Author: Terry Schilling

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the production crew for UCI’s New Slate Online dance concert mixed live and pre-recorded material, added music, and then uploaded it on Vimeo for the performance that those of us in the audience watched.  Which scenes were pre-recorded, and which were live?  There was no way to tell.

Taking the unusual “seat in the audience,” in front of my PC at home, I was surprisingly delighted by this very unique spectacle!

At UCI’s Claire Trevor School of the Arts (CTSA), modern dance is alive and well, with a twist this year!

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, UCI’s New Slate Online dance concert series was streamed via YouTube on December 10th. This free event featured both live and virtual dances. The performance was followed with live artist-audience conversations about these new ways of dance making. Albeit, a YouTube window, it’s still a breath of artistic fresh air.

We don’t have to look far for ideas about how to be more productive while staying at home during the COVID-19 pandemic.

After completing a year on sabbatical leave, Daniel is now putting the finishing touches on his first symphony.

Theatre curtains are down.  Dance studios, practice rooms, and classrooms are locked tight.  Faculty members are available only in “virtual” classrooms.  

As someone who appreciates the amazing local talent and wide range of performing arts productions at Irvine colleges and universities, I have been wondering how this new stay-at-home regimen is impacting the academic performing arts community.

Two of this year’s Grammy nominations had a local connection.  Nominated songs “Fanm d’Ayiti,” by Nathalie Joachim and “Perpetulum” by composer and pianist, Philip Glass were both commissioned privately by Laguna Beach music benefactors Elizabeth and Justus (Jay) Schlichting.