The University of Akron (UA) will present “Collage,” an annual celebration of the creativity, artistry and energy of the faculty and students of the University’s performing arts community, on Thursday, Nov. 5 at E.J. Thomas Performing Arts Hall.

This signature UA event, now in its 17th year, will be held 7:30 p.m.-9 p.m. Generously supported for years by The Kulas Foundation, “Collage” is free and open to the public.

This year, “Collage” celebrates the first anniversary of the School of Performing Arts (SOPA), the University’s united school that brings together dance, music and arts administration in one vibrant community of creativity and performance. “Collage” will also showcase the ongoing partnership with the National Center for Choreography-Akron (NCCAkron).

“Collage” transforms E.J. Thomas Performing Arts Hall into a dynamic performance experience unlike any traditional concert. Each performance consists of ensembles, soloists, faculty and students dazzling in unexpected moments, keeping the audience on the edge of their seats. The result is a continuous 90-minute celebration of the performing arts that surprises audiences and explores the possibilities of the spaces it inhabits. 

Audiences will experience a fast-paced, exhilarating, one-of-a-kind event displaying the extraordinary range of SOPA talent and inspiration.

SOPA and NCCAkron, an independent nonprofit organization with offices in UA’s Guzzetta Hall, will screen two films from the “24 Caprices” series presented by Dance Heginbotham (DH), a New York-based contemporary dance company committed to supporting, producing and performing the work of choreographer John Heginbotham.

“The opportunity to showcase two works by Dance Heginbotham during 'Collage' is an exciting and innovative addition to this year's performance,” said Dr. Galen Karriker, UA’s director of bands and professor of music who is co-producing the event.

“We trust the combination of visual artistry and the accompanying music and dance performances will enhance the visceral effect of Collage,” he added. “It is also wonderful to celebrate the continuing relationship we enjoy with (NCCAkron executive/artistic director) Christy Bolingbroke and the National Center for Choreography here at The University of Akron.”

“'Collage' is such a fun, perennial sampling of the performing arts at UA,” said Bolingbroke. “As a process-based organization adjacent to a research university, we are thrilled to contribute and collaborate with SOPA on this platform as part of NCCAkron’s 10th anniversary celebration this year.”

The film screenings include “Caprice #1: Jump Rope” and “Caprice #12: Goodyear.” The former will feature a live saxophone performance by UA Assistant Professor of Practice Justin Evangelist. The latter was filmed in Akron in October 2023 with violinist Colin Jacobsen atop the former Goodyear headquarters on East Market Street, below the Goodyear Wingfoot sign. UA dance students will perform live during “Caprice #12: Goodyear” with choreography by Christine Howe, UA assistant professor of practice.

In spring 2020, DH launched 24 Caprices, as an ambitious video project driven by the desire to continue to collaborate, connect and advance Heginbotham’s creative vision at a time of physical isolation during the COVID pandemic. Using classical composer Niccolo Paganini’s “24 Caprices for Solo Violin” as a launching point, DH joined forces with Jacobsen to explore the caprices' delightful, dark and melancholic turns in short dance films. Each caprice is a captivating jewel, rhythmically intricate and varied in range, capturing a moment in time.

NCCAkron has collaborated with DH in numerous ways over the past decade. Most recently, Heginbotham’s “Dance Sonata” was performed by UA dance and music students in spring 2024.

School of Performing Arts contact: Sarah Hiddleston, slj6@uakron.edu

Media contact: media@uakron.edu