K Dance's 19th Annual YES! Dance Festival Comes to Firehouse Theatre

K Dance brings together seven contemporary modern dance companies presenting new works on the Firehouse Theatre stage. YES! Dance Festival has broadened its vision and expanded its programming to include THREE guest artists from Dance Magazine's "25 to Watch" annual recognition of ground-breaking performers and choreographers. 2017 marks the first time a European choreographer joins the roster of artists. Mario Bermudez Gil (Marcat Dance, co-founded with Catherine Coury), a native of Jaen, Spain, is a former Batsheva Dance Company member. His choreography has been presented in New York, Michigan, Wyoming, Spain, Denmark, Germany, Japan, Korea, and Israel. In 2017 Bermudez received 1st prize in Choreography from Certamen Coreografico Distrito de Tetuan Madrid and was name "Best Dancer" of the competition. Born in Manila, Philippines Ching Ching Wong (Northwest Dance Project) will be performing this fall throughout the US and Asia with award-winning violinist Joe Kye on his album tour, Migrants. Wong was awarded The Princess Grace Award in Dance -- the most prestigious recognition for dance performance in the US. Along with Charbel Rohayem, Wong has choreographed a new duet that will premiere in this concert. Paige Fraser (Visceral Dance Chicago) is a founding dance member of Visceral Dance Chicago, now in its fifth season, and was a former dancer in Ailey II, part of the renowned Alvin Ailey Dance Theatre. Paige is also a recipient of The Princess Grace Award in Dance.

The program's roster also features Sarah Morrison of MorrisonDance. MorrisonDance performs primarily in the Cleveland area at venues including Playhouse Square and Cleveland Public Theatre, and has been presented in New York City by DanceNow/NYC at the Joyce SoHo, City Center, and Joe's Pub at The Public Theater. Philadelphia's Chisena Danza returns to YES! for a third appearance. Chisena Danza was founded by Melissa Chisena, formerly of The Richmond Ballet. Her choreography has been featured at North Carolina Dance Theatre, Richmond Ballet, American Dance Festival, Regional Dance America, Philadelphia Dance Theatre, Grounds for Sculpture, and many others. Chisena is also the producer of The Philadelphia Youth Dance Fest, an annual youth dance festival. Joan Gavaler, a professor of dance at William & Mary University and co-founder/co-artistic director of Aura Curiatlas Physical Theatre, and colleague Lauren Morris will present Stack and Restack, which follows the breaking apart and re-gathering of a dual entity. Rounding out the diverse evening of contemporary dance, K Dance will premiere a trio piece titled Inside - Out, using white pipes as props.

"Richmond audiences have a chance to see a unique program filled with creative ideas and performed by accomplished dancers and actors. The innovative work of guest companies for YES! reflects the nature of contemporary work that is currently being produced globally," writes K Dance Artistic Director Kaye Weinstein Gary.

Reviews of previous YES! Dance Festivals have garnered accolades from the Richmond Times-Dispatch like, "leaves you with visual images you won't soon forget," "a very satisfying evening of fresh contemporary dance," and "a welcome contribution to the Richmond dance scene."

Performances are Friday, December 1 at 8PM and Saturday, December 2 at 3PM and 8PM at Firehouse Theatre, 1609 W. Broad Street, Richmond, VA. Free parking is available courtesy of Lowe's. Tickets are $25/$15 (students) and can be purchased by calling 804-355-2001 or by visiting yes-dance-17.brownpapertickets.com or firehousetheatre.org.

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