MFA Dance Thesis & ChoreoLab

April 9-10, 2027 7:30 p.m. Black Box Theatre UB Center for the Arts $25 Adults $20 Seniors/Veterans/UB Employees $15 Non-UB Students $10 UB Students MFA Dance Thesis Directed by Anne Burnidge MFA Dance Thesis Choreographed by Madeline Dembowski ChoreoLab Directed by Jenna Zavrel The spring program foregrounds the MFA Dance Thesis, featuring the premiere of new work by MFA candidate Madeline Dembowski. This performance represents the culmination of her creative research, a central requirement for the conferral of the Master of Fine Arts degree. The concert highlights collaborative processes with designers, technologists, and student performers. The Master of Fine Arts in Dance—considered the terminal degree in the field, equivalent to a PhD in other disciplines—reflects the synthesis of sustained artistic inquiry and the development of a distinct creative voice. The MFA Dance Thesis Concert offers audiences the opportunity to engage with new work by emerging artists whose practices contribute to the future of the field. Presented in conjunction with this thesis performance, ChoreoLab, now in its eighth season, functions as a performance and choreographic research laboratory for faculty, graduate and undergraduate dance students, and guest artists. Dedicated to fostering a diverse and exploratory creative environment, the program embraces contemporary practices while supporting investigations into the role of dance within society and culture. ChoreoLab includes a large cohort of undergraduate and graduate performers, as well as student technical crew, with works created by a varied group of choreographers. Under the direction of faculty member Jenna Zavrel—who will also contribute choreography—the program reflects current practices in dance-making and features collaborations with the Theatre Design/Technology program. WARNING: This production contains haze, as well as moving, strobing, and flashing lights. The UB Theatre and Dance 2026-2027 season is sponsored in part by Fox Run at Orchard Park, celebrating its seventh year in support of the department.