Theatre & Dance Brings Mary Shelley’s Monster to Life with “Dance 2025: Mary, Victor, and the Monster”

In 1818, Mary Shelley introduced Victor Frankenstein and his Monster to the world. Now audiences can get to know Mary, Victor, and the Monster differently in a new dance concert conceived and choreographed by dance faculty Emily Bass-Glinski and Stella Hiatt Kane.

“Dance 2025: Mary, Victor, and the Monster” examines the delicacy between life and death, creation and destruction. Experience the journey as Mary Shelley creates the story of Frankenstein and his Monster. It is a story of the natural and unnatural, evil and purity, love and hatred, and light and darkness. Through multiple styles of dance including ballet and modern, the narrative unfolds viscerally and traces the outlines of existence, longing and the remorse of decisions that can’t be undone. 

Emily Bass-Glinski is a director, choreographer, and performance artist who resides in Westerville. She is currently pursuing her master of fine arts degree in Dance at The Ohio State University and is on the dance faculty at Otterbein. While living in New York City she was the marketing and events coordinator as well as a faculty member at Broadway Dance Center. Bass-Glinski also held guest classes throughout the city and its boroughs including NYU’s Experimental Theatre Wing and the Horace Mann School. She has toured professionally with Ani Niemann’s The Dance Cartel since its launch in 2012. Bass-Glinski continues to travel and host guest classes within a diverse range of facilities, including the University of Cincinnati’s College Conservatory of Music and Dance Department. She has also been a guest choreographer for Columbus Dance Theatre.  

Stella Hiatt Kane, the production’s artistic director and choreographer, is a professor in the Otterbein Department of Theatre and Dance, where she serves as director of musical theatre and director of dance. She is also the founding artistic director of JazzMet. Kane has been a member of the national companies of “Sugar” and Bob Fosses’ “Dancin’” and a member of the national and international companies of “The American Dance Machine.” She has been a visiting guest artist/teacher at several universities including The Ohio State University and New York University and has been a master teacher in residence at the Northern Ballet Theatre in Leeds, England. She has also been a guest choreographer for BalletMet and Columbus Dance Theatre, including the world premiere of “Women Leading.” 

The Otterbein University Department of Theatre and Dance presents “Dance 2025: Mary, Victor, and the Monster” at 7:30 p.m. from Nov. 20-22 and 2:00 p.m. on Nov. 23 in the Fritsche Theatre at Cowan Hall, 30 S. Grove St., Westerville. Tickets cost $22. Call 614-823-1109 or visit www.otterbein.edu/drama.  

The box office is open 12-4 p.m. Monday through Friday and one hour prior to performances. The box office is located in Cowan Hall, 30 S. Grove St., Westerville. Student rush discounts are available one hour prior to curtain, pending ticket availability.

Dance 2025: Mary, Victor, and the Monster

All evening performances begin at 7:30 p.m.!

• Thursday, Nov. 20 at 7:30 p.m.(Opening Night Reception Following performance.) 
• Friday, Nov. 21 at 7:30 p.m.
• Saturday, Nov. 22 at 7:30 p.m.
• Sunday, Nov. 23 at 2 p.m. (matinee)

All performances in the Fritsche Theatre at Cowan Hall, 30 S. Grove St.