MASS MoCA and Jacob's Pillow to Present KEIGWIN + COMPANY, 4/11-12

Cultural partners Jacob's Pillow Dance and MASS MoCA present KEIGWIN + COMPANY, April 11 at 8pm and April 12 at 3pm at the Hunter Center. A favorite among dance audiences and critics, KEIGWIN + COMPANY will bring a mixed program of high art and pure entertainment, featuring a variety of diverse contemporary works that embody the company's signature wit, broad musicality, and profound emotional capacity. Annual co-presentations by Jacob's Pillow and MASS MoCA are made possible by the Irene Hunter Fund for Dance.

"The Pillow builds audiences for dance year-round, and one of the ways in which we do that is through our partnership with MASS MoCA," says Executive and Artistic Director Ella Baff. "Audiences will be wowed by KEIGWIN + COMPANY's unstoppable energy and style. Making this engagement extra-special, Artistic Director Larry Keigwin will return to the stage to perform a world premiere solo. A KEIGWIN + COMPANY performance is always invigorating."

Founded in 2003 by Artistic Director Larry Keigwin and Associate Director Nicole Wolcott, KEIGWIN + COMPANY is known for its provocative and witty commentary on society and relationships, illustrated by an electrifying brand of contemporary dance. Since its inception, the company has received generous acknowledgement and support from multiple presenting organizations, including Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival and The Joyce Theater as well as foundations such as the New York Foundation for the Arts and The Jerome Robbins Foundation. Andrew Boynton of The New Yorker praises KEIGWIN + COMPANY for giving audiences "dances that show humor and drama in equal measure" and offering a rare accessibility through "engaging and involving spectators."

KEIGWIN + COMPANY's program at MASS MoCA promises to fulfill their reputation for engaging performances, and includes diverse works ranging in theme and emotional profundity. Six dancers will perform Waterfront, driven by selections from the dramatic film score of On the Waterfront, composed by Leonard Bernstein. Waterfront features the full company in fluid partnering, coupling, and unraveling in a multitude of sweeping wave-like patterns. Pedestrian movement mixes seamlessly with the dancers' explosive virtuosity, while simultaneous and overlapping duets weave in and out of space to reveal brilliant moments of solo performance.

Utilizing highly athletic and vigorous movement, Boys features four male dancers in an exploration of the ever-evolving relationships between brothers. "The interpersonal dynamic is clear and engaging," states The New York Times's Brian Seibert, "the roughhousing is quick and light enough to suggest the rapid-fire dialogue of a 1930s film comedy." The work is set to an iconic score of Eartha Kitt songs with classics such as "C'mon a My House" and "Easy to Love", creating a playful repartee juxtaposed by moments of introspection.

The world premiere of Panic marks choreographer, founder, and Artistic Director Larry Keigwin's first new solo in more than ten years; he will return to the stage after a three year hiatus from performing. Panic will investigate fear and anxiety imbued with Keigwin's trademark theatricality. Composer Glen Fittin's commissioned score includes Keigwin's vocals, serving as an engine for an exploration of disquietude, punctuated by moments of calm.

The program will close with the electric Triptych, supported by stark lighting and the pulsating beat of composer Jonathan Pratt's original score. Triptych is rooted in architectural themes and divided into three sections, exploring concepts of repetition, duration, and pattern. Outfitted in sleek and minimal black costumes, dancers perform precise, powerful movement imbued with technical prowess.

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