwell, left, and Denaisha Clarke dance in “Ayrus,” a choreographed piece by their classmate Brianna Pemberton-David ’23 during the 2022 senior choreographers' concert “Frames in Motion.”
From left, Meghan McCarthy, Deasia Hargrove, and Emma Stillwell dance in “Ayrus,” a choreographed piece by their classmate Brianna Pemberton-David ’23 during the 2022 senior choreographers' concert “Frames in Motion.”
Emma Stillwell dances in “Ayrus,” a choreographed piece by their classmate Brianna Pemberton-David ’23, during the 2022 senior choreographers' concert “Frames in Motion.”
Hoisted in the air by Emily Levy, Emma Stillwell extends her leg in the air while dancing in “Ayrus,” a choreographed piece by Brianna Pemberton-David ’23.
Denaisha Clarke dances in “Ayrus,” a choreographed piece by her classmate Brianna Pemberton-David ’23, during the 2022 senior choreographers' concert “Frames in Motion.”
“Working on this has truly been a labor of love and passion. I have combined my talents for design and dance in a way that captures the essence of what dance means in my life, what it meant to the inspiration of this piece, and reflects the beauty, uniqueness, and talent of every single one of my dancers. I am so grateful that they have allowed me the space to embark on this journey with them, and I am so tremendously proud of them.”
Brianna Pemberton-David ’23
