On Thursday, Sept. 23, 2021, at 7:30 p.m., the Department of Dance and Art sold out the 60x60x60 Performance in the Swope Music Hall. This concert presented 60 performances to 60 pieces of music for 60 seconds each. The performers included students in both the dance and art department.
About 20 years ago, a group in New York called Vox Novus started holding 60 second dance competitions. After getting 1000s of submissions, the group would choose the winners and place them in one-hour blocks. Although this performance started as 60 dancers in 60 minutes, Slippery Rock University’s Dance and Art department decided to add an extra 60.
Artistic Director of the 60x60x60 performance, Andy Hasenpflug, spoke on his favorite aspect of this performance.
“One of the things I like best about it is it gives people a chance to really express themselves,” said Hasenpflug. “They don’t have to stick to one genre or a way of doing things that we say. They can essentially do whatever they want although I really try to harp on the fact that it has to be their best quality.”
Skylar Smith, senior bachelor of fine arts major with a concentration in choreography and performance performed at the 60x60x60 concert. During Smith’s performance, a picture of a woman with a zipper going down her spine was presented on the screen behind her. Smith’s performance was based around this image.
“The whole process is really cool because it is just inspiring different forms of art in all different ways which is super awesome,” said Smith.
Smith said she loves the artistic freedom all the performers get for this performance
Dance Department professor, Nora Ambrosio spoke on how the 60x60x60 performance is different than any other concerts the department hosts.
“We turn it over to the students and we tell them to do what they want as long as it’s high quality,” said Ambrosio. “This is very different than anything we do. Usually, we run it like a professional dance company or how a professional theater would run it. But this program is so fun and energetic, it just allows the student to cut loose and to do what they want to do.”
For this specific performance, students were responsible for coming up with their routines and working with other students on the transitions throughout the concert.
To stay up to date on the performances from the Department of Dance and Art follow @slipperyrockdance on Instagram, @srudance on Twitter or CORE for all events, concerts and performances.
