Multimedia dance piece, 'Swing a Club,' explores caregivers' view of cancer

By Elizabeth Child
March 30, 2004

"Cancer is not openly discussed in day-to-day life," says Assistant Professor of Dance Anthony Roberts, who lost a brother to cancer in 2001. A renowned dancer and choreographer who has taught and performed at Walker Art Center in Minneapolis and the University of Minnesota, Roberts has used his artistry to move beyond anger and helplessness in dealing with an increasingly prevalent disease.

Roberts and Klopchin perform in Swing a Club

Dance is combined with theater and multimedia technology in a new work, Swing a Club, choreographed by Anthony Roberts, artist in residence for the St. Olaf College dance department. Roberts is also a technology and teaching faculty consultant for the college's Information and Instructional Technologies department.

The hour-long dance piece will be presented Friday and Saturday, April 16 and 17, at 8 p.m., with an open dress rehearsal on Thursday, April 15, at 6 p.m. in Studio One of the Dittmann Center at St. Olaf College. The concert is free to the public, and there is no reserved seating. Free-will donations will be accepted for the American Cancer Society. For more information please contact the St. Olaf College dance department at 507-646-3248.

Seven students in St. Olaf's modern dance company, Companydance, will perform Swing a Club. Featured performers are Roberts, St. Olaf Assistant Professor of Dance Heather Klopchin and Dona Freeman, artist in residence for the St. Olaf theater department.

Swing a Club is an expression of Roberts' experience as the primary support person for his family when his brother, Tom, contracted and then died of cancer at age 43 in 2001. Throughout the multifaceted piece, Roberts comes to grips with the disease and the loss of his brother. The caregiver's viewpoint is shown through Roberts' aesthetic choice of graceful, flowing and sensitive movement, combined with video and technologically produced sounds. Theatrical interludes and video lend to the poignancy, depth and accessibility of the work, according to Roberts.

The title, Swing a Club, stems from Tom Roberts' hope that he would quickly complete his cancer treatments and then take his annual golf trip with "the guys." Roberts waited two years after his brother's death to begin the project. He believes the time elapsed has allowed him to find beauty in the experience where previously there was only anger, hopelessness and frustration with unanswered questions.

Although tragic, the experience of enduring cancer can create close bonds among loved ones and those who share similar experiences, Roberts says.

"This has been an opportunity to make a dance that is more than beautiful movement," he says. Roberts has organized complementary projects to enhance the dance performance in the hope of broadening community participation and interest. "Many of us have been touched by cancer," Roberts says. "While it is not a taboo subject, cancer is not openly discussed in day-to-day life. Many people involved with the project have found it cathartic."

For example, student dancers were asked to interview family and friends about cancer in their lives. Roberts believes the dancers have a deeper connection to their performance because of this.

St. Olaf art students were asked to participate by creating works of art that reflect the disease through visual arts. These student works will be exhibited in Dittmann Center simultaneous with the performance. With the generous support of St. Olaf's office of Community Life and Diversity, Roberts has also produced a video of members of the St. Olaf community who have been touched by cancer. It will play on monitors in Dittmann with the art exhibit.

Finally, audience members will be invited to stay for a post-performance discussion each evening, to ask questions, make comments or share their stories and experiences with cancer.

About Anthony Roberts
Anthony Roberts has been artist in residence at St. Olaf College since 1995. He teaches modern dance and is co-artistic director of the student modern dance company Companydance, for which he choreographs annually.

Prior to joining St. Olaf, Roberts was selected as a Sage Cowles visiting artist at the University of Minnesota, where he and his wife, Janice, taught and choreographed for University Dance Theatre and performed in Beyond Minnesota in 1995. That same year he was also invited to present his all-male dance Jock-ularity at Walker Art Center.

Roberts performed worldwide in Jacob's Pillow's The Ted Shawn Legacy and as a member of the Repertory Dance Theatre of Salt Lake City and Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company, also in Salt Lake City.

He earned his bachelor of fine arts degree from the University of Utah. He is pursuing a master of fine arts degree in dance with an emphasis in technology at Arizona State University in Tempe, Ariz.

Companydance performers in Swing a Club are Carolyn Albert ('05), Eliza Larson ('05), Jennifer Nuelk ('06), Emily Schulte ('07), Sheila May Slowinski ('05), Emily Weninger ('05) and Mary Clare Zabinski ('04).

Contact media relations specialist Elizabeth Child at 507-645-0119 or ec@elizabethchild.com.