University of Richmond alum band, Dogpark, performed at the Iron Blossom Music Festival at the Bon Secours Training Center on September 22. CAAMP, Royal Otis, Joy Oladokun, and Say She She performed on Sunday at packed festival grounds. Photos by Amy Jablonski.
The University Dancers 39th annual concert took place this weekend, titled “MOVING BODIES | BODIES MOVING.” The production, led by artistic director Anne Van Gelder, features ten individual pieces with choreography from faculty members Van Gelder, Eric Rivera, Angelica Burgos, and Alicia Diaz, visiting choreographers Takehiro Ueyama, Ephrat Asherie, and Larry Keigwin, as well as student choreographers Maggie Crowe, Zara Duboyce, and Hannah Zaheer.
Over 100 students and alumni attended Spiders Against Apartheid to mourn the thousands of reported deaths, demand the University of Richmond support Palestinian students and speak out against the actions of the Israeli Defense Forces in Gaza. Midway through the protest, a group of counter-protesters holding an Israeli and Israeli Defense Force flag positioned themselves behind the Spiders Against Apartheid group. The two groups began yelling at each other multiple times throughout the protest, and University of Richmond police officers eventually moved between the two groups.
Dance groups, clubs and solo acts alike came together for the 13th Celebration of Dance at the Alice Jepson Theater Oct. 21 at 7:30 p.m. to communicate ideas and emotions through the art of dance.
University of Richmond students attended an emergency rally organized by the Palestinian Student Organization from Virginia Commonwealth University and the nonprofit American Muslims for Palestine at Monroe Park Oct. 21.
University of Richmond student band Dogpark opened for UK pop artist Sean Jean at the annual Last Day of Class Concert hosted by Spiderboard. The concert took place on April 21 in front of Boatwright Memorial Library. Photos by Grace Borgan.
Senior Helene Leichter presented her dance work, titled separate SPHERES, to community members on Friday in the Modlin Center for the Arts. The performance was the culmination of Leichters senior thesis capstone project and received the Symposium Artist Award at the University of Richmond’s Arts and Sciences Honors Convocation event on Apr. 14. The performance was choreographed by Leichter and featured lighting design by sophomore Alex Broening.
The University of Richmond students perform The Rivals, an 18th-century comedy of manners by Richard Brinsley Sheridane. The play was directed by professor of theatre Walter Schoen, which will be his last directed production at UR before he retires. Watch The Rivals from April 13 to April 15 at 7:30 p.m. and April 16 at 2:00 p.m. at Alice Jepson Theatre.
South Asian Student Alliance celebrated Holi at the Westhampton Green on March 19. Holi, the Hindu festival of colors, is a religious festival celebrating good over evil. Holi has several origin stories, including celebrating the love story between Lord Krishna and Radha, and is celebrated in the spring. Participants throw powdered colors at one another, dance and eat South Indian appetizers and deserts.
LALIS students organized and led a protest on Thursday, March 2 at the Academic and Administrative Quadrangle. The protest was held as a part of the 2022-2034 Tucker Boatwright Festival Nuestra América/Our America. Students wore red in solidarity, performed a chant and all were encouraged to write a personal reflection and hang it on a tree. Students participating also wore ribbons with each ribbon color representing different identities. Red and purple represented survivors, yellow represented allies, blue represented friend of survivors, pink represented knowing someone who is a survivor and white ribbons represented those who are still figuring out where they stand.
The University Dancers opened their newest concert on Feb. 24 and will perform two more times at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 25 and at 2 p.m. Feb. 26. This is their 38th annual concert, titled fast/FORWARD, and is directed by Anne Van Gelder, featuring work from guest choreographers Charlotte Boye-Christensen, Patrick Coker and Stephanie Martinez along with faculty choreographers Angelica Burgos, Deandra Clarke, Eric Rivera and Gelder.
The RVA Street Art Festival took place from Sept. 16-18, marking its 10th anniversary. The festival brings in numerous artists from the community to create murals at designated locations. This year, event organizers decided to return to their roots and take the festival back to the now-famous Canal Walk Power Plant. Over the course of the three-day event, attendees watched as the old murals were covered up by new ones painted by a group of new and returning artists, including Hamilton Glass, who painted a mural in the University of Richmond’s Multicultural Space. The festival aims to showcase local and national talent while revitalizing areas of the city. Organizers also use the event to support children’s art education in the surrounding area.
The class of 2022 bid farewell to the University of Richmond at the commencement ceremony in the E. Claiborne Robins Stadium on May 8. Journalism major Sana Azem was chosen to deliver the student address. Photography by Madyson Fitzgerald.
Bryce Vine and Lisa Heller performed at the first Spring Concert since 2019, in which Vine opened for Sean Kingston. The concert took place on April 22 in front of Boatwright Memorial Library. Photos by Ethan Swift.
Students gathered on the Forum on April 22 to protest rape culture on campus. The silent protest was organized by junior Hoor Ain as a continuation of events regarding sexual assault in the past month. Students wore masks and held signs supporting free speech. In the silence, a prospective student on a tour passing by asked, "Oh, does rape happen a lot here?" Photos by Madyson Fitzgerald.
The inaugural weekend celebration for University of Richmond President Kevin Hallock took place from April 7-9. The inauguration events included a discussion on mentored research, the official inauguration ceremony, a community festival, a discussion with university presidents about the future of higher education and an evening celebration that closed the night off with food and fireworks. The football team also held their spring scrimmage on Saturday. Photos by Ethan Swift, Caio Rodolfo, Grace Borgan and Madyson Fitzgerald.
The Bollywood Jhatkas and Block Crew student dance groups put on a joint showcase on April 2 in Camp Concert Hall. Both groups had multiple dances that ranged from solo performances to works that brought in the entire respective groups. The high-energy event encouraged cheering and yelling from the audience in support of the dancers. There was a reception held across the street in the Modlin Center for the Arts after the performance.
The University Dancers open the 37th annual concert at 7:30 p.m. today in the Alice Jepson Theatre, with other performances at 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 2:00 p.m. Sunday. Directed by Professor Anne Van Gelder, the performance brings choreography from guests Juel D. Lane and Peter Pucci that combines West African, contemporary modern, hip-hop and ballet. The concert also features choreography from Angelica Burgos and Eric Rivera, former dancers with Ballet Hispánico, Starrene Foster, the founder of Starr Foster Dance, Theatre & Dance Professors Alicia Díaz and Gelder and students Kayla Schiltz and Taylor Grindle.
Editor's note: Confidential sexual assault resources for UR students include CARE Advocates, which can be reached at advocate@richmond.edu or 804.801.6251; Peer Sexual Misconduct Advisors (PSMA), at psma@richmond.edu or 804.346.7674; CAPS, at CAPS@richmond.edu or 804.289.8119; Virginia LGBTQ Partner Abuse and Sexual Assault Helpline (24/7), at 866.356.6998; Greater Richmond Regional Hotline (24/7), at 804.612.6126; National Sexual Assault Hotline (24/7) at 800.656.HOPE. University of Richmond students, staff and faculty gathered on campus Friday for a silent march in solidarity with survivors of sexual assault. The march, named Take Back oUR Night after protests in the 1970s against violence against women, began at noon on the lawn between the E. Claiborne Robins School of Business and the T.C. Williams School of Law and ended at the Westhampton Green after a student-led discussion.
