Three alumni guest artists and more than 30 current students will take part in the Merrins Fall Chamber Concert. Performances take place at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 7, 8 and 9 in the James and Marcia Merrins Dance Theatre at the State University of New York at Fredonia.
Current Fredonia students and alumni will be the focus when the Dance program at the State University at Fredonia presents the annual Merrins Fall Chamber Concert from Nov. 7 to 9.
Performance time is 7:30 p.m. on each date in the James and Marcia Merrins Dance Theatre of Rockefeller Arts Center.
In addition to the 30-plus current students involved in the production, Director Angela McDonough DiFiore said three Fredonia Dance alumni have returned as guest choreographers. Anna Fitzpatrick (Class of 2020), Natalie Marino (Class of 2021) and Charles Fuller (Class of 2023) have all created works for the dance concert.
“We are just so grateful and happy to have them coming back to share their talents,” said DiFiore, a lecturer in Dance at Fredonia. “We’re proud of what they have accomplished out in the world.”
Fitzpatrick, who earned a BFA in Dance with a minor in Dance Studio Administration is now the performing arts director for Springville Center for the Arts. In addition, she is a studio dance teacher, freelance choreographer and a certified barre instructor.
“My creative process is driven mostly by narrative choreography. With dance being a vulnerable art form, I enjoy highlighting visual storytelling & expression in my pieces,” she said.
This past spring, Fitzpatrick served as a choreographer for the Fredonia Dance Ensemble concert.
“I feel honored to be asked back again,” she said. “I have the Theatre and Dance faculty to thank for the dancer, choreographer, teacher and artist that I am today. It has been a pleasure returning as a guest artist, especially knowing how much I cherished those experiences when I was a student. As an educator, my hope is to leave an impression on these students by encouraging them to embrace their inner artist, just as the faculty of Fredonia did with me.”
Marino, who earned a BFA in Dance with a minor in Communication, is currently teaching circus arts at Aerial Arts of Rochester in Rochester, NY.
Outside of teaching, she is working on a creative project titled the “Kitchen Wrenches” with collaborator Reilly Liberto. She describes “Kitchen Wenches” as “a devised world, highlighting the magic of reality. Like life, the kitchen is a constant battle.”
“It feels very full circle to return and choreograph at Fredonia,” Marino said. “I always loved having guest choreographers and I am excited to inspire in that way.”
Fuller is currently in his last year of graduate studies at Fredonia for Biology. In 2023, he earned a BS in Exercise Science and a BFA in Dance.
During his time in graduate school, Fuller has done research on the muscular activity in dance and how postural cues can help correct improper usage of muscle activity while dancing.
Fuller’s current work, “Bereavement. Rebirth. Repeat,” abstracts “the idea of grief and how the cycle never ends. Grief can manifest itself in many ways and in various relationships throughout life. Whether these are intimate, platonic, or anywhere in between, relationships come and go, and grieving them is a process we all face multiple times throughout our life. The loss of a relationship is not always through death, it can be emotional, a change in physical distance, or the loss of mental functionality.”
Based on his experiences, Fuller has created an18-minute work highlighting various stages of this process.
The Merrins Chamber Concert features five pieces in all, with the program running approximately 115 minutes. As a whole, DiFiore said the concert features contemporary dance, with some works also having jazz influences.
Rounding out this year’s event will be works choreographed by DiFiore and Professor Sam Kenney, Dance area coordinator at Fredonia.
Kenney’s work will be a large-scale piece featuring 12 dancers and a light-hearted spirit. Difiore will be restaging a solo work she created in 2004. She has created a new section to the music of Nina Simone that will be added to the original.
It is the type of piece DiFiore thinks works very well in a setting like the Merrins Dance Theatre.
“I feel the Merrins is such a special place to present a solo work. It’s such an intimate space,” she said. “You get a real sense of detail.”
Assistant Director Valentina Duić, a Dance major who will also be performing in the event, concurred.
“You can convey a lot of emotions in the Merrins,” she said. “You’re literally right in front of the audience, looking into their eyes.”
Again this season, auditions for the Merrins Fall Chamber Concert were open to all Fredonia students and a number of non-Dance majors are part of the production.
“It’s much more inclusive,” DiFiore said, “and this brings a lot energy. The students turn out to support one another, and that’s so nice to see.”
Tickets are available online 24/7 at fredonia.edu/tickets. Tickets may also be purchased on Monday, Wednesday or Friday by phone at 716-673-3501 or in person at the Campus Ticket Office in the Williams Center during the same hours.