Obsessive-Compulsive Dance 2014 Concert

Obsessive-Compulsive Dance is proud to present "What if..." as its 2014 Summer Showcase Concert to be held at the Lafayette YWCA on July 18, 2014 at 7pm and 9:30pm.

Obsessive Compulsive Dance is a group of independent dance artists who are preparing original works to be developed and performed in a real-world setting.  We had our very first summer concert back in August of 2013 under the direction of Amy Cadwallader, and now we have come back again bigger, bolder, and more enthusiastic about dance than ever! Our name comes from the idea that dance is not just a hobby to us, but both an obsession and a compulsion; we find ourselves obsessed with the art of dance, and even when we are given time and space from it we feel compelled to move, grow, and learn. Choreographers who take on the challenge of developing a piece for this show do so with the intention of pushing boundaries, going beyond their own comfort zones, and challenging the audience (and themselves) to think more deeply about dance and how it can be used as a medium for sending powerful messages.

Among the featured works will be multiple pieces created by co­directors Amy Cadwallader and Amberly Simpson. Both choreographers prefer to work collaboratively with dancers to create artistic, challenging dances that beg the question of what possibilities exist within our limitations. The works presented in this production will be inherently different from a dance recital or other entertainment show; the goal is to explore artistry in entertainment, not simply to entertain.

As of now, we have twelve projected pieces that will be in our show that encompass everything from traditional modern dance, to pole dance, to videos of dance filmed and created at other locations within the Lafayette/West Lafayette community. Several of these dances will be exploring activist themes such as women’s image in the media and the current state of the American educational system, while others are exploring the use of props such as balloons, skirts, and chairs. There are even dances that are geared toward getting the audience to reevaluate their assumptions and stereotypes. For example, the social stigma that surrounds pole dance comes from its association with gentlemen's clubs. Thus, the choreography we are creating for these particular pieces draws little resemblance to what one might assume to see with a pole, but rather highlights the beauty and strength required to execute this style of dance while still creating a cohesive storyline.

Aside from the presentation of the show itself, there will be fundraising efforts behind the production of the show, such as selling t­shirts and DVDs, as well as asking people to contribute a small donation when they arrive to watch the performance.  Though this donation is not required in order for people to attend and all people who wish to come will be allowed in free of charge, we will be contributing half of all raised funds on the day of the performance to the Lafayette YWCA and their programs that go towards increasing diversity and women's empowerment.  The half that we keep from the funds raised on the day of the show will go toward offsetting costs of production including lighting, sound, and projection equipment, costuming, advertising, props, and other such costs.  In the wonderful event that there is a surplus of funds raised, that surplus will go directly to the YWCA; no personal profit will be gained from this show as we merely wish to create, explore, and share our love of dance and artistry with the community at large.  However, this is where you come in!  We need your help in order to get the show off the ground and up and running!

Several rewards are available to those who are willing and able to donate to the show, but don't feel pressured to give a big donation; every little bit counts, and every dollar will help us to make our show an incredible success.  Donate today and help our group of unconditionally passionate dancers and choreographers bring you our most thoughtful, exploratory, and unique show to date!

If you're not convinced yet, meet our choreographers:


NAME: Amy Cadwallader (Tsunami), Director
MAJOR: B.S. in Mathematics Education, beginning M.F.A. in Dance 
HOMETOWN: Selma, Indiana 
WHAT YOU'RE EXPLORING IN YOUR DANCE: One of my dances will explore radial symmetry with choreographing in and around a fountain, while the other will address the ineffectiveness of America's education system using an underlying structure of fractals.
FUN FACT: I love reading futuristic fantasy novels.  My guilty pleasures are trashy romance novels and eating ALL OF THE CHOCOLATE!

NAME: Esra Coskun
MAJOR: PhD in Philosophy and Literature
HOMETOWN: Istanbul, Turkey
WHAT YOU'RE EXPLORING IN YOUR DANCE: The boundary between chaos and order in big cities
FUN FACT: I'm such a big procrastinator that my dedication to dance and how organized and punctual I can be surprises those who know me well...including myself.

NAME: Leslie D. Davis
MAJOR: Master's in French Linguistics; I teach dance and tutor in French
HOMETOWN: Kokomo, Indiana
WHAT YOU'RE EXPLORING IN YOUR DANCE: For my solo, I am exploring trust and the fears that come with learning to trust again through movement that portrays a sense of being stuck and bound by something without a way out. For my group piece, I have a soloist who will be dancing out a mourning for a lost love, meanwhile the women will serve as ghost-like impressions of the past, dancing together as the pair if wings that the soloist lost. 
FUN FACT ABOUT YOU: I lived over a decade of my adult life without a TV. Aren't books so much better?!

NAME: Edite M. Grendze
MAJOR: Materials Science & Engineering
HOMETOWN: Indianapolis, Indiana
WHAT YOU'RE EXPLORING IN YOUR DANCE: my fears about what my life could be, and the challenges that child-free women face in a society obsessed with the ideal family unit.
FUN FACT ABOUT YOU: I love cars and I hope to one day have my own automobile menagerie.

NAME: Allyson Martin
MAJOR: B.S. in Food Science, and soon to be student at the Culinary Institute of America
HOMETOWN: Medford, Wisconsin
WHAT YOU'RE EXPLORING IN YOUR DANCE: My piece is inspired by circular movement of large skirts and not being told who you should be by others.
FUN FACT ABOUT YOU: I can write legibly with my feet.

NAME: Amberly Marianne Simpson (Gatsby), Director
MAJOR: Psychological Sciences and Creative Writing, Minor in Dance
HOMETOWN: Los Angeles, California 
WHAT YOU'RE EXPLORING IN YOUR DANCE: In one dance I will be exploring the objectification of women in the media and how advertising affects women's gender role prescriptions and body image using text, multimedia, and props. In the other dance, however, I will be exploring how our relationships with our families influence the way we interact in romantic relationships.
FUN FACT: I have a phobia of burps and I am convinced they aren't natural! (For the record, no, I do not burp and, yes, that is possible)

NAME: Zelda (stage name)
MAJOR: B.S. in Computer Graphics Technology, Pursuing M.S. in Computer Graphics Technology
HOMETOWN: California
WHAT YOU'RE EXPLORING IN YOUR DANCE: Bringing pole dance to the public to help eliminate the stigmas and misconceptions against it.
FUN FACT ABOUT YOU: I've had two decades of ballet training.

Donation or not, we hope to see you at the show on July 18th at either 7pm or 9:30pm so that we can share with you the works we have created and the product of of our passion.

Obsessive-Compulsive Dance presents "What if..."

July 18th at 7pm and 9:30pm

Lafayette YWCA (605 N 6th Street, Lafayette, Indiana, 47901)

"What if...we saw possibilities instead of limitations?"



For more videos of work done by the 2014 Obsessive-Compulsive Dance directors visit:

www.vimeo.com/amycadwallader
www.vimeo.com/amberlymsimpson