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Mark Stuver ’97.5, soars above the crowd in a performance with the dance company Bandaloop. The ensemble performed during the all-campus picnic September 15 to kick off the Mahaney Center’s 25th-anniversary season.

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MIDDLEBURY, Vt. – A multigenerational crowd celebrated the kick-off of the 25th anniversary of the Mahaney Center for the Arts on September 15 with an all-campus picnic and performances by the vertical dance company Bandaloop. Students, faculty, staff, and families joined the fun behind the MCA on a beautiful late-summer evening.

It’s hard to imagine a better way to kick off our 25th anniversary season,” said Liza Sacheli, director of the Mahaney Center. “Bandaloop’s creativity, innovation, global perspective, and environmental commitment are a great fit for Middlebury. The company made a huge impression on our community, with performances that delighted young and old alike. All in all, over 4,000 people attended the week’s activities.”

Known for its breathtaking performances off tall buildings and land forms, Bandaloop was making its second appearance at Middlebury—the first was in 2004 to celebrate the dedication of what is now the Davis Family Library. In two performances on Friday evening, the ensemble, in full rappelling gear, flew and glided across the wall for the crowd gathered on the plaza behind the Center. The program included solos, duets, and full ensemble pieces.

Middlebury alumnus Mark Stuver ’97.5, a longtime member of Bandaloop, served as artistic associate for the group’s Middlebury visit. During their three-day residency, the group performed for campus and public audiences, conducted workshops and a master class for students, and Stuver gave a career talk.

“We were especially proud to feature Mark, who began his dance career at the then-newly opened Center for the Arts,” said Sacheli. Stuver’s Middlebury performance was his final appearance with Bandaloop. After nearly two decades with the group, Stuver plans to shift direction and pursue screenwriting, puppetry, and multi-media arts.

Later Friday evening, WRMC hosted its annual Start of Semester (SOSFest) concert on the front lawn of the Mahaney Center. The concert opened with Middlebury R&B artist Rubby Paulino ’18, followed by headliner American hip hop singer and poet Noname.

Opened in 1992 as the Middlebury College Center for the Arts, the Mahaney Center for the Arts was renamed in 2007, helping to usher in its 15th anniversary season.

The visually distinctive building, situated along the east side of Route 30, is home to the Middlebury College Museum of Art, the black-box style Seeler Studio Theatre, a dance theatre, and the 370-seat Robison Concert Hall. The academic year is filled with a variety of performances and exhibitions, offering the college community rich opportunities to participate in the arts.

Photos by Todd Balfour

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Mahaney Center for the Arts