College can feel like an alternate universe. Surrounded by strangers and pushed out of their comfort zones, students encounter experiences they may have never imagined. In the Performing Arts Department at Rochester Institute of Technology’s National Institute for the Deaf, students with varying backgrounds in the arts come together to create and experiment. Professor Thomas Warfield has helped guide these journeys, particularly those of the dancers, since 1998. Now, as he prepares to retire at the end of this semester, Warfield is building a different kind of magical world onstage — one that reflects a sense of possibility.
With colorful sets, inventive costuming and motion capture technology, “Pure Imagination: The Magical Candy Shoppe” transports audiences into a whimsical world reminiscent of “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.” The central character moves through the piece with fluid, hip-hop and breaking-inspired choreography, guiding the audience through a series of imaginative lands. Each land features its own dance style and ensemble, from jazz and ballet to hip-hop and tap.
When considering his final production, Warfield kept returning to a single idea: imagination. It has been central to his 28 years at RIT/NTID, making this imagined world a fitting setting for his finale.
When Warfield first joined the faculty nearly three decades ago, RIT offered only a handful of dance classes. Today, the university boasts a dance minor, nearly 20 courses and scholarships in the performing arts. What began as a creative complement to a STEM-focused curriculum has grown into an integral part of the school’s identity.
“Performing arts nurture and cultivate the imagination, which in turn translates to other things in our lives,” said Warfield. “It changes the landscape of the campus.”
This integration is visible across RIT and NTID, from the recent opening of the SHED (Student Hall for Exploration and Development) to the new RIT Performing Arts Center. Partnerships with groups like Garth Fagan Dance and Rochester City Ballet also connect students to the broader arts community, bringing fresh perspectives into Rochester’s dance scene.
Collaboration — both across disciplines and with the local arts community — has long been central to Warfield’s work. “Pure Imagination” features an original score by Yi-Ning Lo, an assistant professor in RIT’s college of liberal arts. Lo joined RIT in 2024 after completing her musical arts doctorate at Eastman School of Music.
Though Lo has composed for dance before, this creation has been distinctly collaborative. She created short samples in a range of musical styles, which Warfield helped to shape through feedback. Rehearsal footage influenced Lo’s compositions, with adjustments happening throughout the process.
“When I’m writing music, I can be trapped in my own thoughts, and I don’t have stimulants from outside,” said Lo. “This collaboration is different because it prompts me to think about music in a new way.”
Both Lo and Warfield point to their students as a constant source of inspiration. Because the students are non-performance majors, they often approach music and dance from unexpected angles.
“Many are engineers, and they have sharp insights into music,” said Lo. “The way they view music is so refreshing.”
That blend of technical rigor and creative exploration is part of what has kept Warfield at RIT/NTID for nearly three decades. Watching how each student learns, experiments and imagines is one of the most rewarding aspects of his role.
And with “Pure Imagination,” Warfield hopes to extend a sense of wonder beyond the classroom and into the community.
“We’re living in a time of radical change, and that requires us to nurture innovative and creative thinking,” he said. “Maybe this will be an example for other people to trust their imagination and create a world that will be better than what it is now.”
“Pure Imagination: The Magical Candy Shoppe” runs April 17-19 at NTID’s Robert F. Panara Theatre. Tickets are $12 for the public. rittickets.com
Sydney Burrows is a Rochester-based dancer and writer focused on amplifying the stories of talented artists across the region.
