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‘Of a River’ debuts tonight in Schuster Center atrium

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By Khalid Moss, Staff Writer 10:15 PM Wednesday, July 21, 2010

DAYTON — Picture this: You’re standing in the Wintergarden of Schuster Center. You look up and 300 yards of blue silk billow down from the top of the complex. Beside you, behind you and in front of you, an assembly of dancers move to live music produced by six musicians.

At first, this conceptualized mixed-media may seem a bit unconventional. But that is the intent of the artists behind the performance/installation titled “Of a River.”

The work premieres at 7 and 9 p.m. Thursday, July 22, in the atrium of the Schuster Center.

Shawn Pong Liu is an acclaimed classical violinist and program director of the University of Dayton’s Blue Sky Project. She has teamed with choreographer Rodney Veal to create a piece that re-invents the way artists and their audiences interact.

“ ‘Of a River’ is a blend of music, dance and visual art-making that redefines how the audience experiences a performance,” said Veal, a Blue Sky board member. “We are transforming the space in such a way that allows for the audience to be completely surrounded or immersed in the performance.”

Veal said performers will be utilizing the entire confines of the Wintergarden.

“At points in the performance, we will be introducing yards of blue silk panels into the space, metaphorically transforming the space into a river of memories or dreams,” he said.

The Blue Sky Project is an eight week artist-in-residence program at the University of Dayton. The group collaborated with the Victoria Theatre Association to bring “Of a River” to life. Liu said the Schuster Center’s Wintergarden provided the perfect backdrop for the production.

“We got very excited about the space,” Liu said. “We’re calling this a performance/installation because it is a performance; there are musicians creating sound and dancers creating movement, but we are using the whole space, which includes the three balconies and three different terraces. We don’t want the audience to just sit there passively and watch. We encourage people to move through the space with us.”

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2167 or kmoss@DaytonDailyNews.com.

How to go

What: “Of a River” a blend of visual arts, dance and music

When: 7 and 9 p.m. Thursday, July 22

Where: Schuster Center Wintergarden, Second and Main streets, Dayton

Cost: Free

More info: (937) 228-7591 or visit info@victoriatheatre.com

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‘Of a River’ debuts tonight in Schuster Center atrium

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