UI dance conference celebrates creativity in motion
Bonner County Daily Bee | UPDATED 3 months AGO
Members of the University of Idaho Dance Ensemble perform in concert last spring.
Photo courtesy UNIVERSITY OF IDAHO
Two days of movement, creativity and collaboration are coming to the University of Idaho’s Moscow campus with the ninth annual Idaho Dance Education Organization conference, Creativity in Motion.
The event — set for Friday and Saturday, Sept. 26–27 — invites dance artists, students and educators from across the Northwest to connect, learn and perform.
The IDEO conference, hosted by U of I’s Dance Program, is open to participants age 14 and older and features workshops with keynote presenter George Staib, a longtime dance educator and artistic director of the Atlanta-based dance company Staibdance. Staib, named one of the top dance educators in the country by Dance Teacher Magazine, is a professor of practice in dance at Emory University, a faculty member and choreographer for the American Dance Festival, and the founder of a summer dance intensive in Italy, now in its 13th year.
Regional dance educators will also lead specialized workshops for high school and college dancers, as well as professional development sessions for dance teachers and professional artists.
“We are excited to have dance educators from throughout Idaho, as well as Washington, Oregon and Montana, join us in Moscow to share a variety of movement experiences and special topics in this two-day, dance-packed conference,” said Melanie Meenan, conference coordinator and clinical associate professor.
The conference includes two concerts.
The first, “Celebration of Dance,” will be held Friday, Sept. 26, and is a showcase of conference attendees, including regional studios, companies and artists. Tickets are available at tinyurl.com/ats5xr6d or at the door.
The second, “Echoes & Earth,” will be held Saturday, Sept. 27. At the event, Portland-based Push/Fold will perform alongside U of I dance students in a new work choreographed by Push/Fold’s artistic director, Samuel Hobbs. Tickets are available at givebutter.com/pushfoldmoscow or at the door.
Both concerts, which are open to the public, will take place at 7 p.m. at the Hartung Theater on campus. Tickets are $5 for the first show and $10–$20 for the second.
Participants can register for both days of the conference or for Saturday only. General admission is $75 for one day and $85 for two, with discounted rates available for students.
Registration includes workshops, evening performances and lunch Saturday. Register at tinyurl.com/4dbnv8ea.