Fall Concert of Dance
Wellspring Theater at the Epic Center
Nov. 13-14, 8 p.m.; Nov. 15, 2 p.m.; Nov. 19-21, 8 p.m.
$20 general admission, $10 students
wellspringdance.org, (269) 342-4354

Georgia O'Keefe, that famous painter of blooms and buds, once wrote that she took her impressions of flowers and decided to "paint it big" so everyone could enjoy what she saw. O'Keefe's stirring canvases served as muse for dancer, choreographer and Wellspring dance company founder Cori Terry and resulted in last season's spring premiere, which is also being performed for Wellspring's Fall Concert of Dance.

"I'll Paint it Big" features fluid, abstract motions that invoke the opening of flower blooms. "The piece is quite gorgeous," says Maria Syszynski, Wellspring's executive director. "It's colorful, expansive...and provides an image of flight as well as the vastness of the American landscape."

Terry's latest work will also be introduced in the Fall Concert, providing a stark contrast to the colors and expressiveness of "I'll Paint it Big." The work, called "Daydream for 36 Limbs," is meant to "embody the dizzying pace of life," Syszynski explains. The dancers are dressed in business attire and perform to the post-minimalist music of Bill Ryan, director and composer at Grand Valley State University.

Wellspring, Southwest Michigan's only professional dance company, was founded in 1981 and performs in the Wellspring Theater, a custom designed venue in the Epic Center. Besides producing the Fall and Spring Dance Concerts, Wellspring also hosts the Michigan Regional Alternative Dance Festival, which attracts an array of dancers every year "from the Midwest and beyond," Syszynski explains. "The audience can expect to see modern, contemporary and performance dances."
Wellspring also offers classes for all ages and skill types. Instead of teaching students to copy the instructor's motions, the classes encourage using creativity and inspiration, which is a theme for Wellspring dance altogether.