Who’s raising the barre in Pittsburgh dance
Who’s raising the barre in Pittsburgh dance in 2018?
The city’s dance scene is flourishing with a range of performers and presenters. Together, they make for a rich tapestry of perspectives and styles sure to delight almost every taste.
Here’s a look at who’s making moves this year, plus some of the most anticipated programs heading into spring.
Bodiography Contemporary Ballet: An ode to a dance legend
Modern dance pioneer Martha Graham was born in Allegheny City (now Pittsburgh’s North Side) in 1894. Next month, Pittsburghbased choreographer and Bodiography founder Maria Caruso will take a stab at one of her most famous works, the solo “Lamentation.” Debuted in 1930, the groundbreaking dance grapples with grief. Beyond its inventive choreography, the solo stands out for the sheath of material the dancer wear sand manipulate s throughout the dance.
Ms. Caruso trained with the Grahamcompany’s rehearsal director to ready the piece. She’ll dance it Feb. 9-10 as part of Bodiography’s “Doors and Windows” program atthe Byham Theater, Downtown.
Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre: Not your ordinary ballets
Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre opens thesecond half of its season with a revival of “Swan Lake” (Feb. 16-25 at Benedum Center, Downtown), the captivating tale of good versus evil that’s enchanted audiences since 1895.
For the rest of its 48th season, PBT will shake up our expectations. It will highlight the choreographic voices of company dancers Amanda Cochrane, Julia Erickson, Yoshiaki Nakano, Jessica McCann, William Moore, JoAnna
Schmidt and Cooper Verona in the “New Works” (March 16-25) mixed repertory program. Each has created a signature work that the company will perform at the August Wilson Center for African American Culture, Downtown.
More Pittsburgh premieres are set for May 4-6 at the Benedum Center. To mark the centennial birthdays of choreographer Jerome Robbins and composer Leonard Bernstein, PBT teamed with UPMC to present “West Side Story Suite,” a rare chance to hear company dancers sing on stage; “Fancy Free,” the inspiration behind the Broadway sensation “On the Town”; and “In the Night,” a rarely seen work from Mr. Robbins with a pas de deux for a trio of couples set to Chopin nocturnes. Dancers will be accompanied by the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre Orchestra.
Pittsburgh Dance Council: Treat your eyes to something new
Under the direction of Randal Miller, the Pittsburgh Dance Council has been on a mission to make dance more accessible to the masses. That means delivering a visual smorgasbord of the different shapes and forms it can take.
The final three offerings of its 2017-18 season — all Pittsburgh premieres — are prime examples. If you’re a fan of the athleticism of STREB, check out DIAVOLO | Architecture in Motion (Feb. 17) in “LOST: Losing One’s Self Temporarily.” Wang Ramirez (made up of FrenchHispanic-Korean couple Sebastian Ramirez and Honji Wang) will bring its mix of hip-hop and contemporary dance in “Borderline” (March 7), described as “a weightgame of constraint and freedom” in which performers are supported and restrainedby cables. For the season finale, Bodytraffic (April 14) of Los Angeles will dance works by notable choreographers.
All performances will take place at the Byham Theater, Downtown.
Glue Factory Project: Dance meets art at the Mattress Factory
Leave it to Beth Corning to ask the tough question: Who are we when no one is looking?
That evocative query is at
the heart of “In House — Intimate Interiors” (March 14-18), the latest from her dance theater series spotlighting artists 40 and older. This time, she takes audiences to the North Side’s Mattress Factory for “a movement installation” set among art in the museum’s “New Installations: 40th Year” exhibition. Performances will be limited to groups of 20 that will be ushered from room to room in the Monterey House, an old home used as a museumannex.
The hourlong work is choreographed by Ms. Corning and directed by Tony awardwinning choreographer/actor Dominique Serrand. It will star John Gresh, John Giffin and Ms. Corning. They will be joined by Kristin Gabarino and Patricia Petronello, Glue Factory Project performers in training who are under 40.
Kelly Strayhorn Theater: Something for everyone
If it’s innovative, thoughtprovoking and infused with social commentary, chances are you’ll find it at the Kelly Strayhorn Theater in East Liberty.
Heading into spring, its KST Presents lineup is packed with options that merge art, music, multimedia and more, often with an emphasis on new works or emerging artists. Mark your calendar for “Soil” (March 9-10), intercultural dance theater directed by Michael Sakamoto that embodies the traditions of Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam. Also don’t miss a premiere by artist-in-residence Bill Shannon. His new “Touch Update” (May 11-12) deals with human contact in the digital age through movement, wearable projection technology and video installations.
Texture Contemporary Ballet: All grown up
No longer the new kids on the block, Texture Contemporary Ballet has shown it’s got the choreographic chops, thoughtful programming and pure talent for the long run. See its evolution at the North Side’s New Hazlett Theater in “Rushing Horizons” (March 23-25, including a children’s performance). Expect something new from artistic director Alan Obuzor, associate artistic director Kelsey Bartman and resident dancer Brynn Vogel.
Attack Theatre: Pushing boundaries
For Attack Theatre, the typical we-dance-you-watch dynamic is so passe. Those who see the modern dance troupe’s newest creation, “If | Maybe | Then” (April 13, 19 and 26), will be part of an immersive dance theater experience that seesaws between virtual and real environments. For details, go to www.attacktheatre.com.
fireWALL Dance Theater: Finding its voice
The Carnegie Stage’s fireWALL Dance Theater is a young company with a sophisticated point of view. In a few short years, artistic director and budding artist Elisa-Marie Alaio has helped fireWALL find its voice, and it’s got a lot to say about feminism, empowerment, equality and breaking down barriers. It’s doing just that not only through performances but also through its summer intensiveprogram for teens.
Ones to watch
• The new year is off to a strong start for Taylor Knight and Anna Thompson, the multidisciplinary performance duo behind slowdanger. They’re on Dance Magazine’s prestigious “25 to Watch” list for 2018. The pair, who met in the dance program at Point Park University, were lauded for “atmospheric, multimedia experimental dance works.” Keep an eye on slowdanger.com for their 2018 performance season.
• Staycee Pearl dance project has been on the move, with a presence at the TRACKS // NYC showcase and Movement Research at the Judson Church, a landmark in the birth of postmodern dance in New York City’s Greenwich Village. And it’s only January ...
• When one thing ends, it makes room for something fresh to take root. That appears to be the case for the Ellipses Condition, the movement-meets-musicmeetshybrid conceived by Pearlann Porter and John Lambert.
Before the holidays, Ms. Porter concluded her longrunning “Second Saturdays” series at The Space Upstairs in Point Breeze. In its place, the Ellipses Condition will introduce a new improvisational “Saturday Sessions” series in which creatives can converse. The Poetry Atelier, a monthly workshop and open-mic studio for writers, also is expected to launch this spring. Learn more at ellipsescondition.com.
• The Point Park University Conservatory Dance Company bachelor of fine artsdegree program has been hailed as one of the top 10 in the country. With Garfield Lemonius now at the helm, its rising stars will show off their technical prowess in three more programs this season: “Faculty Dance Concert” (Feb. 22-25), “Point ParkConnections” (April 68) and “Spring Dance Concert” (April 19-22), all at the GRW Performance Studio, Downtown.
• What makes an arts community special is when people from all walks of life can be part of it. Kudos to Exhalation Dance Theatre for creating opportunities for those who love dance but didn’t pursue it as a full-time career. Its philosophy: “Life should never hinder a true love of dance.” Its next show is “Kinetic Emotion” (Feb. 18-19) at the Kelly Strayhorn Theater, East Liberty.