Carlsen Center Presents NEW DANCE PARTNERS in September

Emily Behrmann, General Manager for the Carlsen Center Presents Series, today announced the collaborative partners for the sixth annual New Dance Partners, featuring four WORLD PREMIERES of new commissioned works by four local dance companies and world-renowned choreographers.

The 2019 New Dance Partners includes Kansas City Ballet working with Myles Thatcher of San Francisco Ballet; Owen/Cox Dance Group working with Gregory Dolbashian, founder/artistic director, The Dash Ensemble; Störling Dance Theatre working with Catherine Meredith, an independent choreographer, and Wylliams/Henry Contemporary Dance Company working with Frank Chaves, founder and former artistic director, River North Dance Company, based in Chicago.

Performances will be held September 27 and September 28 at 8 p.m. at Yardley Hall (Carlsen Center, Johnson County Community College, 12345 College Blvd., Overland Park, KS 66210)

Artistic Advisor for New Dance Partners is Michael Uthoff. Burke Brown is the lighting designer.

Since 2013 New Dance Partners, a project to encourage new work in dance, has been produced by the Carlsen Center at Johnson County Community College to further artistic growth in dance by creating new work and encouraging collaboration between Kansas City arts organizations. Local, professional dance companies are featured and new works commissioned on their behalf are set by established choreographers. Kansas City Ballet, Owen/Cox Dance Group and Wylliams/Henry Contemporary Dance Company have all participated since its inception.

Emily Behrmann, general manager of Carlsen Center Presents, said, "We're thrilled about New Dance Partners 2019, our sixth-year commissioning and premiering new works in dance. After this year's project concludes, we'll have commissioned 21 new works. Not many organizations can say that in only six years! We're particularly grateful for generous support from the Richard J. Stern Foundation, Commerce Bank, Trustee and the Kansas Creative Arts Industries Commission, as part of their New Dance Lab. It's gratifying to see all of us come together to work on this beautiful collection of choreography, specially created for Greater Kansas City artists. I encourage everyone to come and see these performances. You will love what you see!"

Tickets may be purchased online www.jccc.edu/CarlsenCenter or by phone (913) 469-4445. Season ticket packages which include a purchase of five events (or more) are available for a 10% discount. Donors to the Friends of the Carlsen Center (starting at $50) receive a 15% discount off season ticket packages.

For more information about New Dance Partners and the 2019-2020 the Carlsen Center Presents Series at Johnson County Community College, and a full list of performers, visit www.jccc.edu/CarlsenCenter.

The Carlsen Center is Johnson County's performing arts center. Early on, the founders of Johnson County Community College (JCCC) dreamed of building a world-class performing arts venue in Johnson County, Kansas. In 1990, that dream was realized and the center soon became a cultural hub for the rapidly growing county. The Carlsen Center's growth parallels that of Johnson County, expanding from 50 events the first season to around 150 annually today. Events include Carlsen Center Presents (CCP), the annual series of around 25 events presented by JCCC that feature professional, internationally-known artists in a wide variety of genres; academic branches of JCCC; and community groups who rent the space.

Since 2000, with the development of the Carlsen Center Arts Education program, the Carlsen Center also addresses cultural and art-related program needs in K-12 education. The CC Arts Education programs include school performances at the Carlsen Center, and engagement activities with artists performing in schools. Master classes, lecture/demonstrations, workshops and other opportunities for interaction with students happen throughout the year. CC Arts Education also offers support materials for programs, study guides, concert previews, plus professional development - creative skills workshops and curriculum-building seminars for teachers in arts integration.

The CC Arts Education had a leadership role in the re-establishment of the Kansas Alliance for Arts Education, and in 2014 was named a Kennedy Center Partners in Education site, teamed with the Shawnee Mission School District. An expansion of the Kennedy Center Partnership occurred in 2018 with the addition of the Liberty Schools, making it one of two cross-state Kennedy Center Partnerships in the US. CC Arts Ed is the only Kennedy Center Partner in the state of Kansas.

For more information, please visit www.jccc.edu/CarlsenCenter.

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