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.

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".

September Events!

by Aisha Cruse

It's September, the start of the school year, and the warm-up for the 2015-2016 entertainment calendar. So get ready, because the arts are in session!

Thu & Fri, September 3 & 4 @ 7:30 pm 

TWA: JAE Presents DBR, Lenelle Moise and Jean Appolon
Featuring Daniel Bernard Roumain (DBR), Lenelle Moïse & Jean Appolon : Presented by Jean Appolon Expressions
At Boston Center for the Arts - Black Box Theatre (539 Tremont Street Boston, MA)

$25

Twa, which means "three" in Haitian Creole, will independently showcase Daniel Bernard Roumain (DBR), Lenelle Moïse and Jean Appolon, some of the most innovative Haitian American artists of their generation. Featuring new work by Jean Appolon's Boston-based company set to music composed by Daniel Bernard Roumain (DBR) as well as a performance by JAE's Teen Intensive students.  Also featuring independent performances by traveling performance poet and award-winning playwright Lenelle Moïse, and acclaimed musician and composer DBR.

Fri & Sat, September 11 & 12 @ 8:00 pm 
JEANNE, the story of a woman
Featuring Contrapose Dance and Ensemble Warhol : Presented by Fort Point Theatre Channel and Contrapose Dance
At Boston University Dance Theater (915 Commonwealth Ave Boston, Massachusetts)

$20/ $14 student & senior
This is an hour long excerpt from a full length opera by Mark Warhol and James Swindell, featuring choreography by Junichi Fukuda and music by the Boston String Quartet. From the website: "Opera singers Anna Ward (soprano) and Patrick Massey (tenor), along with Contrapose dancers Nina Brindamour, Danielle Davidson, and Magdalena Gyftopoulos, will portray a modern day tale of birth, labor, death … a story of wisdom that comes with age and of innocence that only youth can claim as their own." 

Fri, September 18 @ 8:00 pm

Indian Ocean Live In Concert
Featuring Indian Ocean : Presented by AID MIT and MIT Sangam
At MIT Kresge Auditorium (48 Massachusettes Avenue Cambridge, MA)
$75/ $50/ $30/ $20 with a student ID

This is actually a straight-up music concert, but even though seats are assigned, it seems like the kind of show you watch on your feet. From the website: "Formed in the early 90s, Indian Ocean has spearheaded the Indian rock scene and is one of India’s few politically conscious bands. A cult band in its own right, the group has amalgamated Indian folk music with Western rock. Culling their lyrics from a variety of languages, including Hindi, Kashmiri, Bengali, Sanskrit and even Aramaic, their music ranges from rocking political anthems to meditative spiritual ballads."

Fri & Sat, September 18 & 19 @ 6 pm
2015 US Championship and Provincetown Dance Trophy
Presented by Kalin Mitov
At Provincetown Town Hall, Provincetown MA
$25-$35
Thinking about an end-of-summer escape to Ptown? Check out these two same-sex partner Ballroom Dance Tournaments. The goal of these tournaments is inclusiveness, along with all the flashy costumes, thrilling footwork and incredible grace of ballroom dance. And what with the Supreme Court decision, audience and competitors alike have a little extra reason to cheer this year.

This September, we've got two incredible arts festivals happening at locations all over Boston three weekends in a row. Looking to do some dancing? Don't worry. We've got you covered.

Wed - Sat, September 16 - 19 @ 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Sun, September 20 @ 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm

Let's Dance Boston
Presented by Celebrity Series of Boston
At Rose Kennedy Greenway (185 Kneeland Street Boston, MA)

Free!

I'm so excited for this I might have bounced up and down in my seat a little while writing this post. Each night, on the Rose Kennedy Greenway, there will be a two hour dance party with live music in a particular style (salsa, swing, disco) preceded by a 45 minute free dance class taught by area professionals. Wednesday is Latin Dance, Thursday is Swing, Friday is Disco, Saturday is Salsa, and Sunday afternoon is a return to golden-era Swing. All classes will be conducted on a specially erected dance floor just for the occasion. I'm going every night.

Fri - Sun, September 25-27 @ 8:15 am - 10:15 pm
Fri - Sun, October 2-4 @ 8:15 am - 10:15 pm

ArtWeek Boston
Presented by Local Artists and Arts Organizations
At Various (Multiple Boston, MA)

Varies by event, most under $25

I want to tell you about everything that is happening for this festival but there is so much going on that I literally can't. Go to the website and check out the calendar, there is just so much to see and do.  There are a ton of kid friendly events, including this amazing thing where the marquis on the citi Shubert and the Wang Theaters will be showing work by children in the Boston Public schools. Free and low-cost concerts abound. Go to the website, I'm sure there is at least one thing you'll want to see.

Featured Events

You may have noticed that we've changed things up with the Monkeyhouse newsletter, which we're now putting out quarterly rather than monthly. This means I'm also looking at events three months ahead of time, picking what I think will be the best of the best. I'll still do a monthly event post, with shows that don't get announced until closer to the performance date, but I thought the advance-planners among us might appreciate a spotlight post of the next 3 months. Here are my picks!

Fri, July 31 @ 8 pm
Sat, August 1 @ 8 pm
Bittersweet 

with Carey McKinley, dance theatre and Carolyn Lewenberg, sculptor
Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA, Back Bay

$15

I'm a big fan of the BCA Dance Residency program; it affords choreographers and dancers the opportunity to create stunning interdisciplinary new works. Carey McKinley has created a new work with sculptor Carolyn Lewenberg in which they will "create and ultimately destroy, an environment using bittersweet vines, bodies and moving images." I'm kind of excited by the description because even though it tells you what's going to happen I still have no idea what the piece is going to look like. Go see it if you like being surprised.

Sat, August 1 @ 8 PM
Sun, August 2 @ 2 pm
Mon & Tues, August 3 & 4 @ 7:30 pm
ECHO
B. Dunn Movement Dance & Theater Company
At the Multicultural Arts Center, Lechemere
Free!I have a lot of feelings about this show. This is an interdisciplinary dance performance exploring the effects of displacement of black bodies from the African Diaspora of the Trans Atlantic Slave trade through generations until contemporary times. It's goal is to open a dialogue about cultural knowledge and lineage. This is the kind of dance that seeks to transform the audience far beyond the span of its time on stage. You have to reserve a seat to see the show, but it's completely free.

Fri, August 7 @ 8 pm
On Tap! Beantown Tapfest Faculty Showcase

Presented by Beantown Tapfest

at the Arsenal Center For The Arts, Watertown

$36

Started 6 years ago by Julia Boynton, Beantown Tapfest is a week-long festival of workshops, classes, and events, including talks and student showcases, all at the Deborah Mason School of Dance in Somerville. The faculty show, featuring all the instructors from the festival, is a who's who list of amazing of tap dancers: Michelle Dorrance (NY), Josh Hilberman (Belgium), Sarah Reich (LA), Barbara Duffy (NY), Sean Fielder (Boston), Khalid Hill (NY), Ian Berg (Chicago), Rocky Mendes (Boston), Aaron Tolson (NY), Ryan P. Casey (Boston), Demi Remick (NY), companies Speaking in Taps and Boston Tap Company, and the tap-savvy jazz trio of Paul Arslanian-p, John Lockwood-b and Ron Savage-d.  

Wed - Sat, August 19-22 @ 8:15 pm
Sat & Sun, August 22 & 23 @ 2:15 pm 

Liz Gerring Dance Company
At the Doris Duke Theatre at Jacob's Pillow
$35, $25 ($19 if it's Friday and you're under 35)

Liz Gerring Dance Company performs Glacier, their evening length performance that has received glowing praise from The New York Times and the dance world at large. Winner of the 2015 Jacob's Pillow Dance Award, choreographer Liz Gerring creates beautiful, captivating work, and I expect this show to be nothing less. And a friendly reminder that Jacob's Pillow  festival ends in August, and I strongly encourage you to check out the full list of performances and the schedule of Inside/Out events, which are always free.

Fri & Sat, September 18 & 19 @ 6 pm
2015 US Championship and Provincetown Dance Trophy

Presented by Kalin Mitov
At Provincetown Town Hall, Provincetown MA

$25-$35

Thinking about an end-of-summer escape to Ptown? Check out these two same-sex partner Ballroom Dance Tournaments. The goal of these tournaments is inclusiveness, along with all the flashy costumes, thrilling footwork and incredible grace of ballroom dance. And what with the Supreme Court decision, audience and competitors alike have a little extra reason to cheer this year.

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.

Tues, October 27 @ 8 pm

Thurs - Sat, October 29-31 @ 8 pm

SPEKTRƎL

Presented by Luminarium Dance

At Multicultural Arts Council, Lechemere

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. Don't miss it!

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. 

July Events!

Did you know that Cambridge and Somerville are hosting a bunch of free, outdoor events all summer? July turns out to be a great month for dance in the great outdoors, so check out these awesome free shows!  

Fri, July 10 @ 8:30 pm
Dancing In The Streets: Chun Jou Tsai
Presented by Somerville Arts Council
At City Hall Concourse, Somerville

Free!
Chun Jou Tsai, a native of Taiwan, will be presenting an original piece of work: The Dream Project.  Combining traditional Chinese long-sleeve dance technique and Western improvisational modern dance technique, the piece explores the beauty of the brushwork of Chinese calligraphy and the dream-like sentiment of a Buddhist poem.  Chinese long-sleeve dance technique is not something Americans get to see very often, so if you have the time, don't miss out.

Sat, July 11 @ 8:30 pm
Dancing In The Streets: BoSoma Dance Company
Presented by Somerville Arts Council
At Foss Park, Somerville
Free!
BoSoma Dance presents The Pursuit, Quanta, Lost It To Trying and Ex-Pired. These pieces are being developed with David Dorfman, and will explore the pressures and influences of technology on our daily lives and on our work-life balance.

Sunday, July 12 @ 11 am – 5 pm
Sandrine Schaefer
Exercises in Proximity - See/Sea
At the ICA, Boston Waterfront
Free with admission to Museum
"At the ICA, Schaefer will perform a series of ephemeral actions in and viewable from the ICA’s John Hancock Founders Gallery that engage the view and concept of an infinite horizon." Monkeyhouse has done a lot of site specific work, and I'm always interested to see ambitious performance art, so if you feel like spending a day at the ICA, this is the day to do it. She will be re-mounting the piece in August, which presents an awesome opportunity to see how a piece changes every time its performed.

Tue, July 21 @ 10 am

Summer in the City: Luminarium Dance 

Presented by Cambridge Arts 

At Bergin Park, Cambridge

Free!
Monkeyhouse loves Luminarium! The company will present an outdoor performance/class combo that's fun, family-friendly, and encourages child participation. Come to Bergin Park to get in on the fun! Luminarium is celebrating its 5th anniversary, and will be performing at The Southern Vermont Dance Festival Gala on July 17th, which is not free, but is pretty awesome! Check out the website for details.

Wed, July 22 @ 7 pm
Reach Performance: Urban and Suburban Teen Dance Program Celebrates 25th Anniversary
Presented by Boston University Dance
At Bishop Allen Drive Parking Lot, Central Square

Free!

The Reach Program allows 15 talented young Boston area dancers to spend 5 weeks working alongside a group of professional inter-generational dancers.  At this 45 minute outdoor performance, the students and the company will present original choreography in an eclectic mix of dance styles to show off what the students have learned during the summer intensive. This is a great opportunity to see young dancers grow, and maybe inspire a few young dancers in your life.

Jacob's Pillow Festival is in full swing and July is choc full of amazing artists.  I have included two of their many shows, and you should definitely check out the full list of ticketed performances and the schedule of Inside/Out events, which are always free!

Wed, July 1 - Sat, July 4 @ 8pm
Sat & Sun, July 4 & 5 @ 2pm
Dorrance Dance with Toshi Reagan and BIGLovely
Ted Shawn Theater at Jacob's Pillow
$39-$69; $19 if it's Friday and you're under 35
Monkeyhouse loves Dorrance Dance and so should you! If you couldn't see the show at ICA Boston, you're in luck! Dorrance Dance returns to Jacob's Pillow this year with their stunning show The Blues Project. And to my fellow Bostonians for whom the Fireworks on the Charles have lost their charm, I present this event as an excellent alternative for the 4th of July.

Wed, July 22 - Sat, July 25 @ 8pm
Sat & Sun, July 25 & 26 @ 2pm
Daniil Simkin's INTENSIO
Ted Shawn Theater at Jacob's Pillow
$39-$75; $19 if it's Friday and you're under 35
Featuring the stars of the American Ballet Theater, and boasting the work of four incredible choreographers, I will admit that a large reason that I want to see the show is because the cast list includes James Whiteside, formerly of the Boston Ballet, who is a beautiful dancer and a lovely human being, and Celine Cassone, from Les Ballets Jazz de Montreal. And frankly, Daniil Simkin is riveting to watch.

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!

April Events!

At long, long last, the winter has ended, and spring has (tentatively) sprung.  Celebrate the receding snow drifts by venturing out into the world and seeing some awesome dance!

Fri, April 10 & Sat, April 11 @ 8:00 pm
Choose Your Own Mythology
Featuring Mariah Steele/Quicksilver Dance
At Simmons Hall at MIT (229 Vassar Street Cambridge, MA)
Free!
Monkeyhouse loves Mariah Steele and Quicksilver Dance! Celebrating their fifth anniversary season, this evening length performance of six dances and one dance on film explores interdependent relationships, and how classic and modern myths shape the way we see the world.  The event is free, but make sure to request reservations through quicksilverdance@gmail.com.

Fri, April 10 @ 10:30 pm
Boston Ballet School Story Hour
Presented by Boston Ballet School
At Newton Free Library (220 Homer Street Homer, MA) 
Free!
Featuring stories and dances from classical ballets, this interactive story hour with the Boston Ballet is a perfect way to introduce children to the world of ballet.  And I'm in love with their tag-line, "Dance me a story!" Be sure to click the link, the website also lists events on April 17 at the Peabody Institute Library, and on April 24 at the American Girl Store in the Natick Mall.

Fri, April 10 & Sat, April 11 @ 8:00 pm
RUBBERBANDance Group
Presented by World Music/CRASHarts
At The Institute of Contemporary Art (100 Northern Ave Boston, MA)
$40
RUBBERBANDance Group co-directors Victor Quijada and Anna Plamondon draw from their diverse dance history to create graceful, spontaneous, gravity-defying dance. From the CRASHarts website: "Their latest production, Empirical Quotient, explores human relationships with six exceptional dancers whose backgrounds range from classical, contemporary, and urban dance to circus arts." If you make it to the Friday show, stick around after the performance for a moderated Q&A with the company!

Fri, April 10 - Sat, April 18 @ 8:00 pm
Sun, April 12 @ 3:00 pm
DUETTI Dance Program Spring Performances 2015
Presented by OFA Dance Program
At Harvard Dance Center (60 Garden St Cambridge, MA)
$10, $5 student/senior
The Harvard Dance Program presents an evening of new and repertory duets, featuring work in many styles from many choreographers: Brian Brooks, Michelle Dorrance, William Forsythe, Francesca Harper, Jill Johnson, and Crystal Pite.  If you couldn't make it to Michelle Dorrance's  ICA show in March, this is an excellent opportunity to see her work. This performance is like a choreographer sampler pack and at $10 a ticket, more than worth the price of admission.  If you're interested in the dancers learning process, there will be a talkback after the Sunday matinee show with the students.

Wed, April 22 - Sat, April 25 @ 7:30 pm
Fri, April 24 @ 12:00 pm
Sat, April 25 @ 3:00 pm 
Look, Look Again / Dance Installation
Featuring Ipswich Moving Company & East End Artists : Presented by Ipswich Moving Company
At Ipswich Moving Company Studio (2 Cogswell Street Ipswich, MA)
$25, $20 student/senior
The Ipswich Moving Company transforms their studio into an interactive gallery, where dancers work with their own reflections, suspend from canvas slings high above the audience, and draw inspiration from the photographs of Alexander Calder and Nicholas Nixon. If you're looking for a reason to get away from Boston for an evening (or a day, they have two afternoon performances), I can't think of anything better than new and innovative dance!

Sat, April 25 @ 8:00 pm
Sun, April 26 @ 2:00 pm 
Divertissement
Featuring Cambridge Youth Dance Co : Presented by CYDPP
At Boston University Dance Theater (Buick St Boston, MA)
$25
Described simply as "A series of dances", Divertissement is the spring performance for the Cambridge Youth Dance Co, founded and directed by Deborah Mason.  The company's focus is on community outreach and providing access to dance and dance education to youth across Cambridge and Boston.  I'm all about supporting local dance and young dancers, and I'm interested to see what they do for this performance.