By ROBIN CAUDELL
PLATTSBURGH — Michael Jackson's "Black Or White" lyrics washed over "The Nutcracker" props sprinkled throughout Hartman Theatre.
Dance Master Phillip Cole directed his Movement Studies 217 and 217B students dancing with chairs in "A Question of Humanity," the theme of this season's "Ringing Down the Curtain" performances on Dec. 2 and 3 in Hartman Theatre.
Cole came up with the idea to use the chairs when his large class size prohibited the use of a ballet barre. In his class, the chairs became each student's individual barre. Onstage, the chairs add varying perspectives of limbs popping and locking.
"It's not only useful as a training tool but a performance tool," Cole said.
WOLF OR SHEEP
In "A Question of Humanity," dancers explore issues of racism, diversity, road rage, fear, bullying, street violence and domestic violence.
"We ask the question, 'Where has humanity gone?'" Cole said.
Thirty-four students express action and reaction to situations they are confronted with as they navigate life in vignettes scored with a sanitized "Wolf or Sheep" from "Training Day."
"We start at the beginning of each semester and build a concept that develops and continues until total fruition with its performance."
Cole explains how newsprint and black-and-white text will be projected behind the students.
"I attempt to use all the elements. I take students from all majors and teach them to see how movement and dance can relate to what they do."
Olapeju "O" Oyeyemi, signed up for Cole's class as therapy for spine surgery.
"It's something to help me get back on my feet," said Oyeyemi, a junior majoring in broadcast journalism and English.
Drawing on her skill set, she and two other classmates acted out the different vignettes and created an audio track that Cole will synchronize with their dance performance.
"I enjoyed the class," Oyeyemi said. "It was fun."
This will be Cole's last class for a while. He's taking a semester off to have knee surgery.
"Hopefully, the surgery goes well," he said. "I will be back in September."
E-mail Robin Caudell at: rcaudell@pressrepublican.com
