Parsons Dance Returns To The Joyce With Exciting Program Of Company & World Premieres

Parsons Dance - under the Artistic Direction of David Parsons - is excited to come to the legendary Joyce Theater where it will perform a thrilling mixed bill program of world and company premieres from May 15-27. Tickets, ranging in price from $10-$66, can be purchased at www.Joyce.org, or by calling JoyceCharge at 212-242-0800. Please note: ticket prices are subject to change. The Joyce Theater is located at 175 Eighth Avenue at West 19th Street. For more information, please visit www.parsonsdance.org.

Returning to The Joyce Theater's intimate Chelsea home with its annual two-week engagement, Parsons Dance has long been celebrated for its virtuosic technique, powerful athleticism and sexy ensemble of dancers. Audiences will be able to see a mixed bill of works ranging from "classic Parsons" to a piece by esteemed guest choreographer Trey McIntyre.

The program will begin with a performance of Mr. Parson's Wolfgang, a humorous, virtuosic depiction of Mozart's Symphony No. 25 in G Minor. Unlike the majority of Mr. Parsons' creations, Wolfgang incorporates classical music and traditional ballet elements into the athletic contemporary movement that long-time fans of the company have come to know.

The program will feature the company premiere of Ma Maison by Trey McIntyre. Danced to the music of the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Ma Maison premiered in 2008, and this revival will mark the first time Mr. McIntyre has set the piece on a company other than his own. Also, with a New Orleans backdrop, is the revival of Mr. Parson 2014 creation Whirlaway. With upbeat tracks by jazz composer Allen Toussaint, Whirlaway features the rhythm and blues of his "Yes We Can Can," "Going Down," "Play Something Sweet," and, of course, "Whirlaway."

The evening will also feature the anticipated world premiere of Microburst. The latest work by Artistic Director David Parsons, Microburst has been created in collaboration with tabla player Avirodh Sharma, who will perform live, accompanying this new piece for four dancers.

The program also includes a second world premiere, co-created by David Parsons and Abby Silva Gavezzoli, who is leaving the company after 15 years of remarkable dancing. A solo performed to Claude Debussy's Clair de Lune, the work captures the ephemeral beauty of a long career in dance.

The evening will also feature a performance of the company's signature solo and long-standing audience favorite Caught, replete with its striking use of strobe lighting effects.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

David Parsons (Artistic Director/Co-Founder )has enjoyed a remarkable career as a director, choreographer, performer, master teacher and producer. Mr. Parsons was born in Chicago and raised in Kansas City. In the early years of his career he performed with The Paul Taylor Dance Company, New York City Ballet, Berlin Opera, and The White Oak Dance Project. Mr. Parsons has created more than 75 works for Parsons Dance. Commissions include American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet, and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater to name a few. His work has been performed by Paris Opera Ballet, National Ballet of Canada, Joffrey Ballet, and Ballet de Rio De Janeiro among many others. Parsons has worked on such diverse projects as Julie Taymor's film Fool's Fire, AIDA at Opera de Verona, Maria de Buenos Aires for Gotham Chamber Opera and Remember Me, a collaboration with East Village Opera Company. Mr. Parsons holds an honorary doctorate and was the first recipient of the Howard Gilman Fellowship to complete his MFA. The New York Times has called Mr. Parsons "one of the great movers of modern dance."

Trey McIntyre is a choreographer, filmmaker, writer, and photographer. Born in Wichita, Kansas, he spent 13 years as choreographic associate to Houston Ballet, a position that was created especially for him. He has also created works for American Ballet Theatre, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, New York City Ballet, Queensland Ballet, and Stuttgart Ballet to name a few. In 2005, he founded his own dance company, Trey McIntyre Project. He continues to choreograph worldwide and is working on two books of photography, a Patreon site (patreon.com/treymcintyre), and a documentary entitled Gravity Hero. McIntyre has received numerous awards and is a United States Artists Fellow.

Avirodh Sharma, one of the nation's leading tabla players, was born in Trinidad and trained in tabla playing by his parents Dr. Ravideen and Bharati Ramsamooj, founders of New York City's East Indian Music Academy. A multifaceted artist, Sharma is also a composer and producer of films, fashion shows, radio, documentaries, and television commercials. He has been featured on TV Asia, STARZ NETWORK, NPR Radio, and NY Daily News and has worked with such artists as Riverdance's Patrick Mangan, David Murry, Karsh Kale, and Sterling Campbell. Sharma's performances have captivated audiences in Italy, Switzerland, Nepal, India, Dominican Republic, Bahamas, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, and the United States.

ABOUT PARSONS DANCE

Parsons Dance is an internationally renowned contemporary dance company under the artistic direction of director/choreographer David Parsons. Parsons Dance is committed to building new audiences for contemporary dance by creating American works of extraordinary artistry that are both engaging and uplifting to audiences throughout the world. Parsons Dance tours nationally and internationally, including an annual season in its home community of New York City. Parsons Dance includes eight full-time dancers and maintains a repertory of more than 75 works choreographed by David Parsons. Since 1985, Parsons Dance has toured more than 447 cities, 35 countries, five continents and millions of audience members. Many more have seen Parsons Dance on PBS, Bravo, A&E Network and the Discovery Channel.

ABOUT The Joyce Theater

The Joyce Theater Foundation ("The Joyce," Executive Director, Linda Shelton), a nonprofit organization, has proudly served the dance community for over three decades. Under the direction of founders Cora Cahan and Eliot Feld, Ballet Tech Foundation acquired and The Joyce renovated the Elgin Theater in Chelsea. Opening as The Joyce Theater in 1982, it was named in honor of Joyce Mertz, beloved daughter of LuEsther T. Mertz. It was LuEsther's clear, undaunted vision and abundant generosity that made it imaginable and ultimately possible to build the theater. Ownership was secured by The Joyce in 2015. The theater is one of the only theaters built by dancers for dance and has provided an intimate and elegant home for over 400 U.S.-based and international companies. The Joyce has also presented dance at Lincoln Center since 2012, and launched Joyce Unleashed in 2014 to feature emerging and experimental artists. To further support the creation of new work, The Joyce maintains longstanding commissioning and residency programs. Local students and teachers (K-12th grade) benefit from its school program, and family and adult audiences get closer to dance with access to artists. The Joyce's annual season of about 48 weeks of dance now includes over 340 performances for audiences in excess of 150,00

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