Boston Moving Arts Will Host WELCOME HOME Next Month

Boston Moving Arts will host “Welcome Home,” a spirited, diverse production designed to create space for comfort and relief in stressful times. Performers include dancemakers, dancers and companies based in Boston (Rachel Linsky, Leah Misano), in Montreal (Andrew Skeels, who trained in Boston), and in Washington state (the German/American dance company FLOCK makes its Boston debut here). “Welcome Home” will be performed Fri., Oct., 18 and Sat., Oct. 19 at 8 pm, at the Boston University Dance Theater, 915 Commonwealth Avenue in Boston.

Producer David Orr says the performance showcases the richness and diversity of contemporary dance. He explored artists who were working on themes of homecoming, connection, and the human desire for peace and understanding. “I’ve seen a trend toward dancemakers responding to the challenging external factors we all face, like climate change, political and social upheaval, and economic stresses,” Orr says. “The performers in ‘Welcome Home’ are thinking about how we find comfort, in ourselves, in others and in the world…and they’re communicating it through striking and beautiful movement. This is the dance show we need right now — a reminder of the universal desire for connection, comfort, and relief during uncertain times.

“Gathering Sparks” by Rachel Linsky

The Boston-based choreographer brings a vibrant fusion of contemporary dance and Yiddish folk traditions with fresh choreography that invites the audience into a world where old traditions meet new expressions. Her new work is driven by the lively and evocative music of Ezekiel’s Wheels Klezmer Band (who will give a pre-curtain music performance), creating a unique and celebratory atmosphere. Orr says Linsky’s dance “feels like an invitation to celebrate at a joyous party with lifelong friends.”

Rachel Linsky was born in Newton, Mass., and lives in Allston. She maintains a robust career in the area, directing and choreographing the project ZACHOR, an ongoing series that preserves the words and memories of WWII Holocaust survivors through dance. Her award-recognized live and filmed choreography has been featured locally at New England Conservatory, Boston Center for the Arts, The Huntington Theatre, and The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Linsky dances with and teaches for numerous area organizations.

“Ramblin’” by Leah Misano
 

The new work by this Cambridge-based choreographer infuses contemporary and folk dance with country-and-western flavor in a peppy duet created and performed with dancer Alex Meeth. Misano’s piece celebrates the freedoms one experiences dancing alone or in the presence of another. Whether with thumbs hooked in belt loops, or arms creating elegant shapes, the lively movement inspired Orr, who says the piece feels like “getting a peek at two people having enormous fun at a private but spectacularly precise and athletic hoedown.”

Born in Leominster, Mass. to parents who met as summer workers on Cape Cod, Leah Misano was raised in South Carolina but returned to the area to attend Boston Conservatory at Berklee. While creating work with artists around the country, Misano maintains an artistic base in the Boston area, making new work and teaching at Northeast School of Ballet and Boston Conservatory.

“Unkempt” by Andrew Skeels
 

The Boston-born and -trained, this Montreal-based dance artist’s work is a raw and honest look at the messiness of human interactions. Through powerful choreography that incorporates chaotic movement, Skeels highlights the complexities and imperfections of relationships. Orr says “Unkempt” offers an emotionally charged performance. “Its fluidity, grace and complexity will bring tears to your eyes,” he says.

Born and raised in Boston, and making his professional choreographic debut in “Welcome Home” since leaving in 2015, Skeels received his dance training at Boston Ballet School. As a professional dancer he has performed with Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal in works by Jirí Kyliàn, Mats Ek and many more. As a dancemaker, Skeels has made works for companies around the world including Nederlands Dans Theater 2, the Bavarian State Opera Ballet, Cirque du Soleil, TanzTheater International Festival, Kansas City Ballet, and Festival Ballet Providence, among others.

“Somewhere Between” by FLOCK

Making its local debut, the German/American dance company based in Washington state presents an extended excerpt of the critically acclaimed, evening-length piece that explores the myths and stories of childhood. With undulating movement, the eight-dancer troupe conjures a mesmerizing journey into the worlds of imagination and memory. Of “Somewhere Between,” Orr says the love and connection in every movement will transport audiences into another fantastical world.

FLOCK was founded in 2017 by Florian Lochner and Alice Klock. Klock trained at Boston Ballet School’s summer program as a teenager and has choreographed for the local dance project Cantankerous Creatures.

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