‘Dance Now!’ concert to honor former WVU student

The West Virginia University Division of Theatre & Dance will present their annual dance concert "Dance Now!" Thursday, Friday and Saturday at the Creative Arts Center.

"Dance Now!" will feature work by WVU Dance Program students and faculty.

The concert this year is dedicated to Emily Spickler, a former student who passed away while studying abroad in Australia in 2011. She was a third-year dance minor from Shepherdstown, W.Va.

"I'm just as excited as the dancers participating in the concert since it is dedicated to Emily," said Bethany Stuchell, an instructor at Kat and Company and a chemical engineering student at WVU.

Spickler was Stuchell's "little sister" in the sorority Alpha Omicron Pi.

"With the permission of the Spickler family, there was no question that this year's dance concert would be dedicated to Emily, and her passion and love for dance," said Yoav Kaddar, director of dance , in a press release.

A group of fellow dance minors from Spickler's hometown will perform a piece choreographed in her memory.

"This year introduces some exciting new components to the lineup, which will give our students rare and unique hands-on opportunities to work and perform a masterwork by a leading artist in the field," Kaddar said in the release. "It will also allow our audiences to be exposed to first-class choreography from the dance world."

Local dance company Kat and Company is one of the participating groups at "Dance Now!"

"I'm really excited about ‘Dance Now!' because we have never gotten to perform on a stage that big ... We will be performing a contemporary modern piece" said Jaycie Blankenship, a Kat and Company dancer.

Blankenship is one of the younger members of the company's competition dance group, which is composed of middle-and-high school students.

"Having the opportunity to let local students use the CAC stage is inspiring to these young dancers," said Katreena Snyder, artistic director and owner of Kat and Company.

The Pittsburgh Ballet Theater is featuring eight dancers, that will perform two pieces "Pas d'Esclave" from the ballet classic Le Corsaire, and the finale of "Tribute" by Frederic Franklin.

Tickets are $20 for adults, $18 for senior citizens and WVU faculty and staff and $15 for WVU students with a valid ID.

The concert is in the Lyell B. Clay Concert Theatre at the CAC Thursday and Friday at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday and 2 p.m.

For more information, visit http://theatre.wvu.edu. For tickets, call 304-293-SHOW or visit the Box Offices at the Mountainlair or Creative Arts Center. Tickets are also available through http://ticketmaster.com.