The Shift to feature a Multiple Dance Company Ccollaboration

Posted on by Thor

Emotions Dance  founded by Larissa Humiston is teaming up with Orlando’s best in modern, improv, and contemporary dance to engage and enlighten audiences with new, experimental, and in-progress works all under one roof.

After the performance, there will be a Question and Answer session with the Artistic Directors to allow audiences to provide feedback as well as gain insight into the creative process.

A one-of-a-kind annual event hosted by Emotions Dance Company, The Shift: Calm and Chaos focuses primarily on shifting our perception of movement, dance, and art while allowing companies to grow and change as artists.

Companies participating this year include: Voci Dance, Yow Dance, Dawn Branch Works, Canvas Creative Coalition, Red Right Return Dance Company, Mary Love Dance Projects, Coby Dance Project and more!

Mark Your Calendar! The Shift: Calm and Chaos  will be performed on

Friday September 19 and Saturday Sept 20, 2014

8pm

at the Lowndes Shakespeare Center’s Mandell Theatre

(812 E Rollins St. Orlando FL). Presale tickets are available Aug 12 until September 12
GA- $18
Students/Seniors (65+)- $14
At the door- GA- $20
Students/ Seniors (65+)- $15
Discounted tickets available for parties of 10+.

Also on the horizon is  7 Deadly Sins happening October 17-25th at The Venue (511 Virginia Dr, Orlando, Fl). 7 Deadly Sins is an original work that combines
contemporary dance, visual art, performance art, poetry, music and
culinary art to examine topics of temptation and sin. Lust, pride,
gluttony, sloth, wrath, envy and greed come together to entice audience
members through an interactive art gallery setting. 

Featuring performances
by Emotions Dance Company, visual art by award winning body painter and
Skin Wars Season 1 contestant, Shannon Holt, visual art by award
winning body painter, Brit Lytle, artwork by Patrick Fatica, Amanda
Wegman, Scott Hodges, Thomas Thorspecken and others, spoken word
performances by E.J. Younes, J. Bradley, and Ashley Inguanta, aeral
performances by American Circus Academy, and a variety of refreshments
from local food vendors to satisfy your inner glutton.

Friday October 17
Saturday October 18
Friday October 24
Saturday October 25

7-10pm

The Venue (511 Virginia Drive. Orlando FL)

Presale tickets- $20 (available Sept 19-Oct 12)
At The Door- $25

This program contains some mature themes and may not be appropriate for children under 13.

Mary Love Projects

Posted on by Thor

On August 18th, I went to the Center for Contemporary Dance off Aloma Avenue in Winter Park to sketch a Mary Love Dance Projects rehearsal leading up to “The Shift, Unity in Motion”. For that particular show, she is doing some solo works, so there were only one or two dancers at rehearsals. This dance company has six company dancers and two apprentices.

 Mary Love Dance Projects will be doing three dances in The Shift, all are solos and distinctly
different in their tone and emotion. Mary Love choreographed two dances, but at this rehearsal she was learning “Young and Beautiful” choreographed by Jennia Shanley.  Jennia greeted me at the front desk when I arrived at the dance studio.

The two dancers warmed up and stretched for a bit and then Jennia set up her laptop on a chair in the corner of the dance studio. She played a video of the “Young and Beautiful” dance routine which was about  three minutes in length. The goal for this rehearsal was for Mary to learn the entire minute routine. Jennia had improvised sections of the routine so she had to refresh her memory using the video periodically.

The music for this piece was by Lana Del Ray. Mary Love began in the chair admiring herself with a hand mirror and then the dance spiraled outwards like a nautilus shell. Every moment seemed physically demanding yet graceful. When Jennia stopped to go over a new section, Mary had a moment to regroup and catch her breath. I was astonished at how fast Mary retained the physical memory of each and every movement. Lana sang “Will you still love me when I’m not young and beautiful” with her sultry voice as Mary moved her arms in graceful arcs. Though just a rehearsal, moments gave me chills.

By the end of the rehearsal, Mary was spent, lying on her back to catch her breath.  She had learned the entire routine and will continue to rehearse this piece at least once a week if not more until the
show. Mark Your Calendar!  “The Shift, Unity in Motion” will feature six local dance companies on September 13th and 14th in the Goldman Theater in the Lowndes Shakespeare Center (812 E. Rollins Street, Orlando FL) at 8pm. Tickets at the door are $20, and $14 for students and seniors.