New York City-based contemporary choreographer Nicholas Leichter, who combines an explosive array of dance styles to explore both gender and African American identity, will be in residence at UVM Feb. 4 to 7. He will work intensively with students throughout the weekend, teaching excerpts from his latest project, The Whiz, for their upcoming spring concert.

Leichter’s choreography, according to dance lecturer Clare Byrne, is extremely complex both spatially and in terms of movement. “It’s going to be really challenging for students physically,” says Byrne. “It’s fast, fluid dense modern dance but they’re totally up for it.”

There will be a number of opportunities, free and open to the public, to experience Leichter in action. A showing of students’ work-in-progress will be held on Sunday, Feb. 6 at 4 p.m. in Mann Hall Gymnasium on the Trinity Campus.

“It’s a chance to peek into a rehearsal and see him interacting with students,” explains Byrne. “Sometimes rehearsal can be more exciting than the performance.”

Leichter will also teach a master class open to both UVM students and serious dancers in the Burlington community. The public is welcome to observe the class on Monday, Feb. 7, 8:30 to 9:45 a.m., also in Mann Gymnasium.

Additionally, Leichter will perform a solo piece from The Whiz, “Remixing in Red-Heeled Shoes,” in conjunction with a lecture/discussion on Monday, Feb. 7, 1 to 2:30 p.m. in Allen House.

The Whiz is Leichter’s reinterpretation of The Wiz, the movie-musical based on the Wizard of Oz. The work showcases different dance, performance and music styles -- house, funk, postmodern, drag, hip-hop, contemporary and psychedelic, traversing a landscape of hopes, fears, dreams and home.

“Remixing some of the musical’s tracks,” according to a New Yorker review, “…Leichter and his crew show their love for the material with club flash and smoke and a level of sexiness that somehow didn’t make it into the movie.”

The demonstration and lecture is sponsored by the Center for Cultural Pluralism.