New dance company to perform

The University has Arts House Dance, Penn Dance and Sparks. Yet Vaughnda Hilton-Lyn saw the need for a different kind of dance company and founded the Performance Dance Theatre Company last fall. Hilton-Lyn had seen Sparks and Arts House Dance and had directed Penn Dance. She said that, among other things, multiculturalism is what makes Performance Dance Theatre different. "We do African, hip-hop, ballet and modern," she said. "And we concentrate on the theater aspect and the meaning behind the dance. There is as much of a focus on the character as the dancing." One dance the group will perform in their show this weekend is called "Fragile," which Hilton-Lyn choreographed originally for Penn Dance. "I choreographed that when I broke my foot," she said. "Everything revolves on keeping one foot light and off the floor." She added that it serves as a reminder to dancers to watch out for their bodies when they are dancing. Hilton-Lyn choreographed another dance, called "The Eagle's Gift," and dedicated it to her mother. She said there are other dances which are dedicated to various people and they would be listed in the program and the audience would not be lost. The 20-member dance company is made up of students from the University, Drexel University and Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and Science as well as people from the community, including a high school student. "That's one of the great things about us," PCPS freshman Alison Kepple said. "There are a lot of different levels." College freshman Layla Gilbert said there are three levels of companies within Performance Dance Theatre, the Principal Company, the Company and the Training Company. "No one is turned away based on experience," Gilbert said. "After all, how can you learn if you're not taught?" Hilton-Lyn held auditions for the group in October and January. She said ability was a factor in accepting dancers but not the only one. "I looked for technical ability, the will to learn and the want and need to dance and express themselves through dance and theater," she said. Some members who had danced elsewhere said that the opportunity of learning different styles of dancing attracted them to Performance Dance Theatre. "The Drexel program is all modern," Drexel sophomore Eleanor Dil said. "That's why I came here." "I used to do mainly ballet," Wharton freshman Jennifer Piekut said. "I like this better because it's less restrictive. Vaughnda showed me how to be freer with my body." "Vaughnda is a professional director, and it is a real privilege to have her," Drexel sophomore Robin Heusgen said. "We pay dues but it's nothing compared to what we get." Before coming to the University, Hilton-Lyn danced with professional companies including Philadanco, The American Dance Theatre and DanceFusion. "She's very flexible with us," Huesgen added. "She realizes we are students and that's our priority." Performance Dance Theatre will perform in Houston Hall Auditorium on Friday and Saturday nights at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 1:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. Tickets are $5 and can be bought on Locust Walk and at the door.

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