As three women danced on stage at the Redstone Recital Hall, the audience could hear their breath and they made intense eye contact with those watching the performance.
The UVM department of music and dance collaborated with the Vermont Dance Alliance to present the Vermont Dance Sampler Sept. 8.
The Sampler showcased artists from across the state. Each performed a work they had submitted to the selection committee this past June.
The event was curated by Paul Besaw, chair for the department of music and dance, and Hanna Satterlee, founder of the Vermont Dance Alliance.
The VDA was founded in May 2017 in order to create a network for Vermont artists to collaborate, Satterlee said.
“I think it’s important to support efforts to build the dance community in Vermont and really important to bridge the divides that sometimes separate the University from community artists,” Besaw said.
Artist Toni Nagy choreographed and performed a piece called “The Rolling Hills of the Patriarchy,” an energetic dance that not only questioned the role women play in our society but sought to redefine those roles, according to the event’s program.
Satterlee had been communicating with Nagy for over a year exclusively through email before finally being able to see her dance Saturday night.
Another dance was dedicated to victims of mass shooting, another incorporated a spoken word poem and one was completely improvised.
Sophomore Barbara Banchik said the performance affected her more profoundly than if she had just gone to a ballet like she was accustomed to.
“I’m still thinking about it now and how it made me feel, and I appreciate that it made me feel such a range of emotions,” she said.
Satterlee and Besaw both advise students who are interested in getting involved with dance to go out and see different performances.
“My goal would be for UVM students to come and see all that’s available around the state,” Satterlee said.  “If they’re really interested in watching dance, they can always find it.”
For those looking for more dance opportunities, Polly Motley will be performing 6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 3, at the Fleming Museum. “A Rap on Race” will be performed Oct. 6 at the Flynn Center.