FROM TINA TO BEYONCÉ
Governors State University dance show pays homage to female empowerment
With Governors State University in University Park still celebrating its 50th anniversary and the school’s Center for Performing Arts celebrating its 25th anniversary, 2020 looked to be a good year.
Add in worldwide landmark anniversaries for women’s suffrage including the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment giving women the right to vote in the United States and the timing seemed right to celebrate five decades of women’s impact on music.
“It’s really a celebration of female empowerment and women in general, embracing who we are and all of the manifestations and identities we embody,” said Megan Lindsay, director of From Tina to Beyoncé: 50 Years of Female Empowerment, a GSU Dance Company presentation which was originally scheduled for April 2020.
Like many events in spring 2020 and beyond, it was postponed due to measures to mitigate the spread of coronavirus.
“It was disappointing but we, of course, wanted everyone to stay safe so we understood,” said Lindsay, coordinator and faculty adviser of GSU Dance Company.
“Luckily for us, the department of Theatre and Performance Studies gave us the opportunity to postpone the performance rather than cancel it altogether so that gave us hope and some inspiration to continue working on the show and developing it.”
Nearly a year later and during Women’s History Month, the dance presentation From Tina to Beyoncé: 50 Years of Female Empowerment premieres virtually on March 11 live from Governors State University’s Center for Performing Arts and streams through April 7 online.
“Because we were required to go virtual at that time, it actually brought our dance company closer together because we continued to rehearse throughout the entire summer when we normally take a break,” said Lindsay, a Merrillville, Indiana, native who lives in Chicago’s Edgewater community.
“Because of the pandemic we really valued the connection and social support we were able to give each other and continued to dance together virtually every week through the entire summer, and we actually collaborated with other artists and were able to put video projects out on the internet.
“This created a strong, cohesive group of students that are excited to perform this show in March.”
From Tina to Beyoncé features 14 masked performers including residents of Chicago’s South Side, Park Forest, Richton Park, Tinley Park, University Park, Watseka and Merrillville.
“It’s a mix of current students, community members and alumna,” said Lindsay, a visiting assistant professor of dance at Governors State University.
“Many of these dancers have been in the company for several years. I have a committed, passionate, caring group of women who are dedicated to the art of dance and supporting one another.”
Lindsay, Tyra Barnes, Tammi Bolden, Roy’el Hill, Izy Hollingsworth-Sons, Nadia Ouessenko, Autumn J. Price, Kristianna Russell and Janae Russell,
and Sadee Wuethrich choreographed From Tina to Beyoncé.
Hollingworth-Sons of Beecher is the first student to graduate with a minor in dance at Governors State University, which officially approved the dance minor created by Lindsay in fall 2019.
“The audience is going to see a variety of dances in a variety of styles including hip-hop, jazz and contemporary choreographed by current and former students. We have student choreographers, guest choreographers and faculty choreographers. It’s a collaborative effort,” Lindsay said.
The nine dances in From Tina to Beyoncé include music by Beyoncé, Lauren Daigle, Ariana Grande, Ibeyi, Kesha, Lizzo, Emeli Sandé and Tina Turner, plus an original score with text from a Maya Angelou poem.
“Women are powerful and just brave in being able to take risks and reveal vulnerabilities as a human that enables people to connect with them. When we listen to the music we get inspired by these powerful females who are fearless and strong, which are ideals we strive for,” Lindsay said.
“We often look up to these women. Tina Turner embodies a strong, empowered woman who endured a lot of hardships, survived, thrived and became a legendary performer and woman so we felt inspired by her for many reasons.
“Beyoncé is obviously quite a force to be reckoned with. She is also an icon and embodies the qualities of female empowerment, and students are very connected to Beyoncé.”
From Tina to Beyoncé, which is PG-13 appropriate, also features former Governors State University student Nekia Driver serving as master of ceremonies and contributing video footage connected to the show’s theme.