Wisconsin native is guest artist in dance concert

How does a small town girl from Land o’ Lakes end up in New York City on stage and on tour with some of the hottest names in modern dance? And what’s she doing back in Wisconsin?

That small town girl is back as a guest artist-in-residence through Sunday, April 22. Now based in New York City, Wisconsin native Barbara Grubel is on campus this month to teach, set a new work on students and perform a solo in the upcoming Spring Faculty Dance Concert April 19-21 at 8 p.m. in Lathrop Hall, 1050 University Ave.

“It is such a thrill to be in Wisconsin teaching,” says Grubel. “It’s been 20 years since I left and memories of those long, wonderful days I spent dancing in Lathrop Hall are flooding back. I’m looking forward to performing in the new theater — Lathrop’s facelift is fantastic.”

Both Grubel’s student group work and solo will be featured in this final concert of the season. Her group work, “Drifting,” is set to Bach’s “Unaccompanied Cello Suite #1” and premiered in New York at the prestigious St. Mark’s Danspace in 1999.

Grubel began her professional career in Minneapolis dancing with the New Dance Ensemble, and continued her career in New York, where she’s been a member of numerous companies including Don Wagoner, Douglas Dunn, Bill Young, David Dorfman and most recently, Ralph Lemon.

Dance Program assistant professor Jin-Wen Yu will present two works in the concert, a trio and a solo. Using stage settings, props and video images, Yu’s trio, “Which One is Pink? Part II,” incorporates both the surrealist sounds of Pink Floyd and the common life philosophy of its musical lyrics. His multimedia solo, “Transit,” was created collaboratively with video artist Wendy Woodson. It explores alienation and anxiety as one journeys through life.

Ballet guest artist Matthew Nash and his Dance Repertory Theater class plans to deconstruct a 1947 work commissioned for George Balanchine’s company, Ballet Society. Entitled “The Seasons,” the work was a collaboration between Merce Cunningham, John Cage and Isamu Noguchi.

The concert will also showcase a work by Dance Program student Meghan McCoy, an American College Dance Festival Gala Concert winner, who will perform her award-winning solo, “Indifference.”

Tickets: $12 general public, $8 students and senior citizens, Wisconsin Union Theater Box Office, 800 Langdon St., (608) 262-2201, or at the door. For more information, call the Dance Program office, (608) 262-1691.