“A performance requires a performer, a viewer and illumination. Art requires energy, dedication and passion,” as choreographer Austin Lintner said in the Young Choreographer’s Showcase program.

The Young Choreographer’s Showcase was just that, art exquisitely exhibited on the stage.

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Young Choreographer's Showcase

The OU School of Drama annual Young Choreographer's Showcase opened Thursday, Jan. 26, 2012.

“Vitality,” choreographed by ballet performance and pre-physical therapy junior Austin Lintner was a great opening to the show.

The music was jovial and whimsical, and the movement was light and flowing. This piece was performed by two women and one man wearing pastel colors with bare legs. This dance looked like the beginning of spring.

“D.S.,” choreographed by modern dance performance senior Diana Robertson, was an abstract dance filled with intricate and interesting movement.

There was a lot of floor work in this piece, but whether on the floor or in the air, it definitely held the audience’s attention.

“Sammen Son Én,” choreographed by ballet performance senior Brett Young, was breathtaking. Performed by Zachary Leighton and Diana Robertson, this piece told the story of finding and falling in love, growing distant and reconnecting with each other.

The dancers walked around the stage in search of something and discovered each other. The movement filled every second of the music as the two moved together as one.

The video game characters Mario and Luigi are brought to life in Charlotte Hart’s ballet.

Hart is a graduate student and professional ballet dancer who received her Bachelor of Fine Arts from OU. Her piece was animated and fun. The movement resembled that of electronic characters with high energy and sharp movements.

This number was very entertaining and definitely one of a kind.

Ballet performance junior Nathan Young choreographed “Ineffable Soulstice.” This is a contemporary routine with abstract movements and outstanding visuals from the audience’s perspective.

Terra Easter, modern dance performance senior choreographed “Weightless: An Ode to Cello.” This routine is beautifully lit, choreographed and executed. The dancers appear as weightless, and the back wall disappears to the audience’s eye and becomes an abyss.

Ballet performance senior Jammie Walker, not only danced in two numbers, he is one of the young choreographers. The movement of “6 out of 5” is fast and furious. This routine resembles a stressful, chaotic life executed with shaking hands and different movements for every dancer. The color scheme of red and black is consistent, however each dancer wears different variations of these colors, adding to the individuality of the movement.

The closing piece, “Hocket,” was choreographed by modern dancer performance senior Christopher Frazier and began a cappella. The dancers’ intense focus pierces through their eyes into the audience as their subtle movement creates a rhythm.

The rhythm soon is accompanied by drums, and a story of lust, lure and jealousy unfolds on the stage. The facial expressions of the two leading women, Elyse Anderson and Megan Storey, portray their emotions and motifs behind their movement.

The young choreographers showcase was an honor and pleasure to watch.

Dusti Gasparovic is a University College Freshman