Art Bridgman and Myrna Packer, the critically acclaimed dance pair and the first joint recipients of a Guggenheim Fellowship (2008), bring their work to the Ordway stage on October 12 at 7:30 p.m. for a one-night-only engagement kicking off the 2010-2011 Target® World Music and Dance Series.
Collaborators since 1978, Bridgman and Packer explore the intersection between live and virtual performance that invokes discovery of identity, perception and gender through the sensory and athletic lens of dance. Repertory for the Ordway performance includes "Double Expose" and "Under the Skin," within which the duo expands the possibilities of dance by multiplying, transposing and manipulating the dancers' own life-size video images and integrating these into their live performance choreography. Bridgman/Packer Dance's distinctive use of technology, coupled with sensual partnering and humor give the work a physically and theatrically riveting edge.
"We're thrilled to welcome back not only Art to his home state, but both him and Myrna to the Ordway after their residency last February, which has resulted in the finished work of ‘Double Expose,'" says Patricia A. Mitchell, Ordway president and CEO. "The movement quality and intellectual brilliance Bridgman/Packer Dance brings to the stage are marvelously captivating and fulfilling; truly a stunning performance."
"Double Expose" (2010) is a fantastical, raucous, sensual exploration of the psyche, identity and relationship. With a nod to classical icons of cinema, choreographer/performers Art Bridgman and Myrna Packer, along with a multitude of their video counterparts, embody a range of archetypal personae. Blending live camera, hand-drawn animation, and prerecorded urban settings, Bridgman and Packer create multi-layered perspectives and surreal mindscapes amid a highly sensual alchemy of the live and the virtual. Original live music score is by composer Ken Field, video by Peter Bobrow and animation by Karen Aqua.
"Under the Skin" (2005) is a wildly imaginative piece using a highly visceral and visually arresting integration of live performance and video technology. The performers' bodies and costumes become projection screens, creating a morphing and redefining of identities, to reveal hidden psychological depths. The duet form explodes into a magically populated stage as Bridgman and Packer interchange with their ever-multiplying virtual selves. Video is by Peter Bobrow and Jim Monroe, and the original score of resounding horns and striking rhythms is created by composer/saxophonist Ken Field. As in "Double Expose," Field layers his live performance with recorded tracks of his music, mirroring the live and virtual compositional structure of the dance. "Under the Skin" is highly acclaimed as an innovative, groundbreaking work blending artistry and technology while, at the same time, proving to have universal appeal.
Bridgman/Packer Dance is a 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 recipient of National Endowment for the Arts Grants and a 2008 New England Foundation for the Arts Expeditions Touring Grant. Bridgman and Packer are also recipients of numerous NEA Choreography Fellowships, Choreography Fellowships from the New York Foundation for the Arts and a USArtists International Grant. Hailing from New York City, their work has been produced by The
92nd Street Y Harkness Dance Festival, Dance Theater Workshop,
City Center's Fall For Dance Festival, Lincoln Center and Central Park's Summerstage to name a few. Bridgman/Packer Dance has been a guest artist company at over 150 universities and has performed in dozens of festivals, art centers and universities.
For Bridgman/Packer Dance, the Ordway will be hosting an Ordway Extra program on October 12 at 6:30 p.m. and a post-show Talk Back in the Music Theater. The Ordway Extra will focus on the use of film within dance works, featuring Twin Cities' artists Vanessa Voskuil and
John Koch. They will share examples of their work and discuss their creative processes with these mediums. Voskuil and Koch will also touch on the rich history of film and dance in the Twin Cities and share current projects taking place locally in the genre. To learn more about these events, visit ordway.org/events.
Bridgman/Packer Dance will also be leading a Partnering Dance Class on Monday, October 11 from 6:30 - 8 p.m. in Ordway's U.S. Bank Room. To sign up for this event and learn more about the attendance recommendations contact
Amy Miller at 651.282.3017 and visit ordway.org/events.
The Ordway celebrates its 25th anniversary season as one of the nation's leading nonprofit performing arts centers and Saint Paul's most elegant and inviting performance space. The Ordway's Music Theater and McKnight stages attract diverse audiences with an array of productions showcasing the finest in American musical theater, world music, dance, and vocal performance. Education and community engagement are integral to the Ordway's mission, with major initiatives including the annual Flint Hills International Children's Festival and Ordway Education programs that serve over 50,000 students annually. The Ordway also sponsors the Saint Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists, a professionally guided academic and artistic environment that trains aspiring pre-professional performing artists. Together with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, Minnesota Opera and Schubert Club, the Ordway is a member of the Arts Partnership and serves as the principal venue for their performances.
Ordway Center for the Performing Arts is located at 345 Washington Street, Saint Paul, MN 55102
The performance will take place in Ordway's Music Theater.  Tickets are $21 - $36 including all fees.
For more information, visit
ordway.org.
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