By Megan Reyna
The music luminaries of the Lone Star State are getting a special dance tribute this weekend in Lubbock.
Texas Music Icons: A Rockin’ Evening of Dance features contemporary and jazz styles of dance. Presented by the local Flatlands Dance Theatre, the event will be held at 8 p.m. on Oct. 23 and 24 in the Firehouse Theatre at The Louise Hopkins Underwood Center for the Arts.
Allison Pelham, an apprentice at Flatlands Dance and a senior dance major from Fort Worth, Texas, is in her third season dancing for the company. She said this weekend’s show is going to be both accessible and entertaining.
(Allison Terry/The Hub@TTU)
“My favorite piece I’m in is ‘Everyday’,” Pelham said. “It is a song by Buddy Holly, and I’m really excited to be in that one because Buddy Holly is from Lubbock and I think it is pretty cool to represent that because I go to school here.”
She added: “I think it’s important for people to come out and watch to support the arts community.”
Ali Duffy, artistic director of Flatlands Dance and an assistant professor of dance at Tech, said the idea for the show originated from talking to a colleague in the School of Music, Roger Landes.
“He teaches a wildly popular class in the school of music called the History of Rock ‘n’ Roll, and I thought, ‘well, how exciting to show our audience a collaboration in rock music and contemporary dance,’” Duffy said.
Landes developed a narrative about artists born and raised in Texas, Duffy said, and the company selected songs from the featured artists and choreographed dances to go with them.
Flatlands Dance Theatre performing “Ordinary Wars” at the Annual Conference on the Advancement of Women (Rashayla Daniels/The Hub@TTU)
Both Flatlands and Tech’s dance department have contributed to dance appreciation in Lubbock, Duffy said.
“Texas Tech has been a huge component or reason why dance has boomed here,” Duffy said. “We’ve brought in some amazing faculty, we have a brand new building, and our students base is constantly growing.”
Bianca Barrera, a senior dance major from Austin and a third-year Flatlands apprentice, said she loves what she does.
“It’s been really awesome to learn and see how a professional company works, and how to work with professional lighting directors and theatrical directors,” Barrera said.
Flatlands has infused itself into the Lubbock community, Duffy said, and many fun events are coming up.
Added Duffy: “We are constantly thinking of ways to interact in different ways in our community—reach people that we don’t normally reach.”
About JOUR 3312
