April Events!!

by Aisha Cruse

In an unusual turn of events there's really nothing happening dance-wise in Boston during April. I'm taking the opportunity to watch (or re-watch) some awesome dance films and documentaries like Pina, Singing in the Rain, and Billy Elliot.

Yes I am kidding. Here is my selective sampling of the the thousand and one dance events happening in Boston this month, please let me know if you make it to all of them because I would be extremely impressed.

Fri, April 1 & Sat, April 2 @ 8 pm 

Sun, April 3 @ 7 pm

Student/Faculty Showcase

Presented by Adrienne Hawkins and students and faculty of The Dance Complex

The Dance Complex in Cambridge

$15-$20

This might be the Boston Dance community at its most community oriented. The people that take class at the Dance Complex are novices and professionals, people with many careers and whole other lives who take a couple hours a week to throw themselves into something they love. If you want to go see an incredible variety of dance styles and dancers perform with joy and enthusiasm, go see this show. 

Fri, April 8 & Sat, April 9, @ 7pm

We Create! Celebrating Women in the Arts 

Presented by Marsha Parrilla and Danza Organica

At Hibernian Hall in Roxbury

$20/ $15 BDA/ $10 student/senior

Monkeyhouse favorite Paradise Lost is performing in this incredible show along with a ton of other dancers, performers, and artists. There are raffles, talk-backs, receptions and classes depending on which day you go, so definitely check the site to pick your preferred activity roster. From the event page: "We Create is a community-based and process-oriented festival in Boston that features the works of a selected group of the most talented women artists in Massachusetts. Works are created around an annual theme. 2016 Theme: Acculturation"

Fri, April 8 & Sat, April 9 @ 8pm
Pentacle Presents: The Gallery and Guests: Boston

At The Dance Complex in Central Square, Cambridge

$15-$20

Monkeyhouse is all about building the dance community, so I'm pretty excited for this Boston/ New York collaboration show: "Pentacle, the artist services agency based in New York City, returns for the second year with a program of performances by artists from its Gallery Roster including LCTC (Lorraine Chapman The Company) based in Boston, The Moving Architects - formerly from Chicago now based in metropolitan New York, and BARKIN/SELISSEN PROJECT and Dante Brown/Warehouse Dance, both based in New York City. Included on the program will be guest artists with Boston connections: Angie Moon Dance Theatre and Doppelganger Dance Collective.
Activities will include the performances and an artist symposium Saturday afternoon (free) hosted by Peter DiMuro, Executive Director of The Dance Complex, as well as other activities." Sat, April 9 @ 7:30 pm

Bach Reinvented

A collaboration with Urbanity Dance

at Emmanuel Church on Newbury Street, Boston
$30-$150, $10 student
Y'ALL I am so excited for and interested by this event it sounds ambitious and intelligent and awesome and to my chagrin it is on the SAME DAY as the equally awesome dance event listed below and I am already going to that one. Please go see this show in my place and tell me of it's glory. It has moving stages and a 35 piece orchestra and an incredibly talented, athletic dance company, what more could you want?

Sat, April 9 @ 11 am, events all day

Boston Blend 2016

Presented by Boston Blend

At Cambridge Masonic Temple in Porter Square, Cambridge

$15-$75

There is a thriving social dance scene in Boston, and a lot of the people who participate in one community cross pollinate with others. Some intrepid members of the Blues Dance community and the Chicago Step community started going to each others events and decided that we should all hang out together, and thus, Boston Blend was born! This is the inaugural event, and it is a day absolutely packed with workshops and performances in Blues and Step, and a SOUL FOOD BUFFET DINNER which would be worth the price of admission all by itself. It is also smack in the middle of my neighborhood, so if you decide to go, you will see me there!

Thurs, April 14 - Fri, April 16 @ 8pm

Sun, April 17 @ 3pm

What Moves You?

Presented by Harvard Dance Project
At Farkas Hall in Harvard Square, Cambridge

$10/ $5 students

If the title of this show looks like a Monkeyhouse FAQ I am here to let you know that I feel the same way. I'm interested to see what a completely separate group of humans did with one of our favorite questions. From the website: "WHAT MOVES YOU? is a unique collaboration between three distinct choreographic voices: Francesca Harper, Jill Johnson, and Mario Zambrano. Together, they have collaborated with The Harvard Dance Project (HDP) dancers and associate HDP student artists, composed of singers, poets, musicians, and writers, to create a work that is both responding to and asking the governing question: “What moves you?” This question was posed to the cast to create movement phrases and choreographic structure, and resulted in a series of personal stories adapted through motion."Thurs, April 14 - Sat, April 16 @ 8 pm

Sat & Sun, April 16 & 17 @ 2 pm

Limitless

Presented by the Boston Conservatory

Boston Conservatory Theater

$15-$30

I will now quote directly from the website about why this got my attention:

"*On Friday, April 15 at 11 a.m., there will be a special autism-friendly performance for individuals on the autism spectrum and their families. To learn more, contact our Audience Services Manager at (617) 912-9142." If you have someone in your life for whom his may be relevant, share it with them. Accessibility for the neuro-diverse is MASSIVELY under served in the arts community, and it should be celebrated and taken advantage of when it is offered. This show features incredible young dancers and internationally acclaimed choreographers: Doug Varone, Keith A. Thompson, Adam Hougland and Dwight Rhoden; I would see this show and support these people for their inclusiveness alone.

Sat, April 30 @ 8pm

Evolution: Celebrating Our 5th Anniversary

Presented by Jo-Mé Dance Theatre
At Boston University Dance Theater in Allston

$25 general/ $20 BDA/ $15 student and senior

I haven't seen Jo--Mé Dance Theatre before, so this event struck me as a great way to get to know the company. They will be showing works from their 5 years as a company and 2 new works by Joe Gonzalez and Diaman Wood, which has the advantage of allowing the audience to see work they may otherwise have missed and also allowing us to see how the company has grown over time. If you're looking to get to know a new dance company, this is the one I'd pick.

March Events!!

by Aisha Cruse

Going a little stir crazy? Getting that spring fever? Get out and about and see some awesome dance!

Sunday, March 6, 7:30 pm
FARRUQUITO
Presented by CrashArts/ World Music 

At the Berklee Performance Center in Boston
$79, $65, $52, $40
The Flamenco Festival has returned to Boston for its 15 season, it has brought an incredible performer. "From the legendary Farruco dynasty, the first family of Gypsy flamenco dance, Farruquito is regarded as one of the most faithful representatives of flamenco puro." He regards his new show Improvisao as a "return to his roots", so if you're interested in seeing one of the best Flamenco dancers in the world, 
definitely go see this show.

Fri & Sat, March 11 &12 @ 8 pm
COMPAGNIE HERVÉ KOUBI

At The Institute of Contemporary Art / Boston
$40 / $36 World Music/CRASHarts members

The description for this show makes me think of the incredible Fleur d'Orange, which is more than enough to make me want to go: "Twelve French-Algerian and African male dancers, mostly coming from street dance and hip-hop backgrounds, perform the Boston premiere of Ce que le jour doit à la nuit (What the Day Owes the Night), a highly physical, stunningly fluid work that combines capoeira, martial arts, and urban and contemporary dance with powerful Sufi imagery."

Fri & Sat, March 11 & 12 @ 8 pm
The Body Becomes the Messenger
Presented by Kelley Donovan and Dancers
At the Dance Complex in Central Square, Cambridge
$12-$20
This new show from Kelley Donovan and Dancers explores how health and well being informs the creative process, a theme near and dear to Monkeyhouse and it's dancers. I'm interested to see their take on what is often a deeply personal subject. Thurs, March 17@ 7:30 pm 
Fri, March 18 @ 8 pm 
Sat, March 19 @ 2 pm & 8 pm
Alvin Ailey Dance Theater
At the Citi Wang Theatre in Boston
$35 and up
If you are going to see a very established touring company in peak performance, see Alvin Ailey. The performance schedule is slightly different each night, featuring at least one classic repertory piece alongside new choreography. I think this is a perfect excuse to see it every night, but that's just me.

Fri & Sat, March 18 & 19 @ 8 pm
Paradise Lost Presents REPLAY
At the Multicultural Arts Center in Lechemere, Cambridge
$23 / $18 students/seniors/BDA members
I am so incredibly excited about this show (partly because I'm stage managing, so I might be biased)! Monkeyhouse favorites, Paradise Lost is thrilled to premier 4 new pieces from choreographers Shannon Sweeny, Cassie Samuels, Gabriel Nesser and Artistic Director Tyler Catanella. These new pieces "explore cycles and repetition within human nature and relationships. Whether told through the story of a silent family at a dinner table, two couples waking up at sunset on a grassy hill, or three ghosts stuck in a purgatory, Paradise Lost asks: How do we escape from the cycles that trap us? Where can we find the strength to break free from those that tie us down? What does it take for us to let go and move forward? Let's get lost!"

Fri, March 25th @ 10 pm
Acoustica Electronica
Presented by toUch Performances
At Club Oberon in Harvard Square, Cambridge
$15 -$90 (VIP)
Acoustica Electronica has returned to Boston, and March 25 is your last night to see the show! An electric mix of aerialists, dancers, theater and live opera music, this show has been described as "Cirque du Soleil meets a rave" which is my personal ideal night out. Once the show is over, the party continues on into the small hours, so prepare to dance the night away!

February Events!!

by Aisha Cruse

If the bleak Boston winter has got you down, never fear! February is full of vibrant dance! And if you're looking for something to do Valentine's Day weekend, you have no shortage of options!

Sun, February 7 @ 6 pm & 8 pm
NACHMO Boston
Presented by NACHMO Boston and Intimations Dance
At the Dance Complex in Central Square, Cambridge

$10

I hope everyone out there enjoyed January's choreographic kick in the pants! NACHMO Boston culminates at the end of this week with an evening jam-packed with all-new dance! Featuring 20 choreographers (including perennial Monkeyhouse favorites Ryan P. Casey and Nikki Sao Pedro- Welch) spread out over two performance times, your only problem is which time slot to see. Personal suggestion: see both! Admission is only $10!

Sat & Sun, February 12 & 13 @ 8 pm

The Glorious Mediocre with Kat Nasti
Presented by Boston Center for the Arts
At the Calderwood Pavilion in Back Bay, Boston
$20/ $18 BDA members

The Choreographers Residency program at the BCA continues enabling artists to produce really stellar work. Choreographer Kat Nasti describes The Glorious Mediocre as a "memoir of the mundane". Through a mash-up of Broadway and modern dance, she reflects on her own childhood in a rather unspectacular town and explores the fruitless pursuits of mortals with song, dance, and a healthy amount of sarcasm.

Fri & Sat, February 12 & 13 @ 8 pm
DANCE! DANCE! DANCE! DANCE!
Featuring Daniel McCusker Dance Projects : Navarasa Dance Theater : Jean Appolon Expressions : Wendy Jehlen and Lacina Coulibaly
Presented by the ICA Boston
At the Institute for Contemporary Art Boston, MA
$15 ICA members + students / $30 nonmembers
Want to see 4 incredible local dance companies perform on the same evening? The ICA is fulfilling your wishes. Given Monkeyhouse's commitment to building and growing the Boston dance community I am unreasonably excited by this event and by the event description: "An exciting evening highlighting the diversity of dance in the Boston region ... featuring Daniel McCusker Dance Projects, Navarasa Dance Theater, Jean Appolon Expressions, and a duet by Wendy Jehlen and Lacina Coulibaly. Including a 15-minute performance by each company, DANCE! DANCE! DANCE! DANCE! will conclude with a discussion among the four choreographers in which they will discuss how different forms of dance of informed their own work."

February 12 thru March 6
Fri & Sat @ 8 pm, Sun @ 4 pm
The Cuba Files
Presented by Jose Mateo Ballet Theatre
At The Sanctuary Theater in Harvard Square, Cambridge

$42
Set entirely to music by Cuban composers, The Cuba Files goes back to Jose Mateo's Cuban roots, featuring two ballets choreographed in 2004, Escape and Arroz con Mango, and the premier of a new ballet. There is also a special discounted price if you buy tickets for all three spring performances, so go check out the website!

Sat & Sun, February 19 & 20 @ 7:30 pm

Avalanche
Presented by MoveWorks
At the Dance Complex in Central Square, Cambridge

$25/ $20 student & BDA members
I love it when out-of-town companies come to Boston to premier their work. MoveWorks evening-length show features three pieces; The Job, The Contaminant, and the world premier of Avalanche, a celebration of cold, ice and snow. In the depths of the Bostonian winter, it might be nice to be reminded that sometimes the cold is beautiful. Also featuring a special guest performance by Gabrielle Orcha and performance art by a local Boston cast!

Sat, February 27 @ 8 pm
Urban Bush Women: WALKING WITH ‘TRANE
Presented by FirstWorks
Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Providence, RI
$18-75 includes $3 restoration fee
I had the good fortune to take a semester long class with a former Urban Bush Woman in college, and it remains one of the best learning experiences I've had as a dancer.If you have the opportunity to make it down to Providence for the performance, DO IT. These women are incredible dancers, and this show features live music composed by the Grammy Award-winning George Caldwell in tribute to John Coltrane's "A Love Supreme".

January Events!!

by Aisha Cruse

January 1- 30
NACHMO

Presented by Intimations Dance and the Dance Complex

At The Dance Complex in Central Square, Cambridge
If it's January, it must be time for NACHMO! Intimations dance Sponsors the Boston branch of National Choreography Month, when we all get a choreographic kick in the pants! Keep checking the website to see when they announce the choreographers participating in this years showing in February, and to check out the workshops, talks and lead up events. (PS Monkeyhouse is doing our own NACHMO inspired series of dance prompts that we'll be putting up on Instagram, so stay tuned!)

January 7, 2016 @ 8:00 pm

Return to ORG!
Presented by the ART

At the Oberon, in Harvard Square, Cambridge
$20

I had no idea what this was or that I wanted to see it until I realized Luminarium was performing and now I am very excited and concerned I won't get a ticket in time.
"After a two year hiatus, ORG ~ the multi-performer, multimedia variety show bringing together local (and beyond) performing and visual artists ~ returns to Oberon in full tilt. Return to Org! is a wholly locally grown affair, with Boston-based performers filling both acts." In addition to Luminarium, there will be live music: including the infectious folk-swing of As The Sparrow & the dark, avant-elegance of Jaggery; animated shorts curated by experimental filmmaker Bryan Papciack., theater featuring Veronica Barron and live art by Kristilyn Stevenson. Click the links, get excited. See you there!

Fri, January 23 thru Sat, February 6

Catalyst Performance Series

Presented by the Dance Complex
At the Dance Complex in Central Square, Cambridge
$30 VIP/$20 General/$15 BDA 

Three Ticket Bundles: $75 VIP/$50 General/$36 BDA
The Dance Complex presents the culmination of their inaugural Catalyst Series, three weekends of performances featuring the inaugural CATALYSTS in a performance series intent on deepening how, and how often, we look at dance. Join choreographers Chavi Bansal, Callie Chapman, Michael Figueroa, Sarah Mae Gibbons, and Kathleen Nasti as they delve into their individual focuses of dance installation and film, memory and spirit, spectacle and uproar. 

Sat, January 30 @ 8:00 pm
Sun, January 31 @ 3:00 pm

Trinity Irish Dance Company
Emerson/Cutler Majestic Theatre, Boston
$68, $58, $48, $35 Does anyone else remember the Folgers commercials with the Irish step dancers? It was around the time of Riverdance's peak popularity, and I can't see step dance without getting the jingle stuck in my head, remembering how poised and precise the dancers were. The Trinity Irish Dance Company puts both the commercial and Riverdance to shame. Multiple award winners, they will be performing The Dawn in it's Boston area premiere.

December Events-- Everything but the Nutcracker!

by Aisha Cruse

The countdown to Christmas has begun, and The Nutcracker is everywhere you turn. But if you're not really a fan, have already seen every Nutcracker in Boston, or you're just looking for something new, don't worry, I've got you covered.

Fri & Sat, December 4 & 5 @ 8 pm 
Gumdrops & The Funny Uncle

Featuring Peter DiMuro and Public Displays of Motion
at The Dance Complex in Central Square, Cambridge MA
$22/ $18 children and BDA members
I'm just going to quote the event page:"The show was created to offer a way for those who might identify alternatively to the idea of belonging to a family, being of multiple families or celebrating their families of choice. Created by Peter DiMuro, Gumdrops & The Funny Uncle has toured both coasts, always featuring professional dancers performing alongside communities, whose dancing and stories invigorate the show. The holidays can often intensify our feelings of feeling “in” or “out” of our family and social circles. Building on a series of workshops DiMuro offered - “Coming Out for Straight People and Their Friends”, where life lessons from the LGBTQ community were shared as information for all, he found there was strength in the process of active belonging, of choosing one’s circle, that could also be a learning and questioning tool among those who feel other." If you're struggling with the holidays this year, this might be a great way to "un-pack" holiday stress.

Thu, December 10 @ 6:30pm & 7:30pm
Sat, December 12 @ 2 pm
Through Sun, January 24
Silas Renier in Merce Cunningham's Changeling
Presented by ICA Boston
At the ICA Boston, MA
FREE with admission to the museum
The Black Mountain College exhibition at the ICA is bringing Merce Cunningham's early works to life. December is the kickoff for two months of performances by the Boston Conservatory students under the direction of former Cunningham dancer Silas Riener. From the ICA website: "Boston Conservatory students perform excerpts from early Cunningham dances including Dime A Dance, Springweather and People, Septet, Nocturnes, and Minutiae, accompanied by pianist Stephen Drury. For the December and January performances, the students will be joined by Riener, who will perform the recently reconstructed Cunningham solo Changeling, and joined by Drury performing music by Christian Wolff and John Cage."

Thurs, December 17 @ 7:30PM
FILAMENT : Luminarium 5-Year Retrospective
Presented by Luminarium Dance
At Oberon, Harvard Square, Cambridge
$15-$20
Luminarium turns 5 this year, and Monkeyhouse could not be more excited about it. Make sure you come out to see their one-night-only retrospective show, featuring 11 favorites selected by fans. If you missed out on past Luminarium shows and want to see the best of the best, go buy your tickets now! This is at Oberon, so audience must be 18+.

Fri & Sat, December 18 & 19 @ 8 pm
12 Dancers Dancing
Presented by Honey Blonder
At Dance Complex, Cambridge, MA
$20 Adults/ $15 Children and Senior
Thirteen Boston based dance companies celebrate the season! Featuring performances from Rainbow Tribe, Bside, Sydni Lockeby, Boston Community Dance Project, Embrace, Cambridge Dance Company, Brookline Academy of Dance, Contemporarily Out of Order, Alive Dance Collective, CreationDance, Forty Steps Dance, Steffani Bennett, and Monkeyhouse friends Ryan P. Casey and Dance'n Feet! This is also a charity event, so if you bring a new toy for the toy drive you'll get a dollar off your ticket! 

Fri, December 18 @ 7 pm 
Sat, December 19 @ 2 pm & 7 pm
Sun, December 20 @ 2 pm 

What the Dickens!
Featuring CYDP, Boston Tap Company, and guest artists  
Presented by Deborah Mason School of Dance and the Cambridge Youth Dance Program
At BU Dance Theater on Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA
$25-$30
A re-imagining of A Christmas Carol, featuring performances from the Cambridge Youth Dance Program and guest artists all over Boston, from Indian to Tap to Hip-hop. I just went to the website and looked at the promo pictures and now I just want to go see it? I don't know what else to tell you besides it's just that compelling. 

Mon, December 28 through Thurs, December 31
Winter Wonder Dance Festival
Featuring A wide variety of guest artists! 

Presented by The Dance Complex
At The Dance Complex in Central Square, Cambridge, MA

$295/festival pass, event prices vary
The Dance Complex is closing the year with a bang! Their third annual Winter Wonder Festival is billed towards movers of all ages and backgrounds, featuring classes, workshops, discussions, and lots of community events and performances. Head over to the website for more detailed information, and the Festival Schedule. 

Okay, okay, if you really must see a Nutcracker performance, I recommend Jose Mateo Ballet Theater and The Urban Nutcracker. They are both excellent. 

Happy Holidays, Monkeyhouse friends! See you in the New Year!

November Events!

by Aisha Cruse

Sun, November 8 @ 12:30pm & 1:30pm
Amherst Storybook Project
Presented by Luminarium Dance Company
at the Eric Carle Museum in Amherst, MA
Free!
Luminarium debuts its season-long project with the Amherst community with its book launch and family-friendly performance with Q&A at 12:30 and 1:30pm in the museum theater. You can learn more about the incredible breadth and scope of the project, as well as see some of the original images on Luminarium's website; click the link above!

Fri, November 13 @ 8:00 pm
Sat, November 14 @ 4:00 pm
Entangling
Featuring ANIKAYA
Presented by Boston Center for the Arts
At Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA,  Boston, MA
$20 general admission
Inspired by the phenomenon of Quantum Entanglement, in which two atoms become linked to each other, Entangling explores how we are inextricably and consequentially connected to each other. This piece seems to be a natural extension of Anikaya Dance Theater's mission statement to break down the perceived boundaries between people, cultures and artforms. A collaboration between US-based choreographer Wendy Jehlen and West African-based contemporary choreographer and dancer Lacina Coulibaly, Entangling, investigates the interlacing of the internal, physical energy between two human beings.

Mon, November 16 @ 7:00 pm
Onstage Dance 5th Anniversary Gala
Featuring and Presented by OnStage Dance Company
At OBERON, Cambridge, MA
Free! Standing room only; VIP seating $15
We had the great pleasure of meeting some of the members of OnStage Dance Company during ChoreoFest back in September, when they made an amazing peice to the prompt "The snozzberries taste like snozzberries", so I'm pretty excited to see them at Oberon. You should definietely join me. From their website: "OnStage Dance Company invites you to celebrate FIVE incredible years of dance. Featuring: "Greatest Hits" performances throughout the evening, special guests, award presentations, games, giveaways, raffles and MORE! This event is FREE and open to the public. In an effort to continue building a strong local dance community, we encourage local dancers and dance companies to attend."

November 20 @ 4:00pm through November 22 @ 8:00pm 
The Festival of You & Us & We & Them
Presented by The Dance Complex
At The Dance Complex, Central Square, Cambridge, MA
FREE; other ticketed events range from $5- $25 dollars
The Dance Complex marches on in it's mission to bring dance to the community and grow the dance community in Boston with The Festival of You & Us & We & Them.  Mostly free and open to the public, this weekend- long festival will have workshops, performances, and a flashmob class (really), and will also make use of the Dance Complex's temporary street level performance patio, standing in for the much anticipated unveiling of Studio 7 (PS check out dancecomplex.org for information about Dance Building Building Dance Phase II and how you can help!) So far, the list of artists sharing work includes Adrienne Hawkins, Brian Feigenbaum, Margot Parsons, Brian Crabtree, David Sun, DeAnna Pellechia. New works in progress from dancemakers in aMaSSiT Creative Labs of The Dance Complex include Audrey MacLean, Kathy Hassinger, Kristen Wagner, Jenny Herzog, Sarah Eley and Colleen Walsh. Check on the Dance Complex main page closer to the festival for a complete list of events!

Fri & Sat, November 20 & 21@ 8:00 pm
Sun, November 22 @ 3:00 pm
This is Tango Now 
Presented by World Music/CRASHarts
At Institute of Contemporary Art Boston, MA
$40, $36 World Music/ CRASHarts members
This is Tango Now returns to Boston yet again, so if you've missed their previous performances, now is a great opportunity to get acquainted with this incredible company. "Formed by renowned, Tony-winning tango artists Fernanda Ghi and Guillermo Merlo and musician Alfredo Minetti, This Is Tango Now represents a unique approach to tango, reflecting an unconditional passion for the art form. Featuring a stellar company of 12 dancers and musicians performing the world premiere of CARMEN . . . de Buenos Aires, this breathtaking new production of Carmen blends tango and flamenco with an original score based on Bizet’s beloved melodies." As always, ICA events are accompanied with pre- and post- show discussions, so check out the Friday night performance for a Q&A with the company.

Peter DiMuro on ChoreoFest

by Aisha Cruse

ChoreoFest triumphantly ended just over a week ago, with much sighing and yawning and applause. And though the performances have concluded, the conversations continue! I was lucky enough to get to ask Dance Complex Executive Director Peter DiMuro a few questions about ChoreoFest and choreography at the Dance Complex, ChoreoFest's annual home.

A quick bit of background; a few weeks before the festival, the Dance Complex invited the ChoreoFest participants to take part in a Choreographer's Workshop lead by Peter, which was part of a longer event called Summer Sizzle. I eagerly accepted, and spent an amazing three hours building and deconstructing movement.

Given the Dance Complex's continued support of ChoreoFest, and knowing that Peter would be attending the performances, it made perfect sense to ask him some follow-up questions on the workshop and on ChoreoFest. Peter graciously and eloquently accepted.

Aisha Cruse: What made you invite the ChoreoFest participants to the Choreographer's Workshop?
Peter DiMuro: ​I often feel, that as young dance-makers, we're thrown into the world post-college or post-training with very little preparation as to what it means to "make dances". We're taught to make phrases, make-up movement. In technique class, there are combinations- often in straight lines across the floor. Even if we get to take a composition or choreography class, there is so little time to "undo" the majority of the time we spend in our training- isolating the technique from the "communication through movement".
I had seen the Choreofest through video and live snippets over the past few years, and felt that we might be able to help frame the intense 24 hour period with a mind set (and body-set!) that could de-rail the trained impetus to "gotta make up movement.." vs. "what are we communicating".

Aisha: The workshop we attended was part of a larger week-long event, which included an opportunity for choreographers to make and show work. Can you tell us a little about what
​ ​your goals were during the event and if it will be happening again?
​Peter: Each year we do two seasonal festivals- Winter Wonder and Summer Sizzle. This year, Summer Sizzle seemed to take on a new thread of creation- there was a choreographer's track as a through line, as well as some body/mind/moving somatics classes with Pam Pietro. I think with the choreo track and Pam's classes, the parallel in "how" we think about dance is the key ingredient: if we don't question the way we move, think, bundle and unbundle bodies and ultimately change (the hard part!!!), then we don't really have a chance to change the way we move, the way we create/craft dances.
As The Dance Complex continues, we will also keep reinforcing sustainable ways of thinking/doing- in our own Festivals like Winter Wonder and Summer Sizzle, but in on-going workshops we produce throughout the year- the CATALYST Classes, for instance.​

Aisha: ChoreoFest is incredibly happy to have the continued support of the Dance Complex. What kind of involvement does the Dance Complex (or do you) want to have with ChoreoFest in the future?
Peter: Since arriving here 2 summers ago, I feel like I am just understanding what the community holds as gifts to us- us at The Dance Complex but also for the whole community. It would be great to be involved with a workshop prior to the ChoreoFest as we did this year; I think it would/could get more means of interrupting patterns, ways of thinking.
I could see some of the works continuing on- and being presented in workshop or performance here say a few months later- what seed ideas are worth keeping or evolving into more?​

Aisha: Were there any moments while watching the performances that you saw or felt a connection to the skills we covered or discussions we had in the choreographer's workshop?
Peter: Of course the egotist in my wants to say, Sure! Everything connected! I'd love to ask the choreographer's the same question : how did they - or now, with reflection a few days later- interrupt the creative process patterns, movement patterns, spatial patterns, when under the gun like that.
I do think in watching that I saw the overall form of the dances- from each individual choreographer- be less connected to a known form (first a duet, now a solo, now a trio...now group unison- the kind of choreography that speaks to fulfilling some list of known ingredients). The dances felt more organically formed. And I sensed ownership by the dancers dancing- my own methods include a lot of work to get those performing to "own" movement right from the get-go, and not as a layer on top of "adding the performance", so this always is something that pops out.
It might be the nature of the 24 hour finite-ness that choreographers sense that they share creation/ownership in the process of making..​.or maybe partly the workshop that un-did some unspoken rule of the choreographer creating top down.
And I saw less unison! (That tool of the devil!) and when unison occurred, it felt less out of nowhere.
I'd encourage an examination of what, objectively with a few days passing, worked- even the unintentional aspects in performance, form, movement generation- and see if there is some way to set the likelihood that these can occur again..and that requires reflection and changing pattern....(It's always back to that! Dang!)

For more on Peter's work, please visit his website, PDM:Public Displays of Motion.
You can also find him on Facebook.

May Events!

By Aisha Cruse

Fri, May 8 & Sat, May 9 @ 8pm
Sun, May 10 @ 3pm
MOMIX: Alchemia
Presented by World Music/CRASHarts
At Cutler Majestic Theatre (219 Tremont St Boston, MA)
$35-$69 
"This is so cool" was all I could think while watching the promo footage on the CRASHarts website. Momix is a visually stunning, heavily multi-media dance group, and the show they're bringing to Boston is some serious eye candy. If the dancing (which is incredible) wasn't enough of a draw (which it is), I might go solely for the costumes. 

Fri, May 08 & Sat, May 09 @ 8 pm
Ten Tiny Dances

Presented by Linden Tree Productions
At The Dance Complex (536 Massachusetts Ave Cambridge, MA)
$25/$20 (student/ senior/ BDA members)
Featuring ten short works each evening, Ten Tiny Dances is a performance series that challenges performers and choreographers to build work in confined spaces. Specifically, a 4 foot by 4 foot platform. That may seem like a heavy restriction, but as Monkeyhouse can tell you, great obstacles usually create dance.

Thu, May 07 - Sun, May 10 @ 8 pm
Suspicious Spaces
Presented by José Mateo Ballet Theatre
At The Sanctuary Theatre (400 Harvard Street Cambridge, MA)
$42

Jose Mateo's last show of the season enters its final weekend, so if you've been meaning to go, now is the time! Suspicious Spaces features two high pressure ballets; House of Ballet, which chronicles an obssession that leads to an abduction, and Fearless Symmetries, which tells the story of a girl allured, then overwhelmed, by the hustle of city life. This program seems tailored to keep you on the edge of your seat.

Sat, May 16 @ 6 pm
Especially for Me! 

Featuring Luminarium Dance

The Discovery Museums ( 177 Main St, Acton, MA)

Free (pre-registration required)

Because Luminarium Dance is made up of the best people, they have teamed up with the Discovery Museums to create a free, interactive dance workshop for kids with vision impairments. Visitors of all ages are invited to join in the fun, so if you're curious about how the visually impaired experience dance, or if you have a visually impaired child (or adventurous grown-up) in your life, Luminarium will be thrilled to meet you there.  Make sure to register for the workshop, and check out the whole museum if you can!

Fri, May 15 @ 7:30 pm 
Sat, May 16 @ 8:00 pm
Sun, May 17 @ 3:00 pm
Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet
Presented by Celebrity Series of Boston
At Citi Shubert Theater (270 Tremont Street Boston, MA)
$60
I feel like I've put Cedar Lake on our events list before, but that could just be because every time I see they're coming to Boston I end up obsessively watching videos of their work until I remember what I was supposed to be doing. Their numerous accolades are well deserved; their choreography is incredible and I cannot get enough. Check out the video on the event website and see if you can look away.

Fri, May 22 & Sat, May 23 @ 8 pm

inside, outside, and next to
Featuring AGA Collaborative: Alison Bory, Amanda Hamp, Gretchen Altero  

Presented by The Dance Complex
At The Dance Complex (536 Massachusetts Ave. Cambridge, MA)

$20/$15 (student/ senior/ BDA members)
Three dances linked by choreographic themes of empathy, intimacy, the passage of time, and the experience of being. Definitely go to the site for a more detailed introduction, but this seems like a performance where you don't want the words to get in the way.

Sat, May 23 @ 5 pm

Quicksilver Dance

Union Square Plaza, Somerville MA

Free 

Monkeyhouse loves Mariah Steele and Quicksilver Dance! Presenting 4 short works by turns comedic, contemplative, and conflicted, this performance seems to be a wonderful encapsulation of the Quicksilver catalog. This is only one event of the series, so be sure to check the site to find out what other awesome acts you can catch in Union Square this summer!

Sat, May 30 @ 5 pm
DANCE MUSEUM 

Calamity Co. Dance and the Somerville Arts Council

Union Square, Somerville MA

Free

Somerville Arts Council and Calamity Co. Dance are remounting the Dance Museum, an interactive outdoor performance featuring members of Luminarium and other Boston dance companies. May is shaping up to be beautiful, so get out to Union for some open air dance!

Upcoming Events!

by Aisha Cruise

That crisp bite in the morning air leaves no doubt that autumn is almost upon us, and as Boston gears up for the 2013/2014 dance season, September offers up some unique performances and occasions:

Mondays 09/09 - 10/21 @ 9:30-11am
Monday Morning Modern w/Mariah
Green Street Studios
Come invigorate your week with Monday Morning Modern with Mariah!  Each class will include a thorough warm-up (floor & standing) designed to foster expanded range of motion and efficiency of movement, followed by center movement phrases in Mariah's distinctive style. Phrase work is technical, but organic and easy on the body, with a focus on theatricality, subtlety, detail and creative expression.  All levels welcome!

Some other great Boston studios starting fall dance classes:
The Dance Complex (for any dance you can think of)
Jose Mateo Adult Drop-in series (for classical ballet)
Cambridge Center for Adult Education(for ballroom, ballet, jazz and tap)
Brookline Ballet School (mostly ballet, but some fun exceptions)

September 13 & 14 @ 8pm
September 15 @ 2pm
Secrets & Motion
Arts at the Armory, Somerville MA
Last year, Luminarium brought you into the fanciful world of Mythos:Pathos. This September, be among the first to see the company's new feature production, SECRETS & MOTION, combining dance, light, and text to create a performance riddled with contemplative thought, and a little humor. Collaborating with photographer Larry Pratt and installation artist Hannah Verlin (Fun fact: Luminarium met Hannah at this year's Against the Odds festival!), Luminarium presents an evening deeply rooted in the secrets we keep, share, and dismantle, while transforming the space into a breathing work of art. There will be a reception after the Friday performance, so stick around for drinks and discussion about the performance!

September 12-14 @ 8pm
Sunday, September 15 @ 6pm
Lilith
Arsenal Center for the Arts, Watertown
A solo by Wendy Jehlen, "Lilith" explores the story of the first woman, who rebelled against Adam, and fled Eden. We view facets of her from the many perspectives that history, art and religion have viewed her - as the serpent who offers the apple to Eve, as a winged creature, a temptress, as an aggrieved mother a thousand times over. The creation of "Lilith" was originally inspired by the sculpture of the same title by Kiki Smith. The development of the narrative has been inspired and accompanied by the poetry of Keith Tornheim. 

Saturday, September 21 @ 7pm
Boston Ballet's Night of Stars
Boston Common
To kick off the 50th anniversary season, the Boston Ballet is offering this free performance on the Common, featuring the Boston Ballet dancers and the Boston Ballet orchestra.  I strongly recommend showing up early to get a good seat, because this event promises to have an enormous turn out.

September 28th @ 2pm & 9pm

Monkeyhouse 

DUMBO Dance Festival

25 Jay St, Brooklyn

Join Karen and Nicole as they perform two duets from Against the Odds alongside many other wonderful artists in the DUMBO Dance Festival!

Saturday, September 28 @ 8pm 

Sunday, September 29 @ 2pm 
Return
Aerplaye Dance
RISD Auditorium, Providence RI
"Return" features the work and dance of Aerplaye founder Heather Ahern. Appearing in concert with Ahern are Aerplaye's founding dancers: Jamie Arnold, Shura Baryshnikov, Sarah Hopkins, Kathy Gordon Smith, and Brittany Lombardi, with a cameo appearance by special guest Michael Bolger. The performance includes six dances from Ahern's diverse body of work; moving, and at times playful, dipping into performance art and referencing many genres of dance.