Dark Circles Presents Three New Works

After three sold-out performances in Seoul, South Korea at the country's premiere performing arts venue last October, Dark Circles Contemporary Dance teams up with WaterTower Theatre-one of Texas' leading professional theatre companies-to bring three adventurous works-in-progress to the Addison Theatre Centre for one performance only on March 3, 2018.

Hailed as "Best Dance Company" by D Magazine (2015 & 2016) and Dallas Observer (2016), Dark Circles has continually crafted and curated inspiring, innovative, and accessible dance works. In just four seasons, the company has commissioned and produced over 20 world premieres by some of today's top choreographers.

On March 3, the company will present a workshop production of Founder and Artistic Director Joshua L. Peugh's new interpretation of pansori Sugungga (???), based on an ancient Korean folktale about The Dragon King, a turtle, and a rabbit. The work is a love letter to South Korea, a country Peugh spent six years in and considers his artistic home.

The program will also feature Can't Sleep but Lightly, a newly commissioned creation choreographed by NYC-based guest artist and winner of the Princess Grace Award for Choreography, Gabrielle Lamb. A brand-new score for the work has been commissioned from composer and SMU Meadows School of the Arts alumnus Brandon Carson.

The program concludes with Rattletrap, another new creation by Peugh influenced by the writings of Larry McMurtry. Carson has been commissioned to create the music, which features the sound of the electric guitar and is reminiscent of Stevie Ray Vaughn, Steve Reich, and ZZ Top.

DETOUR will take place March 3 at Addison Theatre Centre, Saturday at 8 p.m. Tickets are $15.

For tickets and more information, visit darkcirclescontemporarydance.com.

Dark Circles Contemporary Dance (DCCD) was founded in 2010 in Seoul, South Korea. The Company's newest branch-based in North Texas and lead by internationally award-winning choreographer and Dance Magazine "25 to Watch" breakout star of 2015, Joshua L. Peugh-has been hailed as "the area's most exciting dance company" (Star-Telegram) and as the "Best Dance Company" by D Magazine (2015 & 2016) and Dallas Observer (2016). The young company has been praised as "frequently stunning, and always fascinating" (DFW.com) and commended for innovative combinations of classical technique and modern movement styles. Since its inception, the company has performed nationally and internationally at Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival, Theater am Aegi (Germany), Seoul Arts Center (South Korea), and at the Ailey Citigroup Theater (New York), among others. Repertory includes works by Joshua L. Peugh, Gregory Dolbashian, Mike Esperanza, James Gregg, Gabrielle Lamb, Fabio Liberti and MADBOOTS. DCCD is dedicated to bringing the progressive work of international choreographers and dancers to a worldwide audience.

Joshua L. Peugh is the Founder and Artistic Director of Dark Circles Contemporary Dance. After graduating from Southern Methodist University, Joshua moved to South Korea to join Universal Ballet Company. Since then, he has created work for festivals in Asia, Europe, and North America winning awards for his choreography in Korea, Japan, Canada, and the USA. He is the recipient of the Grand Prize at the McCallum Theatre's 18th Annual Choreography Festival. He was chosen as one of Dance Magazine's 2015 "25 to Watch," and was named "an important discovery" by The New York Times. Joshua has been commissioned to create for BODYTRAFFIC, BalletX, Ballet Memphis, Eisenhower Dance, Tulsa Ballet, Whim W'Him, Company E, Dallas Theater Center, METdance, and Korea National Contemporary Dance Company, among others.

Gabrielle Lamb, New York City-based choreographer and winner of a Princess Grace Award for Choreography, has been described by DANCE Magazine "a dancer of stunning clarity who illuminates the smallest details-qualities she brings to the dances she makes, too." Ms. Lamb's dance works for stage and screen have been presented by Hubbard Street 2, the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, BalletX, Sacramento Ballet, Milwaukee Ballet, Ballet Austin, Ballet Memphis, Jacob's Pillow, Dance Theatre of Harlem, SUNY Purchase Conservatory, SALT Contemporary Dance (Utah), Dance on Camera at Lincoln Center, the American Dance Festival, and the ARTV and BRAVO networks of Canada. She has won choreographic competitions at Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Milwaukee Ballet, and Western Michigan University, as well as, in 2014, both the Banff Centre's Clifford E. Lee Award and a New York City Center Choreography Fellowship. In 2016, she launched her own NYC-based company, Pigeonwing Dance. A native of Savannah, GA, she trained at the Boston Ballet School and was a longtime soloist at Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montreal. In 2009, she was invited by Christopher Wheeldon to join his company Morphoses in New York City. Her repertoire as a performer has also included principal roles in works by George Balanchine, Jiri Kylian, Mats Ek, Ohad Naharin, Nacho Duato, Luca Veggetti, Shen Wei, and Pontus Lidberg.

DETOUR is WaterTower Theatre's renewed investment in the creation and development of new work. A 4-day Festival which will focus on public performances and readings of devised work and new plays created by local and national artists, DETOUR is sure to inspire audiences while fostering opportunities for innovative, daring, and relevant new work.

Founded in 1996, WaterTower Theatre (WTT) is one of Texas' leading professional theatre companies and one of the flagship arts institutions in North Texas, having played an important role as a leader in developing new talent and encouraging the growth of the DFW artistic community through its commitment to hiring local artists. Led by Artistic Director Joanie Schultz and Managing Director Nicholas Even, it is consistently recognized for its artistic excellence by the Dallas Theatre League, DFW Theatre Critics Forum, The Dallas Morning News, The Dallas Observer, D Magazine, and The Fort Worth Star-Telegram, among others. WaterTower Theatre has a subscription base of more than 2,000 subscribers and serves an audience of over 24,000 patrons annually.

WaterTower Theatre is 501(c)(3) non-profit organization as designate by the IRS. Like all arts organizations, WaterTower Theatre relies on both ticket income and donations from individuals, corporations, foundations, organization and government to produce world-class live professional theatre and offer community outreach and arts education programs. WaterTower Theatre gratefully acknowledges the support of The Town of Addison, TACA, Texas Commission on the Arts, The National Endowment for the Arts, and the Shubert Foundation. WaterTower Theatre is supported, in part, through the generosity of corporate, foundation and individual donors such as Atmos Energy, The Canterbury Family, Don and Barbara Daseke, Ben Fischer and Laree Hulshoff, FastSigns Carrollton, Paul and Norma Shultz, Frost Bank, Liberty Capital Bank, Mary Kay Inc., Janiece and Jimmy Niemann, The Nissan Foundation, Pinnacle, Slalom, Table 13, The Civic League, The President's Circle, the WaterTower Theatre Board of Directors, The Corporate Council, and Women of WaterTower Theatre.

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