The UCSB Department of Theater and Dance will present its fall dance concert, this year titled “Becoming Forever,” at 8 p.m. Dec. 6-8 in the Hatlen Theater on the UC Santa Barbara campus.

This diverse program features the choreography of advanced UCSB dance students alongside work from their faculty mentors.

“Becoming Forever” will be performed under the concert direction of UCSB faculty member Christina McCarthy.

Tickets are $13 to $17; and are available online by clicking here.

The Department of Theater and Dance is located amid some of the newest facilities on campus, including a well-lit parking structure (Lot 22) close to performance venues. Click here for the departmental website for directions and information about attending events at UCSB.

“Becoming Forever,” an evening of contemporary choreography, features:

» “The edge of the world” — Choreographed by student Meredith Cabaniss, this piece creates a world delicately balanced between dark and light, raw emotion and poise. The unavoidable ascent into the free space of dynamic and authentic movement from the geometrically bound world of the dark evokes the sensitive nature of compassion and what it means to be honest.

» “Head First” — Choreographed by student Sarah Eichler, this work explores the ways in which we place boundaries on ourselves, and the burden these limitations can create. The dance asks the question, “Can we use our limitations to propel ourselves forward, or must they continue to hold us down?”

» “Plonger dans l’éternité” — Through five strangers’ journey out of time and into their own hearts, student choreographer Yvette Johnson’s piece explores humanity’s struggle with fear. The dancers, moving with clockwork-like intricacy, weave through the mystery of eternity, passing in and out of formed relationships on a journey to deeper emotional transparency.

» “Embers” — Choreographed by student Alyse Romano, this dance work utilizes contemporary ballet, fast-paced geometric movement and intricately shifting spatial patterning to portray the fire that burns within us. The music for this piece is an original composition by William Pasley.

» “Deep Currents” — Choreographed by UCSB faculty member Nancy Colahan, this work is a study in the stillness of waiting and the deep fluidity of action. The score for this piece was created in tandem with the creation of the choreography by William Pasley.

» “Sight of Hand” — UCSB faculty members Valerie Huston and Jerry Pearson work in collaboration to create this piece which bases its concept and movement language on the archetypal form of the circle: the nature of the circle as a metaphor for the universe, and the powerful image of the expressive and sensitive quality of the hand. The choreography is framed with dynamic video footage created by Jerry Pearson.

— Eric Mills is an administrator for the UCSB Department of Theater and Dance.