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!

Winter Events!

by Aisha Cruse

The Holiday season is nearly upon us, and the new year is right around the corner. Take in some great dance shows that are Nutcracker alternatives, and look ahead to the new year of dance in Boston!

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 @ 8:00 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!

Sat, January 23 @ 7:30pm
An evening of Jazz and Tap
Featuring The Tall Tribe and the Paul Arslanian Trio
The Dance Hall in Kittery, ME
$20 advance /$25 at the door
Monkeyhouse loves Ryan P Casey! Take the opportunity to get out of the city for a night and head up to Kittery Maine (full disclosure, I really like jazz music, and I think live music and tap is one of the best ways dancers can experiment with interactive accompaniment): "Join The Tall Tribe (tap dancers Gay Nardone, Ryan Casey, and Drika Overton) and The Paul Arslanian Trio with special guests for an evening jazz and tap, from classic repertory to ground-breaking original work. Infectious fun and positive energy!"

January
NACHMO!
Presented by Intimations Dance
At the Dance Complex in Cambridge MA
It's almost time for that kick in the choreographic pants, National Choreography Month Boston! All January long choreographers selected by Intimations Dance will be creating new work. Last year the final performance was in the first week of February, and there were classes, workshops, and events all month long in January. We don't have exact dates yet, but keep checking back at the link above. I can't wait!

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."

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.

Misplace/Displaced Opens Next Week

Connecting Communities with Choreography

Press Release For Immediate Release

Monkeyhouse Announces   Monkeyhouse's Season 15 Misplaced/Displaced  Taps Into Timely Themes of Survival and Resilience Somerville, MA - September, 2015 -   As the Presidential debates ponder immigration reform and Europe grapples with unprecedented levels of refugees, it seems that the whole world it wrestling with the questions about being misplaced and displaced. Monkeyhouse, an award winning local nonprofit that connects communities with choreography, had no idea how timely these topics would be when they decided to dedicate their 15 anniversary season to this theme. Their eclectic band of choreographers have roamed the edges of the dance landscape seeking out uncharted connections to other art forms in preparation for Monkeyhouse's concerts on October 23 &24 @ 8PM at the Cambridge Multicultural Arts Center, 41 Second St, Cambridge, MA. Tickets are $25/ $20 for students, seniors and Boston Dance Alliance members. More information can be found at MulticulturalArtsCenter.org. What do you learn when you lose your home? Where do you belong? How do you survive and how do you muster the strength to keep going? (l to r) Karen Krolak & Nicole Harris Photo Credit: Stephanie Suné  "When I first proposed these topics for Monkeyhouse's 15th season, they arose from a very personal set of challenges. I had just lost my mother, father, and older brother in a car accident. My husband and I were living on friends' couches and in hotel rooms for months as we grieved and as we waited for our mortgage on a new home to be finalized. And then, Monkeyhouse learned that our artistic home, Springstep in Medford, was being sold." explains Artistic Director, Karen Krolak. "Honestly, these were the questions I was asking myself  every morning and I had no sense of how relevant they would become." Krolak continued.  Although the theme, Misplaced/Displaced evolved out of personal tragedy, Monkeyhouse knew that it was meaningful to many within the local dance community. Even without so many extraordinary challenges, surviving as a dance organization in Boston is not easy. In fact the majority of the companies that began in the early 2000's with Monkeyhouse have now shuttered their doors, including Snappy Dance, whose yearly budget was more than five times larger than Monkeyhouse's. As the company examines how to survive setbacks this season through pieces that play with pottery, palindromes and history, they hope to help audience members,  dance organizations and emerging artists to navigate through life's inevitable hurdles.  For example, Merli Guerra, Co-Founder of Luminarium Dance, describes how Monkeyhouse supports the greater Boston's dance ecosystem: "The relationship between Luminarium and Monkeyhouse technically began through our company's debut of 24-Hour ChoreoFest back in 2012, but I would counter that it really kicked off when Kim Holman, Karen Krolak, Jason Ries, and myself sat down at Thelonious Monkfish after the fact to debrief. The exchange was extraordinary. Here was a company a full decade more established than our own, taking the time to sit with us, and not only offer to help us as we forged our path as a company, but spoke to us right from the beginning as peers. This meeting will forever be alive in my memory bank-the lunch hour came and went and there we stayed, swapping hilarious adventures in pursuit of the arts, and tackling big ideas for the seasons to come. Fast forward one year later, a young new dancer sat eagerly across the table from us having just graduated from college and participated in our second ChoreoFest. As he asked us questions for how to get his spunky new group (yes, this would be Tyler Catanella of Paradise Lost) off the ground and running, I couldn't help but make a comparison to the year before. Here we were, doing for Tyler what Monkeyhouse had done for us. That is the impact of Monkeyhouse on the community. All of its members find a way to help new and aspiring artists with guidance, honesty, support, and a little humor. And before we knew it, we'd become the ones paying it forward for the next generation coming through. Thank you, Monkeyhouse, for treating us as your peers from day one, and for forever inspiring the young artists around you to jump up and get moving." About Monkeyhouse Monkeyhouse began with a promise to build a laboratory where choreographers could create, experiment and present new work.  Our mission has developed to include motivating people to move with meaning and improving communication by connecting communities with choreography.  Over the years we have mentored, nurtured and supported dozens of choreographers ranging from students first experimenting to established favorites.  We've had hundreds of conversations about different choreographic processes that stimulate or inspire new directions for our work and helped foster long term relationships with presenters, audience members and other choreographers.

October Events!

By Aisha Cruse

Sat, October 3 @ 7:30 pm
NYC's Janis Brenner & Dancers

Featuring Janis Brenner & Dancers : Presented by The Dance Hall
At The Dance Hall Kittery, ME
$20 at the door/ $16 advance
Janis Brenner has been hailed as deeply moving and a tour de force from New York City to Switzerland to Russia and back again. She and her Dancers have performed at Madison Square Garden,  Jacob's Pillow, the UN, and at festivals to numerous to name. Her body of work is impressive to say the absolute least. Janis Brenner and Dancers will bE in Kittery, Maine for a more intimate evening long performance. A perfect chance to escape the city and see one of New York's finest dance companies.

Fri & Sat, October 16 & 17 @ 8 pm 

Doug Varone and Dancers
Presented by World Music/CRASHArts

Institute for Contemporary Art Boston, Boston Waterfront

$48

Doug Varone and Dancers present, among other works, the Boston premiere of ReComposed, inspired by the pastel drawings of Joan Mitchell and set to Max Richter's newly constructed version of Vivaldi's The Four Seasons. Check out the pre-performance talks with BDA Executive Director Debra Cash, and stick around for the post-show discussion with the company on the 16th.

Fri, October 23 @ 6:30 pm 

Of Looms & Lillies
Featuring Weber Dance : Presented by Charles River Museum with Weber Dance
At Charles River Museum, Waltham MA

$30 / $25 Student/ Senior/ Charles River Museum Members
The Weber Dance Group will be bringing this evening length work at the Charles River Museum. The piece imagines a conversation between a modern woman and and a nineteenth century mill worker. Inspired by the history of the Lowell Mill, the lives of textile workers, and the detailed records of Thoreau, the dancert explore themes of the natural world in conflict with industry, the passage of time, and the lives of women. 

Tues, October 27 @ 8 pm

Thurs - Sat, October 29-31 @ 8 pm

SPEKTRƎL

Presented by Luminarium Dance

At Multicultural Arts Council, Lechemere
$25/ $20 Student/ $40 Double Feature!

Monkeyhouse loves Luminarium! We got a sneak peak at their upcoming evening length work during their 5th anniversary gala, and it was as eerie and ethereal as the title implies. We also have an awesome  where you can buy tickets to Luminarium and Monkeyhouse at the same time for just $40! That's two weekends of amazing dance concerts in a row! Monkeyhouse is leading a special talk back on Friday, and Thursday night Luminarium is having a post-show reception.  Come mingle with the dancers and creators of this breath-taking show!

October 22 - November 1st

Third Symphony of Gustav Mahler, a ballet by John Neumeier 

Presented by Boston Ballet

At the Boston Opera House, Downtown Crossing

The Boston Ballet will be the first North American company to perform John Neumeier's contemporary ballet. Set to the entirety of Mahler's Third Symphony, the dance is meant to capture the intensity of the music, while using it to explore life, death, grief, beauty and love. 

Collaborating with the Chevalier Theatre in Medford

Connecting Communities with Choreography Press Release For Immediate Release Monkeyhouse Announces   Chevalier Kicks Off Collaboration To Get Kids Choreographing   Medford, MA - September, 2015 -   A budding choreographer takes flight during one of Monkeyhouse's activites at BoomTown in Cambridge Photo Credit: JK Photo How are you kicking off your school year? The Friends of the Chevalier Auditorium and Gene Mack Gym are launching What's in a Name?, a program to benefit the physical, social and emotional well-being of children of the Boys and Girls Club of Medford. The program will provide weekly movement and choreography classes for 20 Medford children, led by an award-winning local nonprofit, Monkeyhouse. What's in a Name will span the 2015-16 academic year and will offer four opportunities for students to share their work with the public: two showings at Chevalier Theatre, a performance at Circle the Square, and a show of related artwork at Mystic Coffee Roaster. Why should kids learn to choreograph? (l to r) Karen Krolak & Nicole Harris Photo Credit: Stephanie Suné "Most dictionaries define choreography as just the process of creating dance steps. At Monkeyhouse, however, we describe it as learning to move with meaning," begins Karen Krolak, Monkeyhouse Founder/Artistic Director. "Through our workshops, we encourage students to explore their own strengths and weaknesses to find their unique movement style not just to copy someone else. They learn how to emphasize their individuality in productive ways that help teens to feel stronger and more confident," continues Nicole Harris, Monkeyhouse Co-Founder/Engagement Director.  Through a series of movement and choreographic exercises, Monkeyhouse will work with members of the Boys & Girls Club of Medford to explore who the students are, where they fit in in their communities and what they hope to become over the course of the school year. Students will be given the basic tools of how to choreograph, including how to build movement phrases, how to use abstraction and how to generate transitions. In addition to their choreographic assignments, kids will be challenged to tell their own stories, learn about themselves and others, and build a stronger community within the group. "We are very excited to start on this new arts adventure with Monkeyhouse! This program will greatly enhance our Medford Club's programming and provide our members with a safe and creative space for self-expression, building self-confidence and learning new skills and techniques in the arts. We are so grateful to our partners, the Friends of the Chevalier and Gene Mack, and our supporters in the community for making this a reality for our young people." declares Lindsey Smythe, Executive Director of Boys & Girls Clubs of Middlesex County. Developing a dynamic program that partners together diverse sectors of the nonprofit community with local businesses requires its own blend of fancy footwork.  The ChevalierTheatre Commission's newest member, Susan Fairchild, conceived of the idea for the collaboration.  "I knew if I could bring the right people together into the conversation, the idea would take off.  Monkeyhouse and The Medford Boys & Girls Club were a perfect match for each other! And CACHE has been presenting Circle the Square for four years now.  It was the perfect community event for showcasing the students' work, and to round out the team, Sharon Hepburn of Mystic Coffee Roasters has been an ardent supporter of arts in the community. Now we have a lot more than conversation happening!" The program is funded by generous contributions from The Friends of the Chevalier, a Vanguard Charitable Donor Advised Fund, Medford's Thursday Fortnightly Club, and CACHE in Medford.  The Chevalier Theatre Commission is making the theater available to the program for rehearsals and performances. About Friends of Chevalier Auditorium and Gene Mack Gym Friends of Chevalier Auditorium and Gene Mack Gym is a nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering financial and community support and being an advocate for the historic theater and gymnasium in Medford. Through promotion of cultural, theatrical, civic, and youth programs, the Friends strive to enrich the quality of life in the community. About The Boys and Girls Club of Medford The Medford Boys & Girls Club provides education, prevention and recreation programs after-school for more than 120 Medford children and teens Monday through Friday in the Gene Mack Gymnasium at 30 Forest Street. The Club provides a safe haven out of school time for youth to grow, learn and have fun. Our core programming includes Education and Career Exploration; The Arts; Sports, Fitness and Recreation; Character and Leadership Development; and, Healthy Lifestyles. Membership dues for any child are no more than $30 per year, ensuring that our Club is accessible and affordable to our community's most vulnerable children and families. For more information, please visit www.kidsclubs.org or follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/BGCMiddlesex. About CACHE in Medford, Inc.  CACHE in Medford, Inc. is a nonprofit organization made up of a coalition of over 20 different cultural institutions in Medford. They collectively advocate for the arts in Medford and work together to make our community more vibrant through events, projects, and collaborations with local businesses. CACHE created and sponsors Circle the Square, which presents music, art and other free entertainment in Medford Square for people of all ages on the 3rd Thursday of June, July and August. About Mystic Coffee Roaster Locally owned Mystic Coffee Roaster, located two blocks from the Medford Boys and Girls Club, partners with local arts-oriented organizations such as CACHE in Medford and to promote events, fundraising and general awareness of our arts community. They believe this helps to make our community a better place to live! About The Medford The Medford CACCC (Chevalier Theatre Commission) The Medford Civic Auditorium and Convention Center Commission (Chevalier Theatre Commission) was created by the City of Medford in 1981. Built in 1940 as part of Medford High School, Chevalier Theatre reopened as the city's performing arts center in 1992. It plays host to concerts, theatrical productions, and corporate and community events. The Medford Boys and Girls Club has operated out of the Gene Mack Gym since 2001. The Chevalier Commission oversees the operation of and continued improvements to the complex. About Monkeyhouse Monkeyhouse began with a promise to build a laboratory where choreographers could create, experiment and present new work.  Our mission has developed to include motivating people to move with meaning and improving communication by connecting communities with choreography.  Over the years we have mentored, nurtured and supported dozens of choreographers ranging from students first experimenting to established favorites.  We've had hundreds of conversations about different choreographic processes that stimulate or inspire new directions for our work and helped foster long term relationships with presenters, audience members and other choreographers.   Monkeyhouse - PO Box 221 - Somerville, MA 02143