Students at Radford University are choreographing a modern dance performance to the music of Bruce Springsteen’s “Born to Run.” They discovered that the album’s theatrical style, which tells stories about youth, lends itself well to the stage.
Senior Meridythe Whitt is one of the choreographers. “The fact that two student choreographers are producing an evening length concert, especially in their undergraduate degrees, that is astounding,” Whitt said. “We are so grateful for this opportunity.”
In the show, Whitt portrays Mary, the lead female character in Springsteen’s songs. Co-choreographer Onajae Edmund plays the male lead.
“We took some of the plot that is in the album, and kind of flipped it [to] fit the story that we wanted to create,” Edmund said.
“And something that Bruce really talks about in this album is that idea of yearning. That wanting to go somewhere so deeply, yet digging your heals in the sand,” Whitt said. “So it’s kind of this wishing, yearning to be something more. Yet, that’s not everybody’s dream.”
The music will be performed by Radford students in the commercial music ensemble, who play on stage behind the dancers. Junior Joseph Williams is the lead singer. In real life, he plays in a band with his dad in Staunton.
“But this is the first time that I have had a full band behind me,” Williams said. “Which is like a full project, which is insane, and it is a lot of work to coordinate all the different things that go on. It’s a lot.”
“Born to Run” was released fifty years ago in 1975. Students will perform their interpretation of the album Friday and Saturday evening at 7:30 inside the Artis Center for Adaptive Innovation and Creativity on the campus of Radford University. The event is free.
