Choreographer Shura Baryshnikov has more than 50 theatrical and musical credits to her name. Her film “Svadba” (2022), based on the opera by Ana Sokolović, won widespread critical acclaim. More recently, Baryshnikov was movement coordinator for Apple TV’s Emmy-winning horror/comedy “Widow’s Bay.”
Earlier this fall, Baryshnikov served as the annual Marcus Artist-in-Residence in the Performing Arts Department (PAD) in WashU Arts & Sciences. On Nov. 6, 7 and 8, the department will debut her latest work, “A Dance For Eleven,” as part of “right now,” the 2026 performance by WashU Dance Theatre (WUDT).
In all, the evening-length concert, which takes place in WashU’s Edison Theatre, will include six new and original works created by resident and guest choreographers.
“Live dance is an art that isn’t easily preserved,” said artistic director David Marchant, professor of the practice in dance. “Its material is intrinsically ephemeral, instantly evaporating.” And yet, Marchant added, live events allow audiences to “experience the ineffable sensation of witnessing art that is being made right now.”
The program will open with “Counterpoints” by Liz Lloyd, a master of fine arts candidate in dance and former company dancer and company manager for the Saint Louis Ballet. “This piece was inspired by the dancers themselves,” Lloyd said. Working in the studio, she was “continually impressed by their dynamic attack and beautiful technique and artistry. I wanted to create a work that celebrates these qualities.”
Marchant’s “Play it Again” is rooted in Contact Improvisation dance practices, particularly the Round Robin format, through which dancers build skills, vocabulary and dialogue with one another. The result is “an improvised performance that is composed in ways resembling the consistency of choreography,” Marchant explained, “yet remains variable and unique, every single performance.”
Next will be “I got it from my Mother,” by Elinor Harrison (AB ’01, PhD ’18), a lecturer in dance and a faculty affiliate in philosophy-neuroscience-psychology. Formed in collaboration with the dancers, the piece draws on a variety of genres to chart “a journey of the body as an ever-changing vessel.”
Liz Stillerman Anderson, a lecturer in dance who joined the PAD this fall, choreographs “Landings,” her first work for the department. Inspired by contemporary classical composer Caroline Shaw’s album “Orange,” the piece “reflects on how experience and memory shape identity.”
Guest artist Renée Austin (BA ‘23) presents a new work titled “Now thAt we’Re HERE, are YOU READY?” Responding to contemporary global stresses and challenges, the piece explores the edges of despair, hope, resistance and transformation under pressure.
Concluding the program will be Baryshnikov’s “A Dance for Eleven.” Guided by a collaborative structure, this episodic piece is composed spontaneously, allowing dancers flexibility in both thought and action.
Tickets and performances
Performances of “right now” begin at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Nov. 6 and 7, and at 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 8. Performances take place in Edison Theatre, located in the Mallinckrodt Student Center, 6465 Forsyth Blvd.
Tickets are $20, or $15 for seniors, students and WashU faculty and staff, and free for WashU students. Tickets are available through the WashU Box Office. For more information, call 314-935-6543 or visit pad.wustl.edu.
