Wake Forest facilities team to star in ‘From the Ground Up’

The large-scale dance will be held on Hearn Plaza Oct. 3-5

The large-scale dance will be held on Hearn Plaza

September 24, 2019
by Kim McGrath | mcgratka@wfu.edu | 336.758.3209

Zero turn and walking wing mowers will move in unison. A telehandler, backhoe and skid steer will dance on Wake Forest’s Hearn Plaza. For three nights, the University’s iconic Quad will be transformed into a stage to showcase the work of the facilities and campus services staff.

More than 60 team members from Wake Forest Facilities and Campus Services, including custodial, maintenance and utilities, landscaping, construction, and waste reduction will be the stars of “From the Ground Up.” The large-scale performances will be held Oct. 3, 4 and 5 at 7 p.m. on Hearn Plaza. Using original choreography and music, the performance will highlight the grace and skill in the work that keeps campus running.

Media are welcome to attend the Wednesday, October 2, rehearsal on Hearn Plaza. Interviews are available between 6:15 and 6:45 p.m. The run-through of the show, from 7 to 8:30 p.m., will offer a sneak peek of the performance.

The event is free and open to the public. Limited bleacher seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis. There will be space available on the lawn. Folding chairs and umbrellas are not permitted. The performance lasts approximately one hour.

“From the Ground Up” is a collaboration between Wake Forest and Forklift Danceworks, a dance company based in Austin, Texas, whose mission is to use creative dance to build community. Wake Forest is one of three in a set of dances for campus employees, created through residencies at host colleges or universities.

Wake Forest’s Interdisciplinary Performance and Liberal Arts Center (IPLACe) was awarded grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and the New England Foundation for the Arts to help fund the interdisciplinary collaboration.

“This project is a wonderful opportunity to showcase the talents of our staff,” said John Shenette, vice president, Facilities and Campus Services.

“Our team’s work impacts the campus environment every day. Showcasing the contributions of this amazing group through a public performance is a once in a lifetime opportunity; one that we are very grateful to be a part of.” John Shenette, vice president, facilities and campus services

During the residency on the Reynolda Campus, IPLACe has connected Forklift with staff, students and faculty for this community-based art making project.

“This has been a hands-on, immersive learning experience for our students who are working as stage managers, designers, musicians, lighting assistants and show coordinators when the performances happen,” said Cindy Gendrich, theatre professor and director of IPLACe.

“But equally important is that students are learning that the boundaries they may think exist between people on campus are imaginary, or at least unnecessary, ones – and that we all have way more in common than we tend to expect.” Cindy Gendrich, theatre professor and director of IPLACe

Founded in 2001 by Artistic Director Allison Orr (‘93), award-winning Forklift Danceworks presents innovative performance projects with diverse communities.