Dance Repertory Theatre Presents FALL FOR DANCE This Weekend

Under the direction of Charles O. Anderson, Andrea Beckham and Dorothy O'Shea Overbey, The University of Texas at Austin's award-winning dance company Dance Repertory Theatre returns to the stage in Fall For Dance, this weekend, November 12-15 at the B. Iden Payne Theatre. An exploration of contemporary ballet, Fall For Dance features works by artistic director of The Foundry, Alex Ketley; former dancer with Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet, Manuel Vignoulle; and Texas Theatre and Dance faculty members David Justin and Andrea Beckham.

"The common thread throughout the concert is that it is not constrained to the rigorously defined body lines and forms found in traditional ballet, yet each work, in its own unique way, is an embodied conversation with classical style," explains Co-Artistic Director Charles O. Anderson. "We are thrilled to share these six works, four of which are premieres, with our Fall For Dance audience."

Highlights of the dance concert include Alex Ketley's Poem (Part 1), a pure movement piece derived from processes the choreographer has explored over the past five years. Poem (Part 1) stands as his meditation on the landscapes and diversity available to one's body and how it exists as a connection for audiences in unlikely settings. Formerly a classical dancer with the San Francisco Ballet, Ketley has performed a wide range of classical and contemporary repertoire including the work of William Forsythe, James Kudelka and George Balanchine. In 1998 he left the San Francisco Ballet to co-found The Foundry in order to explore choreography, improvisation, mixed media work and collaborative process.

Manuel Vignoulle's Maximizing the Audience (premiere) finds inspiration in music, following the ever-changing melody and accents, and creates a trance-like experience through sound and movement. A French choreographer based in New York, Vignoulle studied at The Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris and went on to work with various French contemporary companies including Claude Brumachon, Corinne Lanselle and Bernardo Montet. He has been a guest artist for La La La Human Steps (Canada), Het Nationale Ballet (The Netherlands), State Theatre (South Africa) and The Forsythe Company (Germany). His work, performed in France, Switzerland, Mexico, Canada, and the United States of America, has been commissioned by Ailey II, Whim W'Him, Chicago Repertory Ballet and Peridance Contemporary Ballet Company and other renowned ensembles.

Choreography by University of Texas at Austin faculty members David Justin and Andrea Beckham, as well as bachelor of fine arts candidates Hunter Sturgis and Rachel Perry are also featured.

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