‘New Beginnings’ reflects troupe’s new faces

SACRAMENTO — Sacramento/Black Art of Dance (S/BAD) presents “New Beginnings,” a concert performance that reflects the changes in the company’s dancers.

Performances are in California State University, Sacramento’s Solano Hall Dancespace on Thursday, Feb. 28 starting at 6:30 p.m.; Friday, March 1 at 8 p.m.; Saturday, March 2 at 8 p.m.; Sunday, March 3 at 2 p.m.; Tuesday, March 6 at 2 p.m. and Wednesday, March 7 also at 2 p.m.; Friday, March 8 at 8 p.m.; and Saturday, March 9 at 8 p.m.

“After 20 years of performances and concerts, we’re going into a new beginning,” S/BAD founder Professor Linda Goodrich said. “Primarily all new people are in this production.”

Many of her previous dancers have gone on to other endeavors. Goodrich got to know some of the replacements when they performed with the company last year.

“But there are several more new people I didn’t know at all,” Goodrich said. “They came out to the audition and they were wonderful.”

Sac State’s African-American theater group, Sons/Ancestors Players, also will take part in the concert. Group members will recite Maya Angelou’s poem “On the Pulse of Morning” with S/BAD dancers performing to the spoken word.

A total of 20 dancers will take part in eight pieces. Several guest choreographers, from the theater and dance department faculty and outside the university, are collaborating on the production.

Music ranges from Brazilian contemporary to African-Cuban to the popular, such as Maxwell.
Choreographer Nicole Manker is using a couple of Maxwell’s songs for her piece, which is about relationships.

“The foundation of any beginning is some sort of relationship,” said Manker, “and this is about lots of different relationships and how people interact and don’t interact, and kind of collide.”

“It’s been very interesting in giving me some new perspectives on things, which is always a nice thing about working with new dancers,” Manker said.

One of those new dancers, Raven Wilson, is excited about the concert.

“This show’s a lot fun,” Wilson said. “I have Nicole’s piece I’m dancing in and she’s got a lot of groovy stuff.”

Ticket prices range from $5 for children 12 years old or younger, $8 for general admission for certain shows, $10 for students and senior citizens and $12 for general admission. Tickets are available at the university ticket office, by calling 916-278-4323 or visiting  csus.edu/sfsc/ticketoffice/.

For more information call 916-278-6368 or visit csus.edu/drama.