MAD Features DANCE UNDER THE INFLUENCE, 2/9

"Dance: Under the Influence," a provocative program of dance works inspired by other art practices will debut in the intimate MAD Theater on Wednesday, February 9, 2011 and continue one Wednesday performance a month through May 18, 2011. The program is guest-curated by renowned arts writer, editor, and George Balanchine-biographer, Valerie Gladstone.

From ballet to tap, flamenco to loose-joint clubbing, "Under the Influence" will stretch definitions of live performance and movement. The series will show how the visual arts have become an important influence on a number of leading choreographers and dancers working today, just as dance once inspired artists from Degas to Warhol.

"In performances of tap, flamenco, Latin, ballet and a variety of other dance styles, the connections between the visual arts and dance will be illuminated, heightening our experience of them, while at the same time offering us a fantastically entertaining time," says Gladstone.

Notables among the participating choreographers and dancers are the ground-breaking contemporary choreographer Heidi Latsky; Michele Wiles, a principal dancer with the American Ballet Theater, who will perform in the company's spring and summer productions of Don Quixote, Giselle, and Swan Lake; Ronald K. Brown of the dance troupe Evidence, known for fusing traditional African dance with contemporary choreography and spoken word; David Parker of The Bang Group which mixes high and low art, comedy and tragedy, vaudeville and concert dance; and Jason Samuels Smith, the award-winning tap dancer, choreographer, director, and impresario.

At every evening's close, there will be a lively Talk Back, during which the performers will discuss their creative process and respond to questions from the audience.

All programs will be held in MAD's Theater at 7:00 pm.
$15 MAD Member, $18 General

PROGRAM SCHEDULE:

February 9, 2011
Jennifer Muller, HEIDI LATSKY, BALLET HISPANICO
Jennifer Muller is the artistic director of Jennifer Muller/The Works. She is known for her award-winning theatrical and dance productions, as well as collaborations with such artists as Keith Haring, Keith Jarrett, and Yoko Ono. Heidi Latsky is the director of an eponymous troupe, which celebrates the beauty and complexity of difference through movement. Ballet Hispanico is the foremost dance representative of Hispanic culture in the United States. Its innovative repertory fuses ballet, modern, and Latin dance forms into a spirited image of the contemporary Hispanic world.

March 16, 2011
MIRO MAGLOIRE, BEN MUNISTERI, MICHELE WILES
Miro Magloire, founder and artistic director of New Chamber Ballet, bridges the gap between music and dance with his elegant choreography. Ben Munisteri has created works for the Pennsylvania Dance Theater, Danceworks Performance Company in Milwaukee, and other companies, and has been an artist in residence at The Joyce Theater Foundation and the Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival. Michele Wiles is a principal dancer with the American Ballet Theater, where she has created many leading roles.

April 13, 2011
RON BROWN, Sean Curran, NELIDA TIRADO
As a choreographer for such companies as the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and Philadanco, Ronald K. Brown has produced startlingly original works, mixing rhythmic, African traditions with loose-jointed clubbing. Sean Curran first danced with Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company and was a cast member of the Off-Broadway percussion extravaganza Stomp. He is now directing operas for the New York City Opera. Flamenco and Latin dancer Nelida Tirado has worked with Noche Flamenca and was the featured flamenco star in the blockbuster Riverdance on Broadway.

May 18, 2011
Jason Samuels Smith, ANDREA MILLER/GALLIM DANCE,
David Parker/THE BANG GROUP
David Parker founded The Bang Group in 1995 as a laboratory in rhythm, rigor, and humor. Jason Samuels Smith is a leader in the art form of tap, winning the 2009 Dance Magazine Award, along with an Emmy and the American Choreography Award. Andrea Miller foundEd Gallim Dance Company in 2006, quickly winning attention through performances at such prestigious festivals as Fall for Dance at City Center and Jacob's Pillow, and performances at The Joyce Theater.