Blogs
The University of Maryland (UMD) College of Arts and Humanities has appointed Leigh Wilson Smiley director of the School of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies (TDPS) at the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center.
Smiley is the former associate director of TDPS and served as the School’s first head of the MFA in Performance (MFAP) program, and played an integral role in establishing the degree in 2010. She has taught at UMD since 2003. Read more here.
The University of Maryland will welcome two legendary international keyboard percussion ensembles, Percussions Claviers de Lyon and Kroumata Percussion Ensemble to the School of Music in the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, February 25 – 28, 2013 for a series of concerts, lectures and masterclasses.
This post is by Sisi Reid, a Junior Anthropology and Theatre Double Major.
The late activist Audre Lorde once said, “When I dare to be powerful to use my strength in the service of my vision then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid.” The same courageous voices are weaved throughout Anu Yadav’s and Caroline Clay’s MFA in Performance thesis presentations, both part of the Festival of New Works at the Clarice Smith Center. At first glance you wouldn’t think Yadav’s Meena’s Dream and Clay’s Let it Flo are very similar. Knowing each artist personally, reading their scripts, and seeing their rehearsals, I understand how beautifully they both communicate the struggle we have to confront, accept and utilize our own inner strength.
The raw vulnerability of profound characters teaches us that we all have a power within ourselves to both love and demand truth.
This post is written by Bobby Asher, our Associate Director of Artistic Initiatives.
A Rite photo by Paul B. Goode
In early January, I attended a showing of A Rite, an examination of Stravinsky's history-making work by the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company and SITI Company. They will perform the full piece at the Clarice Smith Center on February 7 & 8. You should be here.
I think what Bill T. and Anne created here is important; it respects and amplifies Stravinsky's work while simultaneously providing their shared commentary on what the piece meant in the context of the time when it premiered and what it has come to represent since.
This post was written by Jane Hirshberg, our Community Engagement Manager.
This January, we were invited to present a session at APAP|NYC 2013, a yearly national conference presented by the Association of Performing Arts Presenters. In this session titled “Fortune’s Bones: An Adventure in Less Control and More Collaboration", we discussed last year’s Fortune’s Bones project and the community-based collaborations forged over the course of the year.
The Mighty Sound of Maryland Marching Band showed their true colors as they proudly performed live for President Obama and millions of Americans as they watched the 57th Presidential Inaugural Parade on Monday, January 21, 2013.
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“It’s ok -- I’m with the band” might open doors at rock concerts, but no such intro is needed for the Mighty Sound of Maryland Marching Band, who have been honored with an invitation to participate in the 57th Presidential Inaugural Parade on Monday, January 21, 2013.
Selected from over 2,800 applicants, the UMD Marching Band is best known for its performances at Maryland Terrapins sporting events. But this month, their performance involves marching the fifteen blocks of Pennsylvania Avenue between the U.S. Capitol and the White House, where they will be reviewed by the president and vice-president and their families, along with the viewing public.
Please note that the application deadline for the 2013 National Orchestral Institute has passed.
The UMD School of Music is accepting applications for the 2013 National Orchestral Institute (NOI), a four-week program of intensive study which will take place at the Clarice Smith Center late May through June 2013.
By Shachia Bryan (Excerpt from original piece)
You would think that a play with five performers, music and a spotlight would be very simple, but that was far from the case in The Better Half.
By Spencer Stebbins (Excerpt from original piece)
Music has a certain rhythm, a certain beat, and a certain power that draws the listener in. Whether you love classical or rock, music recreates itself into a living being that speaks directly into your ear, pulling out and enhancing your emotions. Whether you close your eyes and let your imagination flow from one world to another or throw in your headphones and let the music carry your body to a certain beat while you run, music pushes you beyond your limits and resounds through your whole body. When we look to dance as an art form, we begin to see the music we hold dear come to life in another human being. We see a variety of emotions play out. And when we take a moment to let all else fade away, we become a part of the dance itself as our hearts and imagination are taken in by the performance.