With virtuosic dancers and thrilling
choreography, one of the nation’s premier contemporary dance companies Eisenhower Dance blends drama, momentum
and force with technical brilliance in its performances at Diana Wortham
Theatre on Friday and Saturday, January 17 and 18, 2014 at 8:00 p.m.
Founded by Artistic Director Laurie Eisenhower
in 1991, Eisenhower Dance has been captivating audiences for more than two
decades with an evolving, exhilarating repertoire dedicated to the performance
of a diverse range of contemporary dance works.
In its January 17 & 18
performances at Diana Wortham Theatre, Eisenhower Dance performs the following
works: Begin with the End in Mind, an
abstract work by Ron de Jesus that showcases the dancers’ dynamic range, from
soft and tender to powerful and athletic; Open
Veins by Laurie Eisenhower, a virtuosic pure movement work; Threads, a luscious and passionate work
for eight dancers—a signature work by Eisenhower Dance and an audience
favorite; Music Lesson, a piece by
Eisenhower that utilizes old recordings of narrated music lessons spliced with
new music samples, giving a tongue-in-cheek version of music history and form;
and Better Places, a crown-pleasing
suite of five dances to Southern and Blues influenced music, also by
Eisenhower. An additional work by a guest choreographer will be revealed at the
performances.
Eisenhower Dance has received
critical acclaim along with enthusiastic audience support from around the
world, called “stunning” by the Holland
Sentinel and acclaimed as “intelligently crafted repertoire” by Dance Magazine. The company has received
numerous grants and awards for its work, including a prestigious Touring Award
from the New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA) to present its work NewDANCEfest during the 2012-2013
season. With support from the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs,
the company has also collaborated with Michigan Opera Theatre, the Warren
Symphony, the Immigrant Suns, the Rackham Symphony Choir in Carmina Burana, and the Motor City Lyric
Opera and the Toledo Opera in Amahl and
the Night Visitors.
In addition to the public
performances, Diana Wortham Theatre hosts Eisenhower Dance for an extended
residency at the theatre. Activities include an after-school performance, “Kids
in Motion,” on Wed., Jan. 15 at 3:30pm; a Master Class for the public on Thurs.
Jan. 16 (location and time to be announced); a Matinee Series performance, “Motown
in Motion,” on Fri. Jan. 17 at 10:00am; and a workshop at Care Partners. In
addition, ticket holders of the Jan. 17 & 18 evening performances can
attend free pre-performance discussions with Laurie Eisenhower and/or
Eisenhower Dance dancers at 7:00pm both nights prior to the 8:00pm
performances. All activities except for the Care Partners workshop are open to
the public; more information at www.dwtheatre.com. Funding for the residency is
made possible by South Arts.
Since founding Eisenhower
Dance, Laurie Eisenhower has created over 100 dances for the company in
addition to works for numerous professional and university dance companies. She
has been awarded several Creative Artists grants from state arts foundations,
the Michigan Dance Association Choreographers Festival Award, the Women in Art
Award for Choreography, Artserve’s Michigan Governor’s Arts Award for
Outstanding Michigan Artist and, most recently, the prestigious 2012 Kresge
Artist Fellowship.
Eisenhower Dance’s Asheville
performances are funded in part by a grant from South Arts in partnership with
the National Endowment for the Arts and the North Carolina Arts Council; and
presented with support from The Art Fryar Charitable Trust; and by Performance
Sponsors Steve & Rena Hoffman, and by Mainstage Dance Series Sponsors Hedy
Fischer & Rancy Shull, Tina & John McGuire, Ronna & Rob Resnick,
BMW of Asheville, and Diamond Brand Outdoors; with additional support from
Media Sponsors WNC magazine and WCQS 88.1FM.
No comments:
Post a Comment