The Gardner's First Choreographer-In-Residence Takes Visitors On A Movement Tour Of The Museum

The galleries of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum will come to life this fall with dancer-led tours, choreographed by the Museum's first Choreographer-in-Residence, Peter DiMuro. The tours, part of a new initiative to animate the galleries with contemporary performances and integrate dance into exhibitions and programming, will take place Oct. 11-25 with a special performance at the Oct. 18 Third Thursday event.

The 45-minute dancer-led tour called "The House of Accumulated Beauties" was inspired by the collection and Isabella's life and spirit, as well as from a century's worth of human interaction with the objects, paintings, and greenery. Along their journey through the Museum, visitors will experience a series of performance installations crafted for each of the large Palace galleries. The tour will culminate in the Courtyard, with a grand "chorus of Isabellas" composed of professional dancers and community members of all ages, dance backgrounds, and abilities.

"It is thrilling for me to build a deeper connection to the Gardner and to Isabella herself and create dances in dialogue with the unique and awe-inspiring collection," DiMuro said. "Illuminating the galleries, programs, and exhibitions through movement in such a culturally rich place has endless possibilities."

The tours are free with Museum admission but require advance reservation. Performances will occur 12 times over six days on the following dates:

Thursday, October 11 at 6:30 PM and 7:45 PM

Monday, October 15 at 2:30 PM and 3:45 PM

Wednesday, October 17 at 2:30 PM and 3:45 PM

Monday, October 22 at 2:30 PM and 3:45 PM

Wednesday, October 24 at 2:30 PM and 3:45 PM

Thursday, October 25 at 6:30 PM and 7:45 PM

During the Third Thursday event called "Social Fabric" on Oct.18, DiMuro will present a special performance in Calderwood Hall that recasts the choreographic material of the tour in a new dimension, called "Small Visitations Near An Empty Loom." Visitors will be able to view dancers from the Calderwood's balconies, and dancers will perform lying on the floor, showcasing the movement from the side to the viewers above.

DiMuro, a performer, choreographer, director, teacher, and arts engager, is Executive Artistic Director of Dance Complex in Cambridge, one of Boston's major dance centers. Since 2013, DiMuro has been an enterprising leader who worked tirelessly to help grow the organization. DiMuro was a rising young dancer in Boston before joining internationally acclaimed Liz Lerman Dance Exchange where he spent many years as a performer, lead artist, and ultimately, Artistic Director. Currently, he also directs Peter DiMuro/Public Displays of Motion, an inter-generational company of diverse dancers/artists that develops performance works and promotes arts literacy and engagement.

The Choreographer-in-Residence program is both an extension of the Museum's long-standing Artist-in-Residency program and a continuation of its commitment to multidisciplinary programming and partnerships in keeping with its founder's vision and legacy.

The Choreographer-in-Residence is generously supported by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and the Boston Foundation.

The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum - a magical creation of one woman's daring vision - invites you to awaken your senses and be transported. Modeled after a Venetian palazzo, unforgettable galleries surround a luminous courtyard and are home to masters such as Rembrandt, Raphael, Titian, Michelangelo, Whistler, and Sargent. The Renzo Piano wing provides a platform for contemporary artists, musicians, and scholars, and serves as an innovative venue where creativity is celebrated in all of its forms.

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum • 25 Evans Way Boston MA 02215 • Hours: Open Daily from 11a.m. to 5 p.m. and Thursdays until 9 p.m. Closed Tuesdays. • Admission: Adults $15; Seniors $12; Students $10; Free for members, children under 18, everyone on his/her birthday, and all named "Isabella" • $2 off admission with a same-day Museum of Fine Arts, Boston ticket • For information 617 566 1401 • Box Office 617 278 5156 • www.gardnermuseum.org

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