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Mar 24, 2026<\/p>\n
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OU Repertory Dance Company transforms Engineering Building into performance space for immersive production<\/p>\n
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The Oakland University School of Music, Theatre and Dance Repertory Dance Company will present a site-specific performance, “Evaporating Threads,” at 8 p.m. on Friday, March 27 inside Oakland University\u2019s Engineering Building, continuing a distinctive tradition that reimagines where and how dance can be experienced.<\/p>\n
Now in its seventh iteration since its debut in 2018, the annual Engineering Building performance was created by Associate Professor of Dance Thayer Jonutz to give student dancers the opportunity to perform outside of a traditional theater setting. The work also allows students to engage in a full-length, thematically unified production, a format not often experienced in standard concert programs.<\/p>\n
\u201cTypically dancers perform in shorter, separate pieces,\u201d Jonutz explained. \u201cThis project gives them the experience of sustaining a single concept across an entire show, while also adapting to a nontraditional performance environment.\u201d<\/p>\n
This year\u2019s production, “Evaporating Threads,” runs approximately 50 minutes and centers on an inventive use of two wooden furniture dollies. Throughout the performance, dancers skate, roll, lift, and construct sculptural forms using the platforms, transforming simple objects into dynamic choreographic tools.<\/p>\n
The performance features eight members of the Repertory Dance Company and continues a growing collaboration with dancers from Oxford High School. Now in its third year, the partnership brings high school students into the creative process for an additional work performed during the same evening.<\/p>\n
Jonutz develops this collaborative piece in an intensive, same-day creative process, balancing choreography with the logistical demands of preparing the unconventional performance space. The collaboration has become both a meaningful community-building initiative and a valuable recruitment pathway for Oakland University\u2019s dance program.<\/p>\n
In addition to its artistic and educational impact, the event also supports global learning opportunities for students. Audience members will have the option to make cash donations at the door to help fund the Repertory Dance Company\u2019s upcoming summer trip to Costa Rica.<\/p>\n
The international experience, now in its third year, allows OU dance students to engage with Costa Rican culture, connect with local dance communities, and participate in a touring-style performance environment abroad.<\/p>\n
By combining performance, collaboration, and global engagement, the Engineering Building show exemplifies Oakland University\u2019s commitment to experiential learning and innovative artistic practice.<\/p>\n
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