On Saturday, a group of 15 people and two faculty members will leave Troy for Pietrasanta, Italy, where they will represent Troy University at the DAP Festival (Danza in Arte a Pietrasanta). Among the group will be nine dancers who will participate in the global artistic experience.

The Pietrasanta area is famous for its marble studios, bronze foundries and International art galleries.

Deborah Hicks, Troy University coordinator of dance, said the idea for the festival arose from the desire to combine the various aspects of the Pietrasanta area in a unique project with a focus on dance and art.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for our choreography students to study aboard, to perform their pieces in unique settings and to attend workshops,” Hicks said. “The international artists and dance companies will share not only their own artist experiences but their culture as well.”

The Troy University choreography students have created pieces for the DAP Festival and the pieces will be performed at different venues around the city.

“When we arrive, the choreographers will select venues –from sculptures to geographic locations – for their performances,” Hicks said. “The audiences will move from venue to venue to attend the performances.”

Tori Lee-Averett, Troy University director of theater and dance, has created a piece that will be perform around a portrait of Rosa Parks created by internationally acclaimed artist and Troy native, Nall Hollis.

Patrick Jackson of Troy will play saxophone for that performance, which will include most of the Troy University choreography students at the DAP Festival.

In the evenings, the DAP Festival participants will have opportunities to attend Master Workshops.

“The Master Workshop classes are not part of the festival and are offered at DAP College,” Hicks said. “There will be professionals at the festival who are looking for dancers to work for several companies. So this will be a good networking opportunity for our rising seniors to possibly get international work and participate in an art they love so much.”

The countries represented at the DAP Festival will include Japan, Denmark, Italy, Germany, Great Britain and Russia.

Hicks said the DAP Festival is billed as featuring contemporary dances. However, she expects to see all genres of dance at some time during the two-week festival.

“Some of the dances will have been developed around societal issues and could be controversial,” she said. “We only have one dance that might fall slightly into that area.”

On Friday, there will be a last run through of the dancers’ program before they leave for Italy and it will be open to the public.

“Our community has been extremely generous in supporting us,” Hicks said. “We would like to invite everyone to come and enjoy the program that we will take to Italy.”

The time and place for the program run through will be announced.