Parsons Dance Kicks Of 2017 Season At The Joyce Theatre With Three World Premieres, 5/16-5/28

Parsons Dance - under the Artistic Direction of David Parsons - will kick off its 2017 season, dedicated to the life and legacy of the company's great friend and dance advocate Alexander J. Dubé,at New York City's historic Joyce Theater from May 16 - May 28. The company will present an exciting mixed bill program, featuring the world premieres of Hello World by David Parsons, UpEndby Ephrat Asherieand David Parsons, and Daniel by Parsons Dance GenerationNow Fellow and company member Omar Román de Jesús.

Following the opening performance on May 16, Parsons will hold its annual Gala at The Cabanas at La Sirena in the Maritime Hotel with tickets starting at $1000. Individual tickets for the Joyce Theater, priced from $10-$60, can be purchased by calling JoyceCharge at 212-242-0800 or via the internet atwww.joyce.org. The Joyce Theater is located at 175 Eighth Avenue at 19th Street.

Celebrated for its virtuosic technique, powerful athleticism and sexy ensemble, Parsons Dance is excited to return to The Joyce Theater's intimate Chelsea home with the world premiere of David Parsons' Hello World. Born from a unique collaborationwith Drexel University's Expressive and Creative Interaction Technologies Center (ExCITe) and Dr. Youngmoo Kim, Parsons' Hello Worldexplores the evolution of man and machine.Using highly sophisticated custom-built drones, this work embraces a technology-driven vision of the future.

The company will also present the premiere of UpEnd, a collaboration between Bessie-award winning B-Girl Ephrat Asherie and David Parsons. Together, they infuse the classic Parsons style with elements of street dance, creating a dynamic new movement vocabulary, set to a commissioned score by NYC composer Marty Beller.

Finally, Parsons' company member and GenerationNow Fellow Omar Román de Jesús will premiere his new work, Daniel, inspired by an eye-opening interaction he had while participating in Parsons' educational initiative for dancers on the Autism spectrum. This contemporary piece explores the youthful and uninhibited pursuit of joy.

The program will also feature audience favorites and classics such as Hand Dance, Swing Shift, and the iconic Caught.

This year, the company will present three Family Matinees at The Joyce, offering audiences the kid-friendly repertory of Daniel, Sleep Study, UpEnd, Caught, and In The End, as well as the opportunity to meet the dancers in person. Family Matinees will take place on May 21, 22, and 27 at 2pm.

The company will also present a Relaxed Performance as part of its new Autism Initiative to bring dance to audiences of all abilities, featuring a program of Swing Shift, Sleep Study, Hand Dance, andUpEndon May 25th at 12:00pm. Tickets for the Relaxed Performance should be arranged directly with Parsons Dance: info@parsonsdance.org.

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David Parsons (Artistic Director/CoFounder) has enjoyed a remarkable career as a director, choreographer, performer, master teacher and producer. Mr. Parsons was born in Chicago and raised in Kansas City. In the early years of his career he performed with The Paul Taylor Dance Company, New York City Ballet, Berlin Opera, and The White Oak Dance Project. Mr. Parsons has created more than 75 works for Parsons Dance. Commissions include American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet, and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater to name a few. His work has been performed by Paris Opera Ballet, National Ballet of Canada, Joffrey Ballet, and Ballet de Rio De Janeiro among many others. Parsons has worked on such diverse projects as Julie Taymor's film Fool's Fire, AIDA at Opera de Verona, Maria de Buenos Aires for Gotham Chamber Opera and Remember Me, a collaboration with East Village Opera Company. Mr. Parsons holds an honorary doctorate and was the first recipient of the Howard Gilman Fellowship to complete his MFA. The New York Times has called Mr. Parsons "one of the great movers of modern dance."

Dr. Youngmoo Kim (Drone Systems Director ) is Director of the ExCITe Center and Associate Professor of Electrical & Computer Engineering at Drexel University, where he pursues transdisciplinary research at the convergence of technology and creative expression and the advancement of arts-integrated learning in science and engineering. He received his Ph.D. from the MIT Media Lab after undergraduate studies in Engineering and Music at Swarthmore College. As a singer, he has performed with American Musical Theater of San Jose, SpeakEasy Stage Company (Boston), and the Tanglewood Festival Chorus.

Ephrat "Bounce" Asherie (Choreographer), a 2016 Bessie Award Winner for Innovative Achievement in Dance, is a New York City based bgirl, dancer and choreographer. As artistic director of Ephrat Asherie Dance (EAD), she has presented work at Jacob's Pillow, FiraTarrega and New York Live Arts, among others. Ephrat has received numerous awards to support her work including a Kevin Spacey Artist of Choice Award, a Mondo Cane! Commission from Dixon Place and an Extended Life Residency from the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council. Ephrat is on faculty at Wesleyan University and Broadway Dance Center. For more information please visit ephratasherie.com orfacebook.com/EphratAsherieDance

Marty Beller (Composer). Drummer for They Might Be Giants. 2009 Grammy Award Winner(wTMBG).Dance: 2013 Bessie nom.; Jennifer Muller/The Works, Sean Curran, Ephrat Asherie Dance, Heidi Latsky. Film/TV: "Gracepoint"(Fox); "In Treatment" (HBO); The Last Patrol (HBO); The Cruise (Artisan); Emptying the Skies (Music Box); Another Gay Movie (TLA); Biography of Groucho Marks (A&E). Drummer for Tony Award-winner Stew.

Omar Román de Jesús (2017 GenerationNow Fellow) has presented his choreography at Peridance Capezio Center, the Ailey Citigroup Theater, Joe's Pub, Baruch Performing Arts Center and the 14 Street Y. He has received commissions from Instituto de Cultura de Puerto Rico, Roschman Dance, and most recently won a commission for the Steps Repertory Ensemble as a part of Reverb Dance. Omar joined Parsons Dance in August 2013, and is the current Generation Now Choreography Fellow.

The Expressive and Creative Interaction Technologies (ExCITe) Center was established in 2013 as a University-wide strategic initiative for research innovation. The Center pursues activities at the intersection of Technology, Design, and Entrepreneurship, a reframing of Drexel's founding pillars of Art, Science, and Industry for the modern age. The transdisciplinary approach of ExCITe employs a diversity of perspectives to foster creativity, personal expression, curiosity, and collaboration.

PARSONS DANCE

Parsons Dance is an internationally renowned contemporary dance company under the artistic direction of dancer/choreographer David Parsons. Parsons Dance is committed to building new audiences for contemporary dance by creating American works of extraordinary artistry that are both engaging and uplifting to audiences throughout the world. Parsons Dance tours nationally and internationally, including an annual season in its home community of New York City. Parsons Dance includes eight full-time dancers and maintains a repertory of more than 75 works choreographed by David Parsons. Since 1985, Parsons Dance has toured more than 447 cities, 35 countries, five continents and millions of audience members. Many more have seen Parsons Dance on PBS, Bravo, A&E Network and the Discovery Channel.

ABOUT THE JOYCE THEATER

The Joyce Theater Foundation ("The Joyce," Executive Director, Linda Shelton), a nonprofit organization, has proudly served the dance community for over three decades. Under the direction of founders Cora Cahan and Eliot Feld, Ballet Tech Foundation acquired and The Joyce renovated the Elgin Theater in Chelsea. Opening as The Joyce Theater in 1982, it was named in honor of Joyce Mertz, beloved daughter of LuEsther T. Mertz. It was LuEsther's clear, undaunted vision and abundant generosity that made it imaginable and ultimately possible to build the theater. Ownership was secured by The Joyce in 2015. The theater is one of the only theaters built by dancers for dance and has provided an intimate and elegant home for over 400 U.S.-based and international companies. The Joyce has also presented dance at Lincoln Center since 2012, and launched Joyce Unleashed in 2014 to feature emerging and experimental artists. To further support the creation of new work, The Joyce maintains longstanding commissioning and residency programs. Local students and teachers (K-12th grade) benefit from its school program, and family and adult audiences get closer to dance with access to artists. The Joyce's annual season of about 48 weeks of dance now includes over 340 performances for audiences in excess of 150,000.

Photo By Lois Greenfield

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