The 21st annual Student Dance Project will be Dec. 6-7 at 7:30 p.m. in the Temple Building’s Howell Theatre. The performance is directed by Associate Professor of Practice in Dance Hye-Won Hwang.
Tickets for the performance are $10 general admission and $5 for students/seniors and are available in advance only online at https://go.unl.edu/gksomtickets. The Saturday, Dec. 7 performance will also be live webcast at https://go.unl.edu/SDPLive (link will be active Dec. 7).
The annual Student Dance Project is a program of original work by student choreographers in the Glenn Korff School of Music’s Dance Composition course, taught by Hwang, in collaboration with design students studying with Assistant Professor of Theatre Michelle Harvey and stage managers studying with Production Manager Brad Buffum from the Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film.
This year’s show features 21 original works by 22 choreographers and nine graduate and undergraduate lighting designers, along with two undergraduate stage managers. The concert will be performed by 45 dance majors and minors, ranging from freshmen to seniors.
“22 choreographers, from sophomores to seniors, have literally put a lot of sweat into creating and directing their own dance work,” Hwang said. “Students have made great steps forward not only in their artistry, but in leadership and collaboration skills through working with their casts, lighting designers and stage managers.”
Hwang said the works in the program will feature diverse styles.
“Breaking away from strictly modern-based works, this year’s concert will draw from students’ backgrounds in ballet, contemporary, jazz, street dance, and indigenous cultural forms,” Hwang said. “Dynamic stories, feelings and experience are expressed in this show. Some are joyful and energetic; others deal with personal or serious social issues. I warmly invite people to come and see how our students express their artistic and creative growth through movement.”
Grace Thomsen, a senior textiles, merchandising and fashion design major from Bennington, Nebraska, is choreographing a piece titled “So Let’s Dance.”
“My piece is fun, upbeat and entertaining,” she said. “It’s inspired by the joy and happiness that I find when dancing. I’m taking a lot of inspiration from the disco era when it comes to my choreography for this work, and I hope that fun feeling is reflected in the piece.”
Thomsen hopes audiences will come out to see the works in the concert.
“People should attend Student Dance Project so they can see all of the amazing and beautiful work coming out of the Nebraska dance program,” she said. “Our program is small, but it is filled with so many talented dancers and choreographers that put their whole heart into their work. Audiences can expect to see a show with pieces that showcase a diverse array of dance styles, from modern and contemporary to hip-hop and ballet.”
Vanessa Uriostegui, a junior dance and Spanish major from Schuyler, Nebraska, is choreographing a piece titled “Humanity is Not for Sale.”
“My work explores themes of Mexican transnationality and the diasporic displacement of cultural identities,” she said. “In particular, I focus on the ways indigeneity manifests within the body, inviting the audience to reflect on the complexities of identity, migration and belonging.”
Her academic interests extend beyond dance.
“As a Spanish major, I am captivated by how indigenous bodies and cultural identities navigate the human-made spaces we inhabit,” Uriostegui said. “This dual focus allows me to explore movement from both an artistic and cultural perspective, enriching my work as a dancer and choreographer. I believe that projects like this are essential, as they allow artists to create, collaborate and connect with audiences through meaningful storytelling.”
Maggie Glenn, a senior dance and marketing major from Seward, Nebraska, is choreographing a piece titled “A Breath of Blue.”
“My piece has a soothing, dreamy feeling,” she said. “I want the audience to feel relaxed while they watch. My peers have said my dancers look like flower petals blowing in the wind or ocean waves moving toward the shore. The music is light and airy but grows upbeat along with the movement quality.”
Glenn said the Student Dance Project is a fun way to see various dance works by UNL dance majors.
“We spent the entire fall semester working on the pieces performed during the show,” she said. “Audiences can expect to see a wide range of dance styles performed, some upbeat and joyful, while others touch on our emotions and make the audience think critically about the piece.”
Thomsen said the Student Dance Project is important to her development as both a dancer and choreographer.
“Student Dance Project has given me the opportunity to work with choreographers who have a variety of different teaching and choreographing styles,” she said. “This is important as a dancer because you never know what background someone who you’re working with or for in the future will have so you must be ready for anything. As a choreographer, Student Dance Project has given me a platform to showcase my work to an audience who wants to see me create the best piece possible. In our dance composition class, we show our work throughout the semester, and we receive feedback and critique from our peers and professors. This helps all the choreographers be aware of how their piece reads to an audience.”
Uriostegui said the Student Dance Project is an important event for dancers.
“It not only showcases the incredible talent within our dance program, but it also highlights the collaborative spirit across the arts, including theater and lighting design,” she said. “It offers dancers and choreographers like myself the opportunity to share our personal stories and creative visions, bringing diverse narratives together on one stage. For me this project has been invaluable in understanding all the elements that go into producing a dance performance—from choreography to lighting to staging—broadening my perspective as both a performer and choreographer.”
Harvey said the experience of lighting for the Student Dance Project is invaluable to her lighting design students as well.
“Lighting design is an ethereal design element that can be replicated in the classroom to an extent but must be practiced in a production environment to get the full impact,” she said. “The students have the ability to use their classroom skills to create art on stage in collaboration with their choreographers.”
Harvey said the Student Dance Project is an ideal opportunity for collaboration.
“Each student designer connects with a student choreographer to create a dynamic performance onstage,” she said. “The dance pieces are compact performances that allow the designers to create a design for a variety of performances. The collection of performances gives a large impact for the student designers. They get to create multiple designs from beginning to end and see the designs of their fellow artists. They get the opportunity to create lighting cues for a realized project and collaborate with a fellow artist.”
Glenn said the Student Dance Project has allowed her to experiment with her dance style as a choreographer.
“The course allows each choreographer to tell their own story through their chosen movement style,” she said. “As a dancer, I can expand my range and stylistic choices while dancing. Each of us has a different dance background, so it is fun to learn different techniques I am not accustomed to. After dancing for so many years, learning new movements and ways of thinking about dance is refreshing.”
In addition to choreographing a piece, Uriostegui will also perform in a work.
“I will also perform in another work that explores the emotional weight of sadness and how it can fill and shape a space,” she said. “This dual role—as both choreographer and dancer—has deepened my understanding of movement’s emotional resonance and power. I hope that audiences come to the Student Dance Project not only to enjoy new and innovative dance, but also to experience a fusion of emerging talents from various disciplines. It’s an opportunity to see the future of dance, theater and arts on display in an engaging, meaningful way.”
Glenn will also perform in pieces choreographed by Meg Brady, Katie Charest and Weeder.
“It is a bittersweet moment as this will be our last time performing in the Student Dance Project together,” she said.
The Temple Building is located at 12th and R streets on the University of Nebraska–Lincoln city campus.