A moving production

A French New Wave noir fantasy. An abstract modern ballet set to the music of Queen. A deep gaze into an addiction-haunted landscape.

All of these ideas and more infuse the Wilmington Dance Festival with fresh energy when it returns for its fifth annual showcase of choreography March 22-23 at UNCW's Kenan Auditorium.

Seven dances from seven choreographers comprise the program this year. Festival director Nancy Carson described a wide range of dance traditions and styles in our conversation, including ballet and folk dance, as examples of the event’s inclusiveness. In addition, there are cinematic and musical underpinnings by Patrick Ogelvie.

Linda Ann Webb brings in Ogelvie to help shape the distinctive look of her homage to French New Wave suspense movies with “Une nuit comme ca” (A Night like This). Nicole Dalier seeks to work through recovery from illness amid tribulations in her “Convalescence.”

In “Legacy,” Kate Muhlstein extends her series of works inspired by the women in her family who have impacted her world. In this new piece, it’s her late maternal grandmother. Tracy Varga’s “Sparkling Spiral” takes its inspiration from music by that hard-to-pigeonhole indie rock artist (there, I just pigeonholed him) Andrew Bird.

Carson said she has always wanted to delve into her Polish heritage through dance, and her “Oberek!,” named for the traditional dance form from Poland, will celebrate its identity with costumes by the University of North Carolina Wilmington theater department’s estimable professor of costume design, Mark Sorensen.

Sue Meier is as noted for her sense of humor as she is for her seriousness about ballet. She manages to bring it all together in “Ready Freddie” with music by Queen, and a special guest from United States International Ballet, Rachel Taylor, en pointe.

The youngest and newest of this year’s choreographers is 25-year-old Molly Gumbert. She was born and raised in Ashland, Kentucky, in the Tri-state area with Ohio and West Virginia, then moved to Tennessee to attend Milligan College in Johnson City.

Gumbert, who has been a dancer since she was old enough to walk, said she moved to Wilmington immediately following graduation from Milligan, and has lived here for about three years, cobbling together a life as a teacher and dancer. But her birthplace remains a significant influence.

“There is always something that your body is aware of, whether that's good or bad. And growing up in Appalachia, there’s a huge drug epidemic and it's taking over a lot of places in Appalachia. Our town in particular was voted one of the 10 worst places to live (in the United States)," Gumbert said. “Growing up there I had a good childhood but I saw a lot of poverty. I saw a lot of drug addiction and I had some friends taken (by) that illness.”

Gumbert said when she came to Wilmington and became involved with the Dance Cooperative -- the festival’s umbrella organization -- she decided that she wanted to do a piece inspired by the ugly side of Appalachia.

“Appalachia is a beautiful place. There's a lot of strong family ties there but there's almost -- I don't want to say evil -- but there's something going on there that I feel needs attention," she said.

Gumbert’s “An Appalachian Tale” took a cue from J.D. Vance’s memoir “Hillbilly Elegy,” a provocative and unsparing look at the culture of a region that for most of us is still tucked away in the shadows.

Striking a balance between dark and light, pain and healing, with moments of outright joy. That’s what this year’s Wilmington Dance Festival has to offer.

Contact StarNews arts and entertainment at 910-343-2343.

Want to go?

What: Wilmington Dance Festival

When: 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 22, and Saturday, March 23

Where: Kenan Auditorium, UNCW campus, Wilmington

Details: Tickets range from $20 to $30, and are $5 for UNCW students.

Info: 910-962-3500 or UNCW.edu/Arts