The UW Theatre and Dance Department is hosting the American College Dance Association (ACDA) High-Desert Conference beginning on March 26 and concluding on March 29. The conference is produced by the ACDA, a national organization that supports dance in higher education. UW will host 330 attendees from the region who will be joined by UW theatre and dance students. The event will feature approximately 120 movement workshops and sessions, four adjudicated concerts, one informal concert, one gala concert, and a closing concert.
The conference attendees will be given opportunities to receive feedback from internationally renowned adjudicators. The adjudicators will be watching 40 dances, and providing feedback through interactive sessions. Sidra Bell, Leah Cox, and Mike Esperanza will be providing feedback on works choreographed by undergraduate students, faculty, and guest artists. Aaron Wood, Assistant Professor of Dance and lead coordinator for the conference, discussed the importance of guest artists and adjudicators here on the UW campus.
“I think it demonstrates the department’s real support in bringing renowned artists and artwork to the Laramie community and the university community,” Wood said. “I also feel that hosting a conference like this establishes the University of Wyoming Department of Theatre and Dance on a national and international level.”
The UW Department of Theatre and Dance has been working hard since 2023 to host the conference. This year marks the first time in nearly a decade UW hosted the event, as UW previously hosted in 2004 and 2016. The event was a full departmental endeavor, and required teamwork from theater and dance colleagues and students, Wood said.
The conference brings the collegiate dance community together and provides its participants with a variety of opportunities to grow and learn not only as dancers but as people. While it presents a space for its dancers to explore the world of dance with assistance from world-renowned artists and adjudicators, it also creates a community that continues to flourish not only in the world of dance but the real world as well.
“One of the most rewarding components is the community,” Wood said. “Bringing the community together, sharing the joy of dance, telling stories, and gathering in space and sharing space with one another is really quite beautiful.”
While the conference is focused on the celebration of collegiate dance, it also illustrates the beauty of dance and its importance as it surrounds us every day.
“I believe that everyone is a dancer. If your heart is beating you are a dancer. There’s a rhythm there, you are moving,” Wood said. “One of the things I value about dance is the connection between my humanity, my spirit, and my sense of community. It ties all of those and bridges everything together. I just couldn’t imagine life without moving.”
