NATCHITOCHES – A work by Northwestern State Assistant Professor of Theatre Alex McBride, “falling apart, falling together,” was performed at the Gala Concert of the annual American College Dance Association (ACDA) South Conference held at Belhaven University.
McBride’s work was one of nine chosen out of 28 submissions and closed the Gala performance. Schools from Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, Florida, and Georgia attended the conference. The work was performed recently at the Department and Theatre and Dance’s annual Spring Dance Concert.
McBride had generative collaboration from cast members in choreographing the work. The music was by Julianne Mahoney of New Iberia and Stuart Welch of Lafayette and costumes by Jessie Parr. The cast was Members of the cast were Lara Bankston of Kenner, Jaeda Barrett, Cullen Barrilleaux and Journey Wills of New Orleans, Jillian Duggan of Shreveport, Gabrielle Marino of Lafayette, Nicole Miller of Rayville, Carleigh Murphy of Meadville, Pennsylvania, Vee Duran of Denham Springs, Ariyonna Sarpy of Natchitoches and Khuyên Trần of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Duran was the rehearsal assistant.
McBride said “falling apart, falling together” is the second adaptation of an original solo work that was researched and created over the summer of 2023 entitled “EROSION: landscape reveals us.”
“Originally being a solo work, I was interested in what it would be like to translate the solo form onto multiple dancing bodies,” said McBride. “The initial research, the starting point, was an investigation of how erosion (land, time, relationships, etc.) affects us as individuals. This second interpretation has allowed me to translate that singular ‘affect’ onto many different bodies on stage.”
According to McBride, the original composition is a sound score developed by Welch, who is a digital composer, with original steel guitar sound by Mahoney, a member of The Holiday Playgirls.
“I began this process with a central question posed to the cast: what is eroding in your life?” said McBride.
The regional conference included a wide variety of classes, workshops, scholarly research presentations, opportunities for student and faculty exchanges in and out of the studio, adjudication and informal concerts, feedback sessions and the Gala Concert as well as opportunities for faculty development such as peer response and faculty-only classes.
“Being selected to perform at the Gala for ACDA is a true testament to the students, faculty, and the BFA program here at NSUSU are a force to reckoned with,” said Brett Alan Garfinkel, head of Northwestern State’s Department of Theatre and Dance. “Schools in this region, the adjudicators and the national office of ACDA now recognize the wonderful work happening here.”
Garfinkel thanked Northwestern State’s Student Government Association which helped students attending the conference with a grant from the Organizational Relief Fund to cover a part of the student’s expenses.
Caption
“falling apart, falling together,” by Northwestern State Assistant Professor of Theatre Alex McBride was performed at the Gala Concert of the annual American College Dance Association (ACDA) South Conference held at Belhaven University. Members of the cast were Lara Bankston of Kenner, Jaeda Barrett, Cullen Barrilleaux and Journey Wills of New Orleans, Jillian Duggan of Shreveport, Gabrielle Marino of Lafayette, Nicole Miller of Rayville, Carleigh Murphy of Meadville, Pennsylvania, Vee Duran of Denham Springs, Ariyonna Sarpy of Natchitoches and Khuyên Trần of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. They are with McBride, Director and Professor of Dance Kirstin Riehl and Brett Alan Garfinkel, head of Northwestern State’s Department of Theatre and Dance.
