For Immediate Release
Media contacts:
Leslie Weddell
(719) 389-6038
Leslie.Weddell@ColoradoCollege.edu
Connie Dudgeon
(719) 389-6835
Constance.Dudgeon@ColoradoCollege.edu
FLAMENCO TO FILM, BALLET TO CONTACT IMPROVISATION:
THE COLORADO COLLEGE DANCE FESTIVAL OFFERS IT ALL
CC festival invites community to explore the many forms of dance
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – May 15, 2009 – From Brazilian capoeira to ballet, from flamenco to contact improvisation, Colorado College’s Extraordinary Dance Festival offers something for everyone.
This intensive three-week teaching and performing festival, which runs from June 29 through July 17, offers serious dancers intense, in-depth, full-time instruction, while giving dance dabblers of all levels of experience the opportunity to take a wide range of individual classes.
Our popular "Informance: Dance for Film" program continues this year, to be held in the South Theater at CC's Edith Kinney Gaylord Cornerstone Arts Center, 825 N. Cascade Ave., located on the Colorado College campus. Patrizia Herminjard, director of the Colorado College Dance Festival, hosts the event at 7 p.m., Wednesday, July 15 and films include “Lello”, “Mysteries of Nature”, “Arising” and “Of the Heart." For more information visit http://dancefilms.org/Tour-Colorado09.html
A traditional favorite of the festival is the annual gala performance, which highlights outstanding faculty and student performances. The diverse, international lineup of professional dancers celebrates an array of dance styles, energies and ideas. New to the gala this year is Martha Graham Company member Yuko Suzuki Giannakis, who will perform the 1930’s Graham work Lamentation. Eric Handman and his wife, Pamela Geber, will perform a dynamic Susan Marshall piece. Returning artists include Intuit, an alumni dance company from San Francisco and the National Chu-Bei Senior High School dancers from Taiwan. CC alumna Sara Joel, who is seven months pregnant, will perform a bubble chair solo. This is her second pregnant premier at the Faculty Gala.
Other highlights include a series of performance/lecture/critique sessions called “Informances,” offered at 7 p.m. Wednesdays during the festival; a young artists performance; and a series of dance workshops designed for community members seeking a taste of diverse dance styles. The Informances are preceded by workshops for dance lovers of all levels of experience and ages (including children) on Tuesday evenings.
Extraordinary Dance Festival schedule:
Informances/Workshops
Every Wednesday at 7 p.m. during the Dance Festival, a lecture/performance session aims to examine the roots and meaning behind diverse dance forms by contextualizing them in a demonstrative performance followed by a Q&A. The first two Informances will be preceded by a workshop on Tuesday evenings.
INFORMANCE 1
Flamenco Workshop
The workshop will concentrate on the rhythmic base of flamenco: the compas (rhythm) as expressed in palmas (clapping), and as applied to footwork, arms and hand movements. The workshops will introduce short choreographies based on the selected palo (theme) by the instructor, such as Bulerías, Tangos, or Seguiriyas. Open to dance lovers of all ages and abilities.
Tuesday, June 30th, 7:30-9 p.m.
Cossitt North Studio; $10
Informance: Grupo Flamenco María Vázquez
Enjoy a powerful evening of Spanish culture with authentic flamenco dance and live music by Sangria.
Wednesday, July 1, 7 p.m.
Edith Kinney Gaylord Cornerstone Arts Center South Theater; $5
INFORMANCE 3
Informance: Dance on Film Screening: An evening of short dance films
Wednesday, July 15, 7 p.m.
Edith Kinney Gaylord Cornerstone Arts Center South Theater. $5 at the door
Highlights of the 2009 Dance on Film Tour by the Dance Films Association will be showcased in this eclectic evening of international short dance films. View the complete movie schedule at: http://dancefilms.org/Tour-Colorado09.html
In addition, filmmaker and alumna Mimi Cave will discuss her film Lello.
Lello explores a conversation-in-movement between mother and daughter. It addresses a mother's inability to appropriately support her daughter's needs, and comments on a daughter's reactions to an inconsistent parent. (11 min.)
Annual Gala Performances
The diverse, international lineup of professional dancers celebrates an array of dance styles, energies and ideas. New to the gala this year is Martha Graham Company member Yuko Suzuki Giannakis, who will perform the 1930’s Graham work Lamentation. Eric Handman and his wife, Pamela Geber, will perform a dynamic Susan Marshall piece. Returning artists include Intuit, an alumni dance company from San Francisco and the National Chu-Bei Senior High School dancers from Taiwan. CC alumni Sara Joel who will perform a bubble chair solo while 7 months pregnant, her second pregnant premier at the Faculty Gala.
Saturday, July 11 and Sunday, July 12, 7:30 p.m.
Armstrong Theater; $20, $10 w/CCID; $5 students
Young Artists Concert
This energetic performance will feature original choreographic works created during the intensive and performed by our festival participants. Come and discover the next generation of innovative dance makers.
Thursday, July 16, 7 p.m.
Edith Kinney Gaylord Cornerstone Arts Center South Theater; $5
Did you know?
Colorado College Dance Festival dance technique classes are open to drop-in students. View our complete schedule of modern, ballet, flamenco, yoga, gyrokinesis® , and much more on our website at http://artsfestival.ColoradoCollege.edu/dancefestival. Pre-register and secure your spot by downloading the drop-in application on our site. Drop-in students pay a $10 registration fee and $20 per class ($10 for CC students, alumni or dance professionals). A five-day pass is available for a $10 registration fee and $90 for the pass, which includes one free Informance pass (which means 3 free Informances). Single and five-class passes may be purchased from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. beginning June 29 at the Dance Festival office in 104, Cossitt Hall, 906 N. Cascade Ave. More information is available at: http://www.coloradocollege.edu/SummerPrograms/SummerFestivaloftheArts/danceFestival/PDFs/Application08PT.pdf
All venues are on the Colorado College campus. The Extraordinary Dance Festival site is: http://www.coloradocollege.edu/SummerPrograms/SummerFestivaloftheArts/DanceFestival/
Tickets for all events are available at the door or in advance at the Colorado College Worner Campus Center Desk, 902 N. Cascade Ave, or online at www.TicketsWest.com
For information, directions or disability accommodation at the event, members of the public may call (719) 389-6607.
For help finding locations of these events see the campus map at www.ColoradoCollege.edu/welcome/campus_map
or call (719) 389-6607 for information, directions or disability accommodation.
About the Colorado College Summer Festival of the Arts
Colorado College’s Summer Festival of the Arts features four major festivals within it, as well as additional world-class film, theater, literary readings, comedy and art events throughout the summer. The Summer Music Festival, a teaching festival in which young musicians from around the world learn from professionals and perform with them, and professional musicians also offer concerts, runs June 8 to June 28. The Colorado College Dance Festival runs June 29 to July 17, with dance education opportunities open to the public, and gala performances on July 11 and 12. The Vocal Arts Symposium runs July 19-Aug. 9, with opera, jazz and musical theater performances. See http://artsfestival.coloradocollege.edu for details on all parts of the Summer Festival of the Arts. For details on the entire summer’s offerings, see www.ColoradoCollege.edu/News_Events
About Colorado College
Colorado College is a nationally prominent, four-year liberal arts college that was founded in Colorado Springs in 1874. The college operates on the innovative Block Plan, in which its 1,975 undergraduate students study one course at a time in intensive 3½-week blocks. The college also offers a master of arts in teaching degree. For more information, visit www.ColoradoCollege.edu <http://www.ColoradoCollege.edu>.