UMD performance majors presented their event, “When Music Moves and Speaks,” on Feb 26. This was an evening of interdisciplinary performances with repertoire by living, female and BIPOC composers.

Performance of Valse Musette/Brillante by UMD dancers composed by Tailleferre. Photo by Brandon Kwateng

Directed by Rebeca Katz-Harwood, Associate Professor of Dance and Musical Theatre, and the Department Head for Theatre, and Lina Yoo Min Lee, Assistant Professor of Piano, this performance was a collaboration between departments, featuring UMD dancers, musicians, and theater majors.

“We wanted to provide students with a unique learning experience they wouldn’t typically have within their departments and show the audience how powerful the arts can be when disciplines work together rather than in isolation,” said Katz-Harwood.

“By collaborating across dance, music and theater, the performance became a true celebration of the creative potential within UMD’s arts programs. It was a statement about the importance of cross-disciplinary work in shaping the future of the performing arts.”

The performance came about over a conversation between Lee and Katz-Harwood while tabling for the Campus Preview days in the fall. They got to talking about opportunities for music, theatre and dance to collaborate and realized that they could pilot something this spring with their two classes.

An interdisciplinary performance means there are multiple artistic elements being performed together. “If you go to a musical you will see and hear music, singing and theater but they are all working together to tell the story of the show,” said Katz-Harwood.

“We had a desire to offer UMD students a rare and invaluable opportunity to collaborate across disciplines—something that doesn’t happen often at most universities,” said Lee. “It was also important to feature works by living, female, and BIPOC composers to center voices often underrepresented in traditional performance spaces.”

The musical pieces from BIPOC composers included Chen Yi, L.V. Beethoven, Unhoe Park, Samuel Coleridge Taylor, Germaine Tailleferre, Jake Heggie and Florence Price.

“The composers were chosen intentionally to align with the performance’s focus on inclusivity and representation. By choosing living, female and BIPOC composers, the event highlighted voices that have historically been marginalized in classical music and dance, said Lee.

“These composers’ works provided fresh and relevant material that resonated with the themes of the performance, creating an opportunity for students and audiences to engage with new perspectives and contemporary creative voices.”

Performance done by Brian Botz, Zsofi Eastvold and Allison Bratile of White in the Moon composed by Jake Heggie. Photo by Brandon Kwateng

Poems were read throughout the night, including O Re Piya, Armenian Grief Poem, This Dark Night Of The Soul, Derivative, The Secret and My Brilliant Image.

“The poetry served as both a frame and a bridge. It introduced themes, emotions or imagery that helped guide the audience into the dances and music that followed,” said Lee.

“By placing poetry at the forefront, the performance emphasized the power of language to ground abstract movement and sound, creating an emotional through-line that carried the audience from piece to piece. This layering of words, movement, and music created a rich, multi-dimensional experience.”, said Lin.

Both directors were pleased with the performance and hope to see more interdisciplinary work at UMD in the future.

“This performance was just the beginning. It’s a model for what’s possible when we break down the walls between disciplines and center diverse voices. I hope that "When Music Moves and Speaks" inspires future collaborations. The arts thrive when they evolve, when they reflect the full spectrum of human experience, and when they embrace innovation. This was a step toward that future, and I’m excited to see where it leads next,” said Lee.

UMD students can see Music and Theatre events for free with their student IDs. Information on future events can be found on the CAHSS website.