Dance Guest Artists Come to W&M This Spring
Join W&M Dance for a Spotlight on Guest Artists!
Contemporary West Dance Theatre
SAT, APRIL 9 AT 7:30PM IN KIMBALL THEATRE
OPEN SEATING BEGINS AT 7:00PM
The mission of Contemporary West Dance Theatre (CWDT) is to continue the American Legacy of excellence in dance by creating opportunities to nurture, educate and advance future artists. CWDT is dedicated to presenting performances and preserving the work of generations of great artists, choreographers and teachers, while showcasing the work of emerging talent in a broad spectrum of dance styles. CWDT seeks to maintain a multicultural performing arts company that build artistic bridges not only within our arts community, but beyond its borders as well.
Lucky Plush: Rink Life
FRI, APRIL 15 AT 7:30PM, SAT, APRIL 16 AT 1:00PM IN ADAIR STUDIO
RESERVE YOUR STUDIO SEATING NOW
Rink Life combines theater, physical comedy, postmodern dance, and social commentary that nods to the visual aesthetics and social dynamics of 1970s roller rink culture. Rink Life's staging and choreography are built from the spatial rules and social codes of a roller rink, and its script-turned-libretto-created from passing conversations, distant whispers, pop-song earworms, and found scripts-is entirely spoken and sung live. As the ensemble sings full-throatedly to score their experiences, they demonstrate through effort, risk, beauty, and failure that they-and its audience-are utterly dependent on one another. The performance features music ranging from the Bee Gees to James Brown, Paul McCartney, Cat Stevens and many other artists.
Rink Life has been created and directed by Lucky Plush Artistic Director Julia Rhoads, along with Collaborating Director Leslie Buxbaum Danzig and with added collaboration by the work's seven-person ensemble. This production was originally scheduled to visit Maui in March, 2020 but was delayed by the onset of the pandemic.
Lucky Plush Productions is an ensemble dance-theater company based in Chicago, led by founder and Artistic Director Julia Rhoads. The company is committed to provoking and supporting an immediacy of presence-a palpable live-ness-shared by performers in real time with audiences. A unique hybrid of high-level dance and theater, Lucky Plush's work is recognized for its layered choreography, nuanced dialogue, surprising humor, and socially relevant content.
Since its founding in 2000, Lucky Plush has created more than 30 original dance-theater works including 13 evening-length productions. In addition to regularly performing in Chicago, the company has presented work in over 55 US cities from Maine to Hawaii, and its international partners span from New Zealand to Cuba.
Lucky Plush will also present a series of open student workshops in Adair Studio:
Monday, April 18: 5-8pm
Tuesday, April 19: 4-7pm
Wednesday, April 20: 5-8pm
Thursday, April 21: 4-7pm
Friday, April 22: 10-1pm
Showing will be shared as part of the Dance Minors Concert, April 22-23 at 7:30pm in Adair.
This is an incredible opportunity to experience the creative process of Lucky Plush, a world-renowned physical theatre company. All you need to bring is your curiosity to learn and play with ideas. Those who commit to the full week will be part of the showing on Friday and Saturday. Those who would like to experience this work for a single workshop are welcome to join us. Please contact Joan Gavaler for more information.
Dance Minors Concert
FRI, APRIL 22 AT 7:30PM, SAT, APRIL 23 AT 7:30PM IN ADAIR STUDIO
Join the Dance Minors for a showcase of their original works!
Free admission. This concert will include a capstone project for two dance minors, Rithika Ashok and Kaylee Henderson. Performances will also feature a capstone presentation from the Lucky Plush Dance residency.
