Choreographers/performers Akira Gilmore, Meredith Reitz and Sarah Wildes Arnett perform ‘Air’ as part of the VSU dance production playing this weekend. SARAH WILDES ARNETT, AKIRA GILMORE, AND MEREDITH REITZ

VALDOSTA – “Weave” is a dance show with a lot of moving pieces.

Figuratively and literally.

The annual Valdosta State University Dance show has 14 dances, in styles ranging from tap, jazz, funk, hip hop and more, said Melissa Pihos, a VSU Theatre & Dance faculty member and one of the choreographers featured in “Weave: Spring Dances: Stories and Themes Expressed Through Movement,” running through the weekend.

Pihos has one epic choreographed piece in the show, a dance about love lost and grief, featuring voice-over narration by cast members and others.

Sarah Wildes Arnett, fellow faculty member and choreographer, has several dances in the show. She also performs her aerial dance work via suspended silks, with a collaborative work with student choreographers based on the four elements of earth, wind, fire and water.

They are joined by student choreographers and a guest choreographer.

A look at the dances and dancers:

In Working (Dis)Order

Choreography: Sarah Wildes Arnett

Costume Design: Chalise Ludlow

Lighting Design: Ruth A. Brandvik

Dancers: Carly Fults, Akira Gilmore, Lillabeth Mason, Meredith Reitz, Emily Ruiz, Shelby Sharpe

Instaobsolescence

Choreography: Meredith Reitz (BFA Dance & BFA Theatre, 2023)

Costume Design: Chalise Ludlow

Lighting Design: Meredith Reitz

Dancers: Carly Fults, Akira Gilmore, Deja Holden, Emma McGuffey, Maya Tupek, Bridget Walsh

“This piece has been selected to represent VSU Theatre & Dance at The American College Dance Association Southeastern Conference in March 2023,” according to program notes.

Earth

Choreography and Performance: Meredith Reitz (BFA Dance & Theatre, 2023)

Costume Design: Chalise Ludlow Lighting Design: Ruth A. Brandvik

Frisson

Choreography and Performance: Maya Tupek (BFA Dance, 2024)

Costume Design: Chalise Ludlow

Lighting Design: Ruth A. Brandvik

Dancers: Carly Fults, Deja Holden, Emma McGuffey, Meredith Reitz, Bridget Walsh

“This piece has been selected to represent VSU Theatre & Dance at The American College Dance Association Southeastern Conference in March 2023,” according to program notes.

Water

Choreography and Performance: Akira Gilmore (BFA Dance, 2023)

Costume Design: Chalise Ludlow Lighting Design: Ruth A. Brandvik

Cose Dulci Nella Vita: Part I

Choreography: Sarah Wildes Arnett with the cast

Videography and Editing: Sarah Wildes Arnett

Costume Design: Chalise Ludlow

Props: Ruth A. Brandvik and Sarah Wildes Arnett

Dancers: Emma McGuffey with Tiyrai Anderson, Kalab Quinn, Shelby Sharpe, Maya Tupek, Bridget Walsh

Love Lost

Choreography: Melissa Pihos

Sound Editing: Melissa Pihos

Monologues recorded and performed: Zackary Price, Hananel Mavity, Ella Risa Marroquin, Jaylan Jones and Melissa Pihos

Writing credits: Intro (Zackary Price and Melissa Pihos), Jen Mcnure, Meredith Reitz, Bridget Walsh, Gabrielle Vasseur, and last monologue credit from the Netflix series, “Midnight Mass”

Costume Design: Chalise Ludlow

Lighting Design: Ruth A. Brandvik

Dancers: Emma McGuffey, Bridget Walsh, Akira Gilmore, Lada Konkova, Meredith Reitz, Maya Tupek

Refraction III

Choreography: Sarah Wildes Arnett

Costume Design: Chalise Ludlow

Lighting Design: Ruth A. Brandvik

Dancers: Akira Gilmore and Meredith Reitz

“This piece has been selected to represent VSU Theatre & Dance at The American College Dance Association Southeastern Conference in March 2023,” according to program notes.

A Tuba In Cuba

Choreography: Ashley Jones

Costume Design: Quint Paxton

Lighting Design:Ruth A. Brandvik

Rehearsal Director: Emma McGuffey

Dance Captain: Bridget Walsh

Dancers: Tiyrai Anderson, Sydney Byrd, Carly Fults, Anna Perry, Kalab Quinn, Meredith Reitz, Emily Ruiz, Shelby Sharpe, Bridget Walsh

Fire

Choreography and Performance: Sarah Wildes Arnett

Costume Design: Chalise Ludlow

Lighting Design: Ruth A. Brandvik

“This piece has been selected to represent VSU Theatre & Dance at The American College Dance Association Southeastern Conference in March 2023,” according to program notes.

Vita Alegria

Choreography: Ashley Jones with Sarah Wildes Arnett and the cast

Costume Design: Quint Paxton

Lighting Design: Ruth A. Brandvik

Rehearsal Director: Akira Gilmore

Dancers: Sydney Byrd, Akira Gilmore, Deja Holden, Carly Fults, Kya Larkin, Maya Tupek

Cose Dulci Nella Vita: Part II

Choreography: Sarah Wildes Arnett with the cast

Videography and Editing: Sarah Wildes Arnett

Costume Design: Chalise Ludlow

Props: Ruth A. Brandvik and Sarah Wildes Arnett

Production Assistants: Carly Fults, Nathan Hughes and Fernando Martinez-Guzman

Dancers: Tiyrai Anderson, Sydney Byrd, Skylar Fielder, Deja Holden, Kare Parks, Anna Perry, Emma McGuffey, Kalab Quinn, Lillabeth Mason, Meredith Reitz, Emily Ruiz, Shelby Sharpe, Maya Tupek, Bridget Walsh

Air

Choreography and Performance: Sarah Wildes Arnett, Akira Gilmore and Meredith Reitz

Costume Design: Chalise Ludlow

Lighting Design: Ruth A. Brandvik

Welcome To Soulsville

Choreography: Eboné Amos (Guest Artist)

Costume Design: Chalise Ludlow

Lighting Design: Ruth A. Brandvik

Rehearsal Director: Meredith Reitz

Dancers: Kalab Quinn, Maya Tupek, Akira Gilmore, Deja Holden, Tiyrai Anderson, Bridget Walsh, Carly Fults, Emma McGuffey, Shelby Sharpe, Kaleana Washington

VSU Theatre & Dance’s “Weave” plays 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Friday, Saturday, March 2-4; 3 p.m. Sunday, March 5, Sawyer Theatre, VSU Fine Arts Building, corner of Oak and Brookwood. Runtime: Two and a half hours with intermission. Reservations, more information: More information: Call (229) 333-5973 or visit www.valdosta.edu/comarts.