UMass Amherst to host 'Peril in Thine Eye' concert

The Department of Music and Dance at the University of Massachusetts Amherst has announced that it will be presenting its University Dancers concert, titled "Peril in Thine Eye," which is inspired by Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet."

The presentation will take place Dec. 1-3 in the Totman Gym. It is an immersive dance experience. 

The concert will feature contemporary musical arrangements from Sergei Prokofiev's ballet "Romeo and Juliet," as well as dialogue from "Peril in Thine Eye," also a Shakespeare play. The concert is set in a moody nightclub in the city of Verona, where the themes of racial and cultural, sexual and sender, and political and economic tension will be explored.

“As a dance program our aim in this production is to strengthen and broaden our scope, artistic vision, and visibility in the university and region,” UMass Amherst Assistant Professor of Dance and White Mountains Summer Dance Festival Associate Director Paul Dennis said.

Dennis will be directing the production, which will mix elements of theater and dance to provide the audience with action in scenes that will be performed simultaneously, adding layers to the show with numerous storylines being carried out at once.

Each evening’s performance will loop in three cycles, beginning at 7:30, 8:15 and 9 p.m.