Despite being a small college located in middle of the White Mountains in New Hampshire, Dartmouth is home to a vibrant and expansive arts scene, attracting many types of performances all throughout the year. While Dartmouth's arts departments may not account for a large percentage of the student body and faculty on campus, the arts play an increasingly important role in entertaining and educating not only Dartmouth affiliates, but the Hanover community as well.
Dartmouth's hub for performing arts, the Hopkins Center, is considered "one of the nation's exemplary performing arts centers" by the National Endowment for the Arts, according to the Hopkins Center website. Simply called "the Hop" by those familiar with it, this Dartmouth landmark is the site of a medley of year-round performances and installations, including theater productions, dance shows and film screenings.
The acts booked at the Hop are not small-time artists, either. One group that has performed in the Hop numerous times is the Merce Cunningham Dance Company, named after the late dancer and choreographer who worked with renowned figures in the dance world such as Martha Graham. This Summer term, the group graced the Hopkins stage one final time for its Legacy Tour celebrating Cunningham's "lifetime of artistic achievement," according to the Hop website.
Another Hop regular is New Hampshire native Ken Burns, one of America's most popular documentary filmmakers. Dartmouth students have enjoyed many sneak previews of his films before their PBS broadcastings, including last summer's "Baseball: The Tenth Inning," as well as this summer's "Prohibition." Burns has visited the College on multiple occasions, often holding post-screening discussions with the audience.
The Hop also offers special once-in-a-lifetime shows, providing Dartmouth students with the chance to see artists they might never see again. Last fall, Christopher Lloyd took command of the Weston Playhouse production of "Death of a Salesman," playing Willy Loman for two unforgettable nights.
Musical performances are perhaps the most popular form of entertainment that the Hop hosts, and the genres available to the audience include classical, jazz, pop and many others. This summer featured Pink Martini, an Oregon-based band that combines jazz, Afro-Cuban and classical music styles.
This spring, two members of alternative rock group Wilco guitarist Nels Cline and percussionist Glenn Kotche collaborated with visual artists in "Sonic/Vision," described as "an evening of music, art, animation and improvisation" by the Hop's website. The performance combined the talents of many different types of artists and contained material never before seen together in a single concert.
The Hop, however, is not the College's only source of entertainment. Programming Board, a student group in charge of social events on campus, has also brought many big names to Dartmouth. Perhaps the most hyped show occurred last fall, when pop sensation Ke$ha performed in the Leverone Field House while adorned in her usual glitter, of course.
Over Green Key weekend in the spring, Big K.R.I.T., Immortal Technique and Talib Kwali performed in a show that lasted about five hours, after which they also mingled and ate catered barbecue with the audience on their downtime. Earlier in the spring, D.C.-based hip-hop group Nappy Roots performed in the same open space of the Hop used for large events, Alumni Hall.
Programming Board does not only use the Hop for concert spaces, however. During 2010 Spring term, Chiddy Bang performed on the lawn near the north side of Berry Library, providing a necessary break from finals with ice cream and music to enjoy in the sun.
The same term, Super Mash Bros. performed in perhaps the most unconventional of places, above their audience on the indoor mezzanine level of Collis. Students gathered on the main floor of Collis, as well as on the basement level outside Fuel and One Wheelock.
Another source of entertainment that brings in slightly lower-key bands is Friday Night Rock, a student-run group that organizes several concerts per term in Fuel, a small space in the basement of Collis. These shows have included alumni bands such as the Powder Kegs and Filligar, in addition to well-known artists such as Girl Talk, Sleigh Bells and Of Montreal.
Look out for shows this fall on the Hop's website and in emails from Programming Board and Friday Night Rock.
