Jennifer Muller/The Works Presents World Premiere of The White Room

Jennifer Muller/The Works announces the World Premiere of a new evening-length piece, The White Room, at the Cedar Lake Theater at 547 W. 26th Street, NYC, from June 22 - 26, 2011. Performances: Wednesday Preview at 7:30pm, Thursday Opening Night Gala at 7pm, Friday and Saturday at 8pm; Sunday at 2pm. Tickets are $49 and will be available beginning April 1 at 212-868-4444 or www.smarttix.com. Gala tickets are available at (212) 691-3803. A Gala Dinner and Silent Auction at Chelsea Art Museum, 556 W. 22nd Street, NYC, will follow the Opening Night Gala performance. The Gala honors Phoenix Partners Group, lead corporate sponsor for the company's education programs.

The White Room begins in a large featureless space, which alters as the piece progresses, influenced by the attitudes and actions of those inhabiting it. In the beginning, the room echoes the innocence of a young girl; The White Room is her story. She is both damaged and transformed by encounters with a diverse cast of characters. The piece concerns the corruption of innocence, contrasting purity with heartless self-interest and questioning the value systems of our times.

The music for The White Room is a compilation of cello-based music from traditional sources such as Yo-Yo Ma and contemporary composers like Zoe Keating, Break of Reality, Gordon Withers, Matthew Schoening and Julia Kent. Costume and stage design by Stageworks, lighting design by Jeff Croiter, and projection design by Kevin Harkins.

Appropriate for ages 15 and above.

Company Members: Susanna Bozzetti, Mariana Cardenas, Elizabeth Disharoon, Rosie Lani Fiedelman, Seiko Fujita, Duane Gosa, Gen Hashimoto, Abdul Latif, Jen Peters, Pascal Rekoert,

Apprentices: Mario Bermudez Gil, Katherine Hozier, Kensaku Shinohara, Hsing-Hua Wang.

For more than 37 years, contemporary dance company Jennifer Muller/The Works has applied a multi-disciplinary approach that weaves dance, theater and visual arts to create dances that celebrate and illuminate the human spirit. Artistic Director Jennifer Muller's exhilarating dances are evocative, passionate and engaging.

The Works has developed an astounding international presence, having appeared in the world's preeminent theaters and festivals in 39 countries on four continents. The company has performed worldwide from Buenos Aires to Toronto and Bangkok to Moscow with appearances in Paris, Rio de Janeiro, Köln, Tel Aviv, Montreal and Amsterdam, to name a few. The Works recently performed to rave reviews at FENDAFOR 10 (Festival Internacional de Dança de Fortaleza), The Sixth Beijing International Theater & Dance Festival, Bangkok's Eighth International Festival of Dance and Music and Festival Internacional de Teatro Santa Cruz de la Sierra in Bolivia. The Works returns to China for a multi-city engagement in 2011.

The Works has performed in 30 states in the US and self-produced 21 NYC Seasons at The Joyce, New Victory and Roundabout Theaters, City Center and the Kaye Playhouse. In the US, The Works has performed at Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, American Dance Festival, Jacob's Pillow, Fire Island Dance Festival and Central Park Summerstage.

The Works is devoted to its professional training, arts awareness and mentoring programs. Faces of Wonder and Imagine That! bring The Works' artistry into NYC public schools. The HATCH Presenting Series has mentored over 500 new works by emerging choreographers and theater artists. The Scholarship/Apprentice Program provides valued professional training in Muller Technique for aspiring dancers. These programs reach over 5,000 youth in NYC schools and 50 emerging choreographers.

Jennifer Muller, an influence in the dance world for over 40 years, is known for her visionary approach and innovations in dance/theater, multi-discipline productions, incorporating the spoken word, live and commissioned music, artist-inspired decor and unusual production elements. She has created over 100 works including 6 full-evening productions. In 2007, The Joyce awarded Ms. Muller with a Commissioning Grant to create Bench, the signature premiere of The Works' 35th Anniversary in 2009. Her choreography has been commissioned by 24 international repertory companies including Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Nederlands Dans Theater, NDT3, Ballet du Nord and Ballet Contemporaneo Argentina. She recently choreographed Esther at New York City Opera, performed by The Works at David Koch Theater. Creating work since she was 7 years old, her work has been seen in 44 countries. An award-winning choreographer, her work for theater includes The Public Theater, Second Stage, New York Stage and Film and the Metropolitan Opera.

Internationally renowned as a consummate teacher and mentor of creative talent, Ms. Muller has developed a personalized dance technique, now taught worldwide by company alumni who have established accredited dance programs in the US, Europe, South America and Japan. Muller Polarity Technique is featured in the publication and video Tanztechnik, a comparative study of seven unique contemporary dance techniques, also including Limon and Cunningham techniques. During The Works' recent Brazil Tour, Ms. Muller was awarded the FENDAFOR 2010 Trophy of Cultural Responsibility, in recognition of her invaluable contributions to promoting contemporary dance & education throughout South America. Her early signature work Speeds has been commissioned by the University of California-Santa Barbara, funded by an American Masterpieces: Three Centuries of American Genius grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. The University is also convening a scholarly conference: Jennifer Muller & the Reshaping of American Modern Dance, 1962 - Present, celebrating her prolific career-dancer, choreographer, artist, educator.

The creation of The White Room is funded in part by the Eric Emanuel New Works Fund, sponsored by Comodo; and Harkness Foundation for Dance. Special thanks to Body Wrappers for production support.

Leadership Support for The Works is provided by Lila Teich Gold; Peter Buffington; Open Society Foundations' Performing Arts Initiative, administered by The Fund for The City of New York; and Phoenix Partners Group.

Major support provided by Comodo; CTPartners; Harkness Foundation for Dance; Hayes Brunswick + Partners; Jerome Robbins Foundation; National Endowment for the Arts; New York Community Trust; NYC Department of Cultural Affairs; NYS Senator Thomas K. Duane; Rockefeller Brothers Fund; Starkman & Associates; 311 E 11: Village Green; US Trust, Bank of America Private Wealth Management; Valerie Wilson Travel; The Works' New Choreography Fund & Circle of Friends.

For more information on Jennifer Muller/The Works, visit www.jmtw.org.