Wellspring Celebrates 45 Years of Dance with Retrospective Fall Concert

Wellspring's Fall Concert of Dance: Epic Moments takes the stage November 21–23, 2025, at the Cori Terry Theatre in Downtown Kalamazoo's Epic Center, celebrating the organization's 45th year of creativity, connection, and community through dance. This vibrant program features a powerful retrospective of works created within the Epic Center since Wellspring's 2000 move from the Park Trades Center, highlighting how sustained artistic presence builds cultural legacy.

The weekend invites audiences to relive unforgettable works by Wellspring founder Cori Terry and experience the dynamic artistry of Artistic Director Marisa Bianan and the 2025–2026 company. Our fall concert is thoughtfully crafted to center works that were created in our home, the Epic Center, as we celebrate 25 years of dance making within these walls, said Bianan. The 45th season promises a packed performance lineup with visionary choreography and immersive experiences in exquisite venues in Kalamazoo and across southwest Michigan, demonstrating how nonprofit arts organizations create lasting cultural impact through consistent programming.

Fall concert audiences will experience the revival of Terry's Family Altar (2001), complete with original costumes by Elaine Kauffman and set design by Paul Marquadt, and the rhythmic quintet Dervish (2002), set to music by Kalamazoo-based Blue Dahlia. The program also features the spectacular, full-company work At This Very Moment Breaking (2008), known for its sweeping lifts and striking lighting design. These revivals showcase how charitable support enables the preservation and reintroduction of significant artistic works to new generations.

Balancing these classic works are two powerful pieces by Bianan: The Ground Has Thawed (2025)—originally premiered with the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra's Burdick-Thorne String Quartet and performed here in its entirety for the first time—and Woven Together (2025), created for the YWCA's 140th Anniversary Gala and featuring stunning wearable chainmail art by Elaine Unzicker. The fall concert represents Wellspring's full-production premiere of this work, illustrating how nonprofit collaborations expand artistic reach and community engagement.

Wellspring's professional company will be joined by guest artist Sam Crouch for the performances, which include Friday, November 21 at 7:30 p.m. with a post-concert talkback, Saturday, November 22 at 2:00 p.m. as a sensory-friendly performance in collaboration with Unmask the Arts, Saturday evening at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, November 23 at 2:00 p.m. These varied performance options demonstrate the organization's commitment to accessibility and inclusion in the arts.

The Epic Center and Cori Terry Theatre are wheelchair accessible, and the theatre features hearing loop assistive listening technology. With both afternoon and evening performances, Wellspring makes it easy to fit an inspiring experience into your weekend. Tickets are available now and may be purchased online at https://WellspringDance.org/season. General admission tickets are $30, with Pay-It-Forward tickets at $40, Youth/Student tickets for those under 18 at $15, and Pay-What-You-Can tickets starting at $5 minimum, showcasing how tiered pricing models ensure arts access across economic backgrounds.

Wellspring's 45th season continues with multiple events including the Koa Fund Sunrise Gathering on December 5, 2025, ACGK Community Arts Awards on December 9, 2025, the 17th Annual RADFest March 5–8, 2026, Movement in the Museum on March 26, 2026, Student Concert of Dance on May 3, 2026, and Spring Concert of Dance May 15–17, 2026. Now in its 45th season, Wellspring is one of the nation's longest-standing small professional modern dance companies and has helped shape Kalamazoo's arts landscape through collaborations with professional artists and through its work as a producer, presenter, and educator, demonstrating how sustained nonprofit arts organizations become essential community assets.