UNK students performing with award-winning Chicago dance company

Eight UNK students are performing with Chicago Dance Crash as part of a special collaboration with the award-winning hip-hop/contemporary dance company.

After working with artistic director Jessica Deahr to learn the routine, UNK students Shelby Haney, Maria Klingelhoefer, Emma D. Newman, Hannah Petersen, Rebekah Petersen, Amana Reed, Morgan Rutledge and Mary Joyce Storm will perform with Chicago Dance Crash on Thursday and Friday. The piece will also be part of UNK Dance’s spring concert.

More than 1,000 Kearney Public Schools elementary students will attend Thursday’s performances at the Merryman Performing Arts Center in Kearney. A public performance is scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday at the Minden Opera House, with tickets available here. The performances are part of the Lied Center’s Arts Across Nebraska Series and Morris Matinee Series.

Chicago Dance Crash is the premier fusion-style, contemporary dance company in the Midwest. Emphasizing a unique mission of both athleticism and accessibility, the Crash aesthetic is most notably recognized by its combination of concert and hip-hop techniques.

PHOTOS AND VIDEO BY STEPH GALLAWAY AND ERIKA PRITCHARD, UNK COMMUNICATIONS