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Wylliams/Henry Contemporary Dance Company to perform April 10 at C-SC

CANTON, Mo. – The Wylliams/Henry Contemporary Dance
Company will perform at Culver-Stockton College at 7:30 p.m. on
Thursday, April 10, in the Alexander Campbell Auditorium in the
Performing Arts Center. The performance is free and open to the public.
The company was founded in 1991 by Leni Wylliams and Mary Pat Henry in
Kansas City, Mo., and was reviewed by The New York Times:
“Wylliams/Henry Contemporary Dance … filled the stage with cool
heat.”
The company will present dance works ranging from the nationally
acclaimed work of Donald McKayle to the intimate choreography of
founding artistic director, Leni Wylliams. The concert is filled with
exuberant energy, striking images, and theatrical flair.
Compositions to be performed include three by Wylliams: Sha Tah Tee,
inspired by the sounds and rhythms of the ocean; Minus Him depicting a
woman imagining her love and partner in a solo dance; and Evidence of
Souls Not Seen, set to the music of Mahler and Elgar, a trio for men
honoring those who have passed on and the spirit and love that remain
with us. Also being performed is Games by McKayle, a modern dance
classic that is in the repertoires of the Alvin Ailey American Dance
Theater, the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, and the Ballet
Hispanico, among others. Games juxtaposes the imaginings of urban
children with the real dangers they face and is performed with live
singers. Also scheduled is Ritual by Amber Perkins, a duet set to the
music of Arvo Pärt embodying contemporary ballet and modern dance. The
concert will conclude with a piece by Mary Pat Henry, Sweet Otis Suite,
set to the music of Otis Redding and celebrating his impact on American
music.
Funding assistance for this project has been provided by the Missouri
Arts Council, a state agency.
For information concerning Culver-Stockton fine arts events, call
573-288-6346 or e-mail finearts@culver.edu.