Despite the busy schedule, the company still scheduled time to conduct two demonstrations for Zeeland High School dance students. The combined high school program involves several hundred students in dance each year.

Hope College dance department chair Linda Graham is attracted by the company's athleticism. "Moving Arts dancers are outstandingly strong technical dancers, and they are powerful dancer-athletes." Those traits will be shown and taught to all the dance students the company encounters.

The Hope College classes include everything from a lecture and demonstration for non-dance students to classes on dance composition. Company members will also lead classes in ballet, dance improvisation and dance technique.

Directed by Anandha Ray, Moving Arts Dance produces works which build on the strengths of ballet and modern styles of dance. The dancers demonstrate strong classical technique blended with a kinetic understanding of movement and an emotional ability to arouse audiences.

Ray, a former college dance instructor, holds master's degrees in both dance therapy and in choreography. She developed the dance instruction known as Expressive Movement Processing (EMP) through 10 years of research and experimentation, combining processes from dance therapy and choreography. The resultant choreography can be described as "dances of significance," wherein human emotions, social issues, cultural phenomenon and any other significant aspect of humanity can be developed into works of dance art. Her methods have been taught with students ranging from elementary school age to professional dancers.

Moving Arts Dance Company will also perform on Saturday, March 31, at 8 p.m. in the Knickerbocker Theatre. Tickets for the performance may be purchased by calling (616) 395-7890.
More information about the company may be obtained by visiting www.movingartsdance.org.

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