Grinnell College Dance Troupe

Grinnell College Dance Troupe was started over twenty years ago by a group of student dancers as an extracurricular passion and has since evolved into a faculty-directed dance company within the Department of Theatre and Dance. At the end of fall semester the troupe presents a low-tech performance of student choreography. In the spring, troupe members perform in the Department of Theatre and Dance’s fourth mainstage production – a fully produced concert with professional lighting and costume designers dedicated to contemporary dance and interdisciplinary performance.  Each year, professional guest choreographers are invited to create new dance or re-stage an already existing work for the group. Past guest choreographers include Susan Warden, Celeste Miller, Juanita Suarez, Kelly Gottesman, Kathleen Hurley and Christian Bambara. Shawn Womack, assistant professor of dance, is the troupe’s artistic director.

The Troupe’s past work has embraced a variety of styles and dance vocabularies. However, the primary focus of its work is in modern and post-modern concert dance. Membership in the Troupe requires several things:

1. A firm commitment to the rehearsal and production schedule. Dance Troupe typically rehearses Monday-Thursday 4:30-6:30 pm with weekend rehearsals scheduled closer to the performance dates.
2. A desire to participate in and investigate contemporary choreographic and performance practices
3. A dedication to high performance and production standards

Previous dance experience is not a requirement but certainly a desired qualification. In the past, students with no dance experience but with demonstrated potential for developing the skills necessary to dance have been accepted and have become active members of troupe.

For the 2009-10 season, the Grinnell College Dance Troupe exits the stage to dance in various locations on campus and in the town of in Grinnell. Shawn Womack, assistant professor and the director of Dance Troupe and Kathleen Hurley, Des Moines choreographer and the college dance technique instructor, along with troupe members will choreograph dances specifically for the selected campus and town sites. Performances will occur throughout the school year. For further questions about Dance Troupe contact Shawn Womack: womacksh@grinnell.edu or x3286.