AXIS and Heidi Latsky Dance to Honor Americans With Disabilities & Veterans This Fall at NYU Skirball
By: BWW News Desk Sep. 24, 2015
AXIS Dance Company, one of the world's leading and most innovative ensembles of dancers with and without disabilities, will present two pieces: Divide (2014), an abstract work exploring the divide in human interaction in movement, space and time, choreographed by Marc Brew; and the New York premiere of to go again (2015), a dance/ theater work created by choreographer Joe Goode that confronts issues facing our nation's veterans and addresses their resilience following severe life changes.
In speaking about to go again, AXIS Artistic Director Judith Smith said, "There is a pressing need in our communities to frankly address how we are supporting our veterans who have returned from service or are still serving. As concerned citizens, the veterans' situation has weighed heavily on many of us. Members of our company know what it is like to live with challenges associated with disability and we believe the stories of veterans' resiliency are important stories to share."
On Display, is a living gallery focusing on the themes of inclusion and diversity, created for NYU Skirball Center by Heidi Latsky in collaboration with composers Stan Harrison and Ximena Borges, filmmaker Janet Wong, writer/performer Jerron Herman and designer by Anna Kathleen Little. This exhibit will be "on display" in the Skirball lobby before the main show.
Somewhere (2015), choreographed by Heidi Latsky and set to an original score by Ximena Borges, highlights the luminous appeal of a diverse, unconventional cast. Somewhere is a poetic interweaving of solos and duets, embracing difference and the inherent isolation of being human with fierceness and frankness. Heidi Latsky will also be featured in Solo 1, a prologue to Somewhere.
"A public performance by people with distinctive bodies both questions and alters misconceptions about the disability and dance communities, redefining beauty and virtuosity," said Latsky. "It creates new frames of reference, and therefore new opportunities. Our passion is to make others see, as we do, the unconventional beauty and artistry of this unique configuration of bodies in space."
The evening is the second presentation of NYU Skirball's new DANCE SPEAKS a new annual series showcasing dance works that explore current issues that shape our lives and reflect our times. Spectrum Dance Theater's The Minstrel Show Revisited, a powerful dance/theater piece that takes a satirical look at the derogatory song and dance tradition of minstrelsy, will open the series, running October 28 - 30.
AXIS Dance Company, based in Oakland, California, exists to change the face of dance and disability. AXIS has become one of the world's most acclaimed and innovative ensembles of performers with and without disabilities. Founded in 1987, AXIS has paved the way for a powerful contemporary dance form called physically integrated dance. Under the artistic direction of Judith Smith since 1997, the company's performances have won numerous awards, toured extensively throughout the U.S. and abroad, and were seen on "So You Think You Can Dance?" Through various outreach programs, AXIS brings physically integrated dance to schools, community centers, independent living centers, and to countless organizations seeking to learn more about dance, disability, and collaboration. www.asixdance.org
Heidi Latsky Dance (HLD) is a New York-based modern dance company dedicated to creating provocative, highly technical and physically adventurous dance under the artistic direction of Heidi Latsky, a longtime principal member of Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company. Since its inception, the company has received numerous awards, commissions and residencies. Heidi Latsky Dance premiered in 2001 with a Joyce Theater Residency and its first sold-out run of JUST WATCH!, presented by Danspace Project in NYC. A variety of work followed, at venues around the world. Latsky's training in psychology and her desire to explore the human condition through movement have resulted in the company collaborating with various social service and humanitarian organizations. www.heidilatskydance.com
NYU Skirball Center for the Performing Arts is the premier venue for the presentation of cultural and performing arts events for New York University and lower Manhattan. Led by Executive Director Michael Harrington, the NYU Skirball mission is to showcase and support diverse and eclectic talent from around the world, while cultivating audiences for live performance through deeper engagement opportunities. For more information visit: www.nyuskirball.org.
Tickets: Heidi Latsky Dance and Axis Dance Company will perform on Sunday, November 15 at 7 pm. Tickets are $32 - $49; tickets for veterans are $25. All tickets may be purchased online at www.nyuskirball.org, by phone at 212.998.4941,or in person at the NYU Skirball Center Box Office: Tuesday-Saturday, 12:00-6:00 P.M. The NYU Skirball Center for the Performing Arts is located at 566 LaGuardia Place at Washington Square, New York, New York 10012.
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