NewMoves dance festival to showcase diverse lineup
Since its inception in 2008, the newMoves Contemporary Dance Festival has been a way for the KellyStrayhorn Theater to showcase a slice of contemporary dance’s emerging and established figures from both near and far.
When executive director Janera Solomon looked at this year’s lineup, she noticed something she hadn’t in the past — an extra emphasis on Pittsburgh’s blossoming contemporary dance community.
“There’s more new work being generated, and there are more interesting collaborations between artists,” she says. “That’s a shift from when I started.”
The public will have a chance to see these fresh choreographic voices from across the region — and the country — when the festival returns this weekend after a year hiatus. From Thursday through Saturday, it will feature works by more than a dozen choreographers, plus mixers, workshops and panel discussions, at the East Liberty venue and the nearby Alloy Studios in Friendship.
Ms. Solomon drew from artist applications and past performers at the theater to build the program. But ultimately, it came down to finding artists who have something on-the-pulse to say with their work — and the technical prowess to back it up.
“We’re looking for some specificity around a concept,” Ms. Solomon says. “Is there a relevant question that the artist is exploring? Is there an idea that’s being explored that relates to people in our community at this time?”
Some of the artists with Pittsburgh ties on tap for this year’s festival are Jamie Erin Murphy, Jil Stifel, Gia T. Cacalano, Brady Sanders, Alexandra Bodnarchuk and Moriah Ella Mason, among others.
“I’m curious to see if audiences walk away with a sense of a Pittsburgh aesthetic,” Ms. Solomon says. Sometimes when she watches a collection of works that came out of the same city at a similar time, commonalities in them can be observed. “Is there something unique about dance coming out of Pittsburgh right now?”
Among the visiting artists, one of the highlights is the Minneapolis-based BodyCartography Project, which will present the Pittsburgh premiere of its fulllength piece “Super Nature” (9 p.m. Friday and 7 p.m. Saturday at The Alloy Studios). Nine local performers will join company dancers in an exploration of the relationship between what it means to be human and what it means to be an animal.
Pittsburgh’s burgeoning stature in the contemporary dance world has helped make it a more attractive place for a festival like this and a place that artists are interested in visiting.
“We’ve certainly seen a steady increase in artists who are reaching out to us to participate in the festival and other programming,” Ms. Solomon says. “Our reputation as a place where people can live and have a sustainable career, people can get started and artists can receive support to develop their work, that reputation is growing.”
Artists participating in the festival will receive an honorarium, and assistance with housing and travel expenses is provided for those who need it. A series of meals also will be held for participants so they have a chance to network.
“The festival is as much about bringing artists together as it is bringing audiences to performers,” Ms. Solomon says.