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.

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.

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. 

Upcoming Events

Check out these great events in the Boston area!

March 8-9th

Israel Folkdance Festival of Boston

Join the Israel Folkdance Festival for an afternoon of performance on Sunday at 3pm featuring 22 companies. You can also head over to a free dance party on Saturday night to view video footage last year's festival!

March 14th

Camille A. Brown & Dancers

Institute of Contemporary Art

Don't miss an opportunity to see this amazing woman in the beautiful theatre at the ICA.

March 14-15th

Boston Youth Moves

Boston University's Dance Theater

Check out some amazing young dancers in Boston as they perform jazz, contemporary and theatre dance pieces.

March 14th & 21st @ 8pm

David Parker's Head Over Heels

Oberon

David Parker is coming back to Boston three times in March!  These first two performances are of the Bang Group's new show Head Over Heels.

March 28th @ 8pm

David Parker's ShowDown

Oberon

For this third performance The Bang Group will be performing ShowDown in addition to work by Kelli Edwards, Nicole Pierce and Lorraine Chapman.

  

March 28-29th

Synchronicity & The Sacred Space

Multicultural Arts Center

Choreographed by Jody Weber with author/adventurer, Jon Turk, this show contains both dance and storytelling at the beautiful Multicultural Arts Center.

Upcoming Events!

Mariah Steele
By Caitlin Meehan

This fall, I have been fortunate to work with Mariah Steele in part of her body of work for the Boston Center for the Arts Dance Residency. Mariah Steele/Quicksilver Dance will be presenting Epoch Tales, a new work combining dance and science to explore the process of evolution. Echoing the movement of early life-forms, the work will bring science to life by illuminating how the world may have moved in different evolutionary epochs. Other repertory featured will include a playful jaunt into the world of Frank Sinatra and an investigation into the cultural history of tea. I am included in the Frank Sinatra piece, a duet about two sisters which has been great fun to learn thus far. I'm looking forward to performing it!

The details: Epoch Tales will be performed at the Boston Center for the Arts, 539 Tremont St., Boston MA 02116.  

Performances are Friday, November 16 at 8pm and Saturday, November 17 at 3pm and 8pm.

Tickets are $15 general admission and $12 for BDA members. 

They are available online at Boston Theatre Scene or by calling the box office at 617-933-8600.

Dance for PD
by Nicole Harris

Many of you have heard me talk about the Dance for PD Program run by David Leventhal and the Mark Morris Dance Group.  After my own medical adventures of the past year or so I am looking forward to beginning a dance class for students with Parkinson's here at Monkeyhouse.  If you don't know anything about the program, please take a minute to check them out.  There is a really wonderful video that I recommend you watch!

For those of you in the New York area, first, Monkeyhouse sends our love and support your way as you deal with the aftermath of Sandy.  I hope you are all safe and dry and able to begin putting your lives back together.  If you need a little something to make your day brighter, head over to check out Dance for PD in Performance!  I can't imagine anything more uplifting than watching these amazing people.  Tickets are free but you have to reserve your spot so do it today!

 

Sunday, November 11@3pm 

Mark Morris Dance Center  

3 Lafayette Avenue, Brooklyn