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DANCING ON THE CEILING: Dance programming reaches new heights
The dance programming for the Philadelphia Live Arts Festival has consistently impressed me. By inviting the premiere choreographers and companies in the world, the Festival turns Philadelphia into a wonderland of dance. One show I’m especially excited to see is 33 Fainting Spells’ playful piece, Our Little Sunbeam (pg 10). I remember spotting a glimpse of their video in the Fringe Office over a year ago. I was drawn to this groups virtuosity in three seconds and I’ve been waiting for them to come to the Festival ever since. They’ve toured to some of the most cutting edge venues in the States and this is their first time here in Philadelphia. Despite an ironically unfortunate disruption by Program Director, Deb Block’s cell phone, their opening night was a huge success. Make sure you see them before they head back to Seattle!
Pairing artists from Philadelphia’s thriving dance community with truly gifted dancers from out of town has been the hallmark and success of the Live Arts double bill and it has paid off for artists and audiences alike. Barnes and Bridge have been teamed up for such a double bill at the Drake. New Yorker, Monica Bill Barnes brings her quirky humor to the table and Philly’s Megan Bridge offers her mesmerizing physicality. These two choreographers may be like apples and oranges, but together they form a nourishing evening, high in vitamins, and good for what ails ya.
For anyone who’s ever traveled, I must recommend two shows that transform the common hotel experience. Headlong Dance Theater throws on their swimsuits to investigate the odd interactions that take place in a Hotel Pool (pg 15). This long anticipated creation from the company that gave us Britney’s Inferno and the Bessie Award winning ST*R W*RS, is the second show of the Festival that takes place in a hotel. Richard Maxwell & the New York City Players perform Showcase (pg 13), the first of their two contributions to the Festival this year, in a hotel room. The strange rhythms and tone of Maxwell’s unique style is like no other theatre I’ve seen. As part of this year’s “Other Places” program, both shows have limited seating and Showcase closes tomorrow, so get tickets now!
REMINDERS:
Jacek Luminski, as well as the Barnes and Bridge, and the Young and Anderson double bills have been relocated to the Drake Theatre, 1512 Spruce St. (entrance on Hicks St.)
Don’t forget to plan on celebrating the Philadelphia dance community at the Rockys Monday night. I’ll be hosting with Headlong’s Nichole Canuso, and Pig Iron’s Emmanuelle Delpheche-Ramey and the evening always offers performances that represent the diversity of Phildelphia’s dance scene.
Happy Fringing, and don’t forget to turn off your cell phones and unwrap your candies.
Your ex-administrator,
Lee Ann Etzold
The dance programming for the Philadelphia Live Arts Festival has consistently impressed me. By inviting the premiere choreographers and companies in the world, the Festival turns Philadelphia into a wonderland of dance. One show I’m especially excited to see is 33 Fainting Spells’ playful piece, Our Little Sunbeam (pg 10). I remember spotting a glimpse of their video in the Fringe Office over a year ago. I was drawn to this groups virtuosity in three seconds and I’ve been waiting for them to come to the Festival ever since. They’ve toured to some of the most cutting edge venues in the States and this is their first time here in Philadelphia. Despite an ironically unfortunate disruption by Program Director, Deb Block’s cell phone, their opening night was a huge success. Make sure you see them before they head back to Seattle!
Pairing artists from Philadelphia’s thriving dance community with truly gifted dancers from out of town has been the hallmark and success of the Live Arts double bill and it has paid off for artists and audiences alike. Barnes and Bridge have been teamed up for such a double bill at the Drake. New Yorker, Monica Bill Barnes brings her quirky humor to the table and Philly’s Megan Bridge offers her mesmerizing physicality. These two choreographers may be like apples and oranges, but together they form a nourishing evening, high in vitamins, and good for what ails ya.
For anyone who’s ever traveled, I must recommend two shows that transform the common hotel experience. Headlong Dance Theater throws on their swimsuits to investigate the odd interactions that take place in a Hotel Pool (pg 15). This long anticipated creation from the company that gave us Britney’s Inferno and the Bessie Award winning ST*R W*RS, is the second show of the Festival that takes place in a hotel. Richard Maxwell & the New York City Players perform Showcase (pg 13), the first of their two contributions to the Festival this year, in a hotel room. The strange rhythms and tone of Maxwell’s unique style is like no other theatre I’ve seen. As part of this year’s “Other Places” program, both shows have limited seating and Showcase closes tomorrow, so get tickets now!
REMINDERS:
Jacek Luminski, as well as the Barnes and Bridge, and the Young and Anderson double bills have been relocated to the Drake Theatre, 1512 Spruce St. (entrance on Hicks St.)
Don’t forget to plan on celebrating the Philadelphia dance community at the Rockys Monday night. I’ll be hosting with Headlong’s Nichole Canuso, and Pig Iron’s Emmanuelle Delpheche-Ramey and the evening always offers performances that represent the diversity of Phildelphia’s dance scene.
Happy Fringing, and don’t forget to turn off your cell phones and unwrap your candies.
Your ex-administrator,
Lee Ann Etzold
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