The University of Iowa Department of Dance continued its remarkable record of success in American College Dance Festival Association (ACDFA) competitions—college dance's “March Madness”—winning a spot on the 2013 Gala Concert of the North-Central Regional ACDFA Conference at Minnesota State University in Mankato, Minn, held March 9-12.

"Hearthside," choreographed by MFA candidate Michael Medcalf and performed by UI dancers Lindsay Fisher, Marisha Johnson, Ashley Michalek, Dana Powers, and Payden Van Camp, was one of eight works selected for the Gala Concert from among 30 entries.

As a professional dancer, Medcalf has performed and commissioned works from prominent choreographers such as Cleo Parker Robinson, Kim Robards, Dianne McIntyre, David Rousseve, Katherine Dunham, Donald McKayle, Bill T. Jones, and Tally Beatty. In 1998, he founded and served as the artistic director of Cleveland Contemporary Dance Theatre, a professional minority focused contemporary dance company based in Cleveland, Ohio.

Productions from the UI Department of Dance (part of the UI College of Liberal Arts and Sciences) have been selected for nearly all regional festival Gala Concerts, and UI dances have been showcased at most of the biennial National College Dance Festivals. Individual UI students have also won top honors at both regional and national festivals.

Learn more at www.acdfa.org.