The Florida State University Museum of Fine Arts (MoFA) will present “Floating Metal: UNDERcurrents In My Father’s Garden” beginning Aug. 27, an immersive performance exhibition bringing together the work of two artists and FSU faculty members, father and daughter Ed Love and nia love.

Conceived by School of Dance Professor and Guggenheim-winning choreographer nia love and co-curator Benin Ford, “Floating Metal” brings love’s choreography and dance films into conversation with the work of her father, Ed Love, a sculptor, fellow Guggenheim recipient and celebrated member of the Black Arts Movement. Known for transforming discarded scrap metal into powerful sculptures, Ed Love served as an FSU professor of visual arts from 1990 until his death in 1999.

“One of the central ideas of ‘Floating Metal: UNDERcurrents In My Father’s Garden’ is that our understanding of an artist is never complete. Knowledge unfolds as new works, memories, archives, relationships, and perspectives are brought into conversation,” said Kaylee Spencer, director of the museum. “By looking at Ed Love’s work through the experience of nia love’s performances and video installations, we can revisit the past with new information and see the present differently. We are excited to share this experience with the Tallahassee community.”

The exhibition will combine dance, live jazz music and video projection with the first museum presentation of images from Ed Love’s 1988 “Beloved” series and a selection of his metal sculptures commemorating Black historical figures.

The exhibition is personal for nia love because it draws on her relationship with her father and her own experiences as an artist.

“My father sent me forth to do the dance,” said love. “What happened to tear us apart is not a small thing. It all crosses the seas, estuaries and rivers. Floating Metal recalls and continues this movement. It is a prayer of memory and healing, and a message of invention and rupture.”

nia love will perform at the museum Aug. 27-29 as part of the exhibition. Performances are free and open to the public, but reservations are requiredbecause of limited capacity. Free tickets are available through Eventbrite.

The exhibition also will feature a live performance camera obscura installation encompassing the museum’s central gallery. The darkened installation will project the movements of performers and audience members as images onto the museum walls.

An opening reception will be held at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 3. The event is free and open to the public.

love began developing work related to “Floating Metal” during a 2022 residency at FSU’s Maggie Allesee National Center for Choreography, before joining the School of Dance faculty. During the residency, she conducted research and developed choreography that contributed to the exhibition.

The presentation of “Floating Metal: UNDERcurrents In My Father’s Garden” was made possible by the New England Foundation for the Arts’ National Dance Project, with lead funding from the Doris Duke Foundation and the Mellon Foundation. Additional support comes from FSU’s Council on Research + Creativity.

MoFA is Tallahassee’s only art museum accredited by the American Association of Museums. Home to a permanent collection of over 7,000 objects and works of art, the museum fosters creativity, collaboration and connection in our community. Visit the MoFA website to learn more and plan your visit.

 Performance schedule

Thursday, Aug. 27: 5:30 p.m. 

Friday, Aug. 28: 5:30 p.m. 

Saturday, Aug. 29: 11:30 a.m., 3:30 p.m. 

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Florida State University’s School of Dance students had a unique opportunity to work with world-renowned choreographer Peter Chu during two separate weeklong residencies. Chu is known for his evocative fusion of contemporary movement and traditional Chinese medicine.

During these residencies, Chu and Jenni Gordon, artistic collaborator with Chu’s company chuthis, adapted the original work of “Text When You Land,” and guided the students through an intensive creative process. This process emphasized exploring movement from new perspectives, focusing on the importance of intention and the transformative power of dance. Chu’s unique approach blends contemporary dance with elements of traditional Chinese medicine, Qigong and Taiji, immersing the students in a holistic and innovative dance experience.

“Bringing in guest artists like Chu is part of our ongoing commitment to student growth, providing dancers the opportunity to interact with and learn directly from artists of international acclaim.”

— Anjali Austin, chair of the School of Dance

“For School of Dance students, working under Chu’s mentorship was an invaluable experience — one that extended far beyond the dance floor,” said Anjali Austin, chair of the School of Dance. “Bringing in guest artists like Chu is part of our ongoing commitment to student growth, providing dancers the opportunity to interact with and learn directly from artists of international acclaim.”

Throughout the residencies, students were challenged to push their boundaries and think deeply about their artistic choices. Chu’s mentorship provided them with insights into the professional dance world, highlighting the behind-the-scenes work required to bring a piece to life. 

The culmination of this intensive process is the world premiere of Chu’s adapted piece “Text When You Take Off,” part of “An Evening of Dance,” which features works by FSU faculty alongside Chu’s. The evening not only showcases the talent and dedication of FSU’s students but underscores the School of Dance’s commitment to providing transformative, world-class learning experiences. 

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Florida State University’s School of Dance will present the annual Days of Dance concert series to showcase the talents of its faculty and students April 14-15 and April 21-22.

Under the direction of Assistant Professor Caleb Mitchell, Days of Dance features a broad scope of dance genres with choreography set by faculty members and students.

Some works include:

• “Interface” Choreography: Cameron Kay
• “Line and Diversions” Choreography and Projection Design: Tim Glenn
• “I CAN’t do this” Choreography: Sophia Pfitzenmaier  
• “Forged at home” Choreography: Emmett Higgins  
• “Me and You and the Compound” Choreography: Emmett Higgins & Meg Murphy
• “Behind the Curtain” Choreography: Sophie Lehman in collaboration with the cast

“This year’s Days of Dance offers something for everyone and is filled with energy,” said Anjali Austin, chair of the School of Dance.

Tim Glenn, choreographer, designer and professor of contemporary dance and dance technology, will present an abstract work, “Line and Diversions,” based on a choreographic progression of spatial design. The dance includes an opening section created at FSU in 2023 and one restaged from the premiere in 2018 at the Harrison School for the Performing Arts in Lakeland, Florida.

Meg Murphy, senior student choreographer, and Emmitt Higgins, sophomore student choreographer, will present “Me and You and the Compound,” which explores the dynamics of authentic relationships.

“We want the audience to come away feeling like they witnessed a deeply intimate portrayal of a complex relationship,” they said. “We as dancers are not acting or playing roles but allowing the audience to see us at our most authentic selves.”

Faculty choreographers Caleb Mitchell and Meagan Helman also are contributing to the programs. Mitchell, an assistant professor, will present “Le Pardon,” which translates to “Forgiveness” from French to English.

“Forgiveness is an important virtue for humanity and a necessity in moving forward,” Mitchell said. “This abstract choreography is an idea pertaining to the appearance of giving grace.”

Helman will present “Triptych,” inspired by and reflecting Antonio Vivaldi’s music. “Triptych” features 14 FSU dancers performing excerpts of the original work created for the Ballet Theatre of Maryland. “Triptych” delves into the exploration of pathways, angles and lines while experimenting with symmetry and balance concepts.

A senior student choreographer, Cameron Kay, will present “Interface,” which explores the dynamics of different energies and how they interact in space.  

“The dancers play with the extremes of time, mass and space, manipulating the bounds of forces and energy,” Kay said.

Mariah Preedin, a senior BFA dance student, will present “+/-” — a contemporary duet that delves into the nature of attraction and tension between two individuals.

“Through a contemporary movement vocabulary, the piece explores the dynamics of push and pull, creating a magnetic atmosphere that captivates the audience,” Preedin said.

Days of Dance runs as two separate full-length programs.

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