CU Theatre & Dance presents 'un | covering me'
MFA candidates Amanda Benzin and Samantha Salters rehearse for their production of "un | covering me." Photo courtesy of CU Presents.
Showcasing the creativity of MFA candidates Amanda Benzin and Samantha Salters, CU-Boulder Theatre & Dance presents “un | covering me,” Nov. 13-15, at the intimate Charlotte York Irey Theatre on campus.
“un | covering me” explores how socially constructed identities are absorbed, performed and placed on the body in American culture. The presentation of material juxtaposes minimalism, technology and images in pop culture, creating a conversation around the fluidity and incongruity of identity.
Benzin’s “re-membering me” opens the shared dance concert. “This piece gives primacy to the dancing body to reflect my own struggle with identity and identities,” says Benzin, who’s also a graduate instructor at CU-Boulder. “In this work, I question how the body can deconstruct or reconstruct identities.”
Using movement embodied by five dancers, rolling furniture and multiple forms of dance—including tap—“re-membering me” brings the audience along on a journey of personal reflection.
Salters’ “eat me”—a collection of pieces connected by themes emphasizing the experience of the African American body as an object and embodiment of culture—closes the program. “These are themes that have affected my personal and cultural identities, and that inspired my research in dance,” she says. “My work reflects my interest in how the Black body is misunderstood, stereotyped, consumed and disposable.”
From ensemble to solo appearances, “eat me” features twerk, step and contemporary Afro-Cuban dance.
Showtimes for “un | covering me”:
Friday, Nov. 13, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 14, 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 15, 2 p.m.
Tickets for “un | covering me” start at $14. To purchase tickets, visit the CU Presents box office in person (972 Broadway) or call 303-492-8008 during business hours; or visit us online, anytime. Note: All online and phone orders are subject to a service fee. For press tickets, interviews or more information, contact Sabine Kortals at sabine.kortals@colorado.edu.
Click here for more information on all our performances – including free shows featuring the work of talented undergraduate dancers, choreographers, directors, designers and actors.
CU Presents offers the best in performing arts on the University of Colorado Boulder campus, including the Artist Series, the College of Music, the Colorado Shakespeare Festival, Eklund Opera, the Holiday Festival, the Takács Quartet Chamber and Encore Series, and CU Theatre & Dance.
Oct. 23, 2015