The Dance Complex Celebrates 30th Anniversary With Family Friendly Street Party

When The Dance Complex celebrates its 30th Anniversary on September 18, it will showcase the extraordinary diversity of dance in Greater Boston with a free, family-friendly day-long public festival in Cambridge's vibrant Central Square.

Dance Happens Here: 2022 will feature dance, music, visual arts, and spoken word events, bringing the community together through a public celebration of arts in an amazing day-long public festival.

"Dance Happens Here: 2022 is our way to celebrate 30 years of art and dance in Central Square," said Peter DiMuro, Executive Director of the Dance Complex. "Our work here is reflective of what makes this community so special, it's about Place Keeping, people moving and creating dynamic interchanges every day."

"For 30 years, we've been fortunate enough to be part of this extraordinary community. We are looking forward to celebrating this milestone on September 18," continued DiMuro.

Founded in 1992, The Dance Complex has become the central hub of dance in Greater Boston, with strong connections to the dance community across the New England region and the international dance field. Its faculty and resident artists include world-renowned teachers and dance-makers, hosting dozens of genres and dance styles.

Dance Happens Here: 2022 will kick off at 2 pm on September 18 in Central Square, with dance classes for both the experienced and movement curious, featuring classes that include Bellydance Basics with Johara Boston at 2pm; followed by international Dance with Andy Taylor; Flamenco for ALL; All Level Street Jazz with Patrick Opran, Capoeira Angola with David Fischer and 'Froca Fitness with Sylver Rochelin.

Throughout the afternoon, noted painter and landscape architect Ponnapa Prakkamakul will create visual art on the streets and building walls, celebrating music, dance, and movement in Central Square.

Dance Happens Here: 2022 will also kick-off a two-year collaboration between The Dance Complex and Central Square Theater. Your Town: A Community Ritual and Story Gathering Event will bring together community members to share their stories of cultural rituals through music, dance, and theatrical storytelling at "listening booths'' inspired by StoryCorps which will be operating at Starlight Square during the afternoon.

As evening falls, a drumming circle at the front door of The Dance Complex on Massachusetts Ave.will herald performances by Boston area dancers and companies including African Brazilian Cultural Dance by Isaura Oliveria; SambaViva; Irish Dance troupe Rising Step; Laura Sánchez Flamenco; Hip Hop Dancer Carl Alleyne; and Boston choreographer/dancer Junior Cius.

The façade of 536 Mass. Ave will be illuminated by a window installation called Dance Happens Here created with MASARY, of large scale photographs depicting stories of intergenerational/cross cultural dance, kicking off a street dance party with tunes spun by well-known DJ InfraBos.

30 Dialogues, a new video installation by Lindsay LaPointe will begin its year-long residency displayed in the windows of Studio 7 at The Dance Complex following the day's activities. The presence of international ancestries in dance that come home to Cambridge within the bodies of dancers here is the impetus for 30 Dialogues. Fifteen pairs of dance-affiliated people, each from a different generation, were recorded in conversations and edited into short videos with visual text that comprise the installation. Each video will be on view for several weeks throughout the year.

Dance Happens Here: 2022 is made possible with the cooperation and collaboration of the Central Square Business Improvement District, the City of Cambridge, Central Square Theater, and many neighboring business partners. WBUR is the Media Partner for Dance Happens Here: 2022.

The Dance Complex is supported by The Barr/Klarman Arts Initiative, The Barr Foundation, Massachusetts Cultural Council, Cambridge Community Foundation, The Boston Foundation, Cambridge Arts, New England Foundation for the Arts, Mass Development, Cambridge Redevelopment Authority, The Wagner Foundation, and others.

Dance Happens Here: 2022 presented by The Dance Complex takes place Sunday September 18,2022 from 2pm-9pm in Central Square Cambridge. For more information, visit dancecomplex.org

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