Metro Art Presents MOVING THROUGH - a Month of Dance and Movement

In collaboration with Pieter Performance Space, Metro Art will present "Moving Through," a monthlong series of dance and movement for times of change featuring a diverse group of teaching artists. The series, filmed at Union Station, launches Thursday, April 1, at 7 p.m. on Metro's Facebook, Metro Art's Facebook, and Union Station's Facebook and YouTube channels and will continue April 8, 15 and 22.

Each program features a connection to transit, ranging from the practical (meditative movement to bring calm during a hurried commute) to the abstract (through Cunningham Technique, a systems-based dance form developed by distinguished choreographer Merce Cunningham) to the historical (House Dance's relationship to the subway system in Chicago and New York).

The culminating program-the premier of "Baggage," a theatrical dance work for film-was developed on-site in Union Station's historic Ticketing Hall by acclaimed dancer and choreographer Jay Carlon and musician Alex Wand.

The program:

April 1 - Movement of Stillness With Joy Alegria

Alegria, a curator and arts educator who integrates dance, yoga and somatics, will offer a sequence of breath, stretching and meditation practices to bring serenity and calm, even while in transit alongside new music by Alex Wand.

April 8 - Cunningham Technique With Chard Gonzalez

Gonzalez, a choreographer, performer and teacher, will be joined by dancers Tamsin Carlson, Julie Opiel and Heather Seybolt to introduce exercises from Cunningham Technique, a dance training method that explores how the spine and limbs can move both independently from one another and in concert.

April 15 - House Dance: Dance Happens Everywhere With Emiko Sugiyama

Sugiyama, a performer and producer who has worked with renowned street dance and hip-hop companies, will be joined by dancers Andrea Lomelin and Juliet Mendoza to demonstrate foundational steps of House Dance and will then show how to put them all together in a dynamic sequence.

April 22 - "Baggage," A New Dance Film Choreographed by Jay Carlon With Music by Alex Wand

"Baggage" celebrates origin stories and embodies the many histories of arrivals and departures at the station. A personal family narrative is unpacked through music, dance and memory inside Union Station's Ticketing Hall. Carlon, named as one of the 25 dancers to watch in 2020 by Dance Magazine, is collaborating with Grammy Award-winning musician and composer Alex Wand.

Metro Art Presents showcases an exciting year-round array of arts and cultural events at historic Union Station and beyond. From music and dance performances, film screenings and poetry readings to experimental and mixed-media presentations, the programs creatively activate downtown's primary transportation hub for all ages. For more information about how Metro enriches the transit experience through innovative, multifaceted arts and cultural programs, visit metro.net/art, Instagram and Facebook.

To post a comment, you must register and login.