Arts & Culture
UW-SP students dance with star Billy Siegenfeld
The Pointer
jmath438@uwsp.edu
The University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point dance department performed excerpts from Emmy Award winner Billy Siegenfeld’s “god of dirt” on Feb. 7, in the Noel Fine Arts Center.
Siegenfeld is the founder, artistic director, principal choreographer and ensemble member of the Jump Rhythm Jazz Project based in Chicago who choreographed “god of dirt.”
Jeannie Hill, a UW-SP dance instructor and associate artistic director with the JRJP, along with other faculty, brought Siegenfeld and the JRJP to UW-SP to hold a two-week teaching and choreographic residence here.
The JRJP is a company of dancers that celebrate the core of jazz performance.
“I wanted our students to have an opportunity to work with him,” said Hill.
Siegenfeld’s approach to his choreography is a rhythm first approach to dancing which isn’t always the case, according to Hill.
“Because he has in-depth musical knowledge, the rhythmic structure that he comes up with is really exciting and inventive,” said Hill. “At the same time, he’s a really compelling story teller. All of his choreography is infused with humanity and deep exploration of the human condition.”
The UW-SP students performed three excerpts from Siegenfeld’s five- part “god of dirt.”
The dancers came together with fluid, swinging body movements and singing voices which turned them into moving percussion instruments, celebrating the rhythm and movement of the music.
“Those three sections work together in a complete dance,” said Hill.
The music of the narrative was based on “Tales and Songs from Weddings and Funerals” by Goran Bregovic, a film composer originally from Sarajevo, Yugoslavia. The title “god of dirt” comes from Mary Oliver’s poem “The god of dirt.”
“I’ve always loved folk music,” said Siegenfeld. “I wanted to make a folk dance that had a transboundary feel to it.
The excerpts from “god of dirt” will be performed again at the UW-SP’s theatre and dance department’s annual Danstage production.
The Jump Rhythm Jazz Project will be performing the full version of “god of dirt” on March 28 at the Sentry Theater.
