Danceworks 2008/In Motion April 17, 2008

CU Theatre & Dance presents DANCEWORKS 2008/IN MOTION, April 17-20, 2008 – a diverse, high-motion dance production featuring choreography by veteran dance-makers Nada Diachenko and Toby Hankin as well as the newest addition to the dance faculty, Erika Randall, who has worked for the Mark Morris Dance Group and Buglisi/Foreman in NYC.  The program will consist of both premieres and re-settings by this year’s exciting roster of guest artists.
 
Nancy Cranbourne, Artistic Director of Boulder’s own "40 Women Over 40," brings her unique approach to jazz dancing with a new piece, Lucky #13, in which the dancers "get down and funky" to the Latin-infused music of Christina Aguilera.  Known for her soft, smooth style, Cranbourne walks the line between sass and class, delivering one of her “bring the house down” crowd pleasers.
 
Gabriel (Gabe) Masson, whose work has been hailed as “breathtaking” by The New York Times, returns to CU for a second year as Guest Artist.  For these performances, Masson will be setting, Midnight, a work from 2005 which the Daily Iowan described as “a haunting glimpse of a community facing the loss of one of its own.”  Set to the elegiac 2nd Movement of Henryk Gorecki’s Symphony No. 2, the piece exemplifies Masson’s deeply human and evocative approach to dance making.
 
This year’s Roser Visiting Guest Artists, Art Bridgman and Myrna Packer, will be setting their highly physical and wildly popular Crowd on CU students. Originally commissioned by NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, this full-throttle piece for thirteen dancers focuses a tight lens on the energy and emotion of a crowded space.  Witness the magic of these compelling artists, whose collaborative career spans almost 30 years and whose work has been acclaimed by The New York Times as "ingenious....magical and fascinating."
 
In her dance for six (as yet untitled), choreographer Toby Hankin explores shifting relationships of bodies in space. At times athletic, at times serene, the piece affirms the expressive power of abstract movement.
 
Stillpoints, is a gently playful duet choreographed by Nada Diachenko and performed by Toby Hankin and Ms. Diachenko. Performed on four stools of varying heights, moments of physical and emotional stillness pepper the piece, contrasting and blending with the silky tones of Miles Davis.
 
Self Defense (x7), by Erika Randall, is a contemporary dance piece for seven dancers based on a solo constructed from research into metaphor and internal tension. The new group work is intricately detailed in its construction and technical in its execution, demanding a high level of nuance from the performers. The work shifts from a solo to a group form, rearticulating a clear structure that is charged with dynamic moments of "almost intersection.”
 
DANCEWORKS 2008/IN MOTION promises to be an exciting and engaging evening of dance.  From high stylin’ jazz to full-out, hit-you-in-the-gut physicality, there will definitely be something for everyone.  Please join us as we welcome a talented new faculty member and these artfully gifted guest artists to Boulder.  An evening you won’t want to miss!
 
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Charlotte York Irey Theatre
University of Colorado at Boulder
April 17-19, 2008 at 8p.m.
April 20, 2008 at 2 p.m.
Single tickets: $8 - 10
Box Office: 303.492.8181
On-Line Tix: www.cudance.org

Official Website: http://www.cudance.org