Six Ways to Dance

“Six Ways to Dance” is a 16-minute long work for soprano saxophone and piano written by Karalyn Schubring (BM Composition ’20) for Jeff Siegfried (DMA Saxophone ’19). Drawing inspiration from the centuries-old Dance Suite and the composer’s own ineptitude at moving gracefully in social dance settings, the 6-movement, virtuosic work draws on several dance styles, including samba, tango, and jazz. This project turns a significant chamber work into a narrative music video that will be shot in Detroit with choreography by U-M alum Chelsea Hamm. The story follows two characters who feel alone and out of place in a crowd of experienced dancers, but eventually find and empower one another to dance uniquely and expressively.