USC dance alums return for show

A USC Alumni Choreography Showcase brings back bright lights of the program who’ve gone on to find success as professionals in the dance world.

And the show is directed by dance instructor Cindy Flach, who has stayed right here to do notable work at USC and in community theater.

The concert is 7:30 tonight at the Koger Center for the Arts. Tickets range from $12 to $18.

Choreographers selected include Alyson Amato (2013), Erin Jaffe Bolshakov (no degree taken), Terrance Henderson (2001), Juliana Jordan (2011), Kathleen Lee (1996), Caitlin McCormack (2012) and Mindy Rawlinson (2013).

Their works will be performed by university dance students, alumni and members of the choreographers’ respective dance companies.

A sampling of the evening:

▪ An excerpt of Henderson’s “Ruins,” a personal work which questions how civilization, as well as Henderson’s own life and creations, will be understood by future generations;

▪ “Boundaries” by Bolshakov, a three-person, tango-based work that portrays the dynamics of relationships where the balance of power is skewed;

▪ “The Edge” by Kathleen Lee, which the choreographer says explores pushing one’s physical, emotional or mental limits.

Like many, Lee said her experiences at the university led directly to her current position. She heads the dance program at Dreher High School and was named Teacher of the Year recently.

Lee said her love of teaching dance began through her work with the USC Dance Conservatory, which offers after-school training to young dancers. She credits Flach as a major influence. “She brought me into the community theater world in Columbia, and it was in community theater where I first began my journey as a choreographer,” she said.

For Flach, a part of the dance faculty since 1989, the return of these alumni is a chance to celebrate their continued evolution as dance artists.

“I love to see the growth in young artists,” Flach said. “What they have done personally and professionally since leaving USC has honed and matured their work. And now they are returning to share it with us.”

If you go: Alumni Choreography Showcase, 7 p.m. tonight Koger Center for the Arts, 1051 Greene St. on the USC campus. Tickets: $12 for students, $16 for USC faculty/staff, military and those 60 and older; and $18 for the general public. Available through the Koger Center box office at (803) 777-5112 or online at www.capitoltickets.com

Dawn Hinshaw

This story was originally published April 15, 2015 at 1:57 PM with the headline "USC dance alums return for show."