Dance Festival Oct. 2 features master classes, concert

The Department of Theater and Dance at Youngstown State University hosts the 11th annual Dance Festival, presented by the YSU Dance Ensemble, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 2 in Beeghly Center on campus.

The Festival is a series of master classes geared to anyone age 13 through adult, and concludes with an informal dance concert by participants and guest artists. The cost is $40 per person.

Participants may choose from a combination of classes, including Improvisation; Hip Hop: Transformation into Fierceness; Lyrical Contemporary Class: Discomposure of Lyrical Contemporary Dance; Yoga for Dancers; Beginning/Intermediate and Intermediate/Advanced Modern, Ballet and Tap Techniques; and Musical Theater.

New this year is a series of classes in tap, musical theater, hip hop and contemporary/modern technique for young people ages 9 to 12 and taught by YSU dance majors for $7 per class or $25 for all four classes.

Guest artists include nationally acclaimed choreographers Michael Anthony Alterio, currently on faculty at the University of Kentucky; Susan Gillis, former director, choreographer and dancer for the Pittsburgh Dance Alloy who currently teaches dance and yoga at the University of Pittsburgh; Angelo Lemmo, Canton Ballet’s Choreographer in Residence; Eri Raib Ptichkin, graduate of YSU and part-time faculty member in tap; and Allison Hill, choreographer.

Participants are advised to bring a bag lunch or money to purchase lunch from nearby restaurants or vending machines. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. in the front (south) lobby of Beeghly Center, accessed from Fifth Avenue. Parking is available in the M70 surface lot on Fifth Avenue for a $5 fee.

For more information, contact Christine Cobb at 330-941-1896 or email at ccobb@ysu.edu. The deadline to register is Monday, Sept. 26.