Announcing: DTW Docents Program

DANCE THEATER WORKSHOP
launches First-of-its-kind

Dance Docents Program

with

THE 2009-2010 SEASON
September 8, 2009 - April 4, 2010

New York, NY, JULY 8 2009 – Dance Theater Workshop, the preeminent U.S. based center for contemporary dance and performance, announced today the launch of Dance Docents, a first-of-its-kind audience engagement program designed to increase the accessibility and “user-friendliness” of contemporary dance and performance.  Dance Docents, which will debut with Dance Theater Workshop’s 2009 – 2010 season, continues the organization’s  45 year long history of innovation and leadership in the field of dance.            

Have Something to Say? Join iDANZ Today!“We are very excited to introduce Dance Theater Workshop Dance Docents,” said Executive Director Andrea Sholler.  “Dance Theater Workshop has a storied history of creating new programs that have evolved into well established models to support performing artists in the field of dance.  Building upon our legacy of leadership, we are delighted to take a pioneering role in bringing a broader audience to contemporary dance by helping to make it more approachable.  We often hear that many would-be dance performance attendees are intimidated by dance because they believe that they are supposed to ‘get it’ or understand a specific theme or story. Just as art museums offer docents to help facilitate and interpret the experience for visitors, we are seeking to remove barriers to the enjoyment and appreciation of contemporary dance. All while remaining “user-friendly” and approachable, Dance Docents will be an interactive program that is not only informative but fun and lighthearted.”

Dance Docents is the newest addition to Dance Theater Workshop’s already extensive audience outreach and education programming. Pre-show Coffee and Conversation talks are held on every opening night, post-show talks take place every Friday, and a free wine reception follows every performance. In addition to these performance based programs, Dance Theater Workshop will initiate a work-in-progress educational experience. During each commissioned artist’s creative residency, Dance Theater Workshop patrons and participants in our new dance education series will be invited to view part of an artist’s rehearsal, and will be given the opportunity to ask questions about the process. The goal is to engage art appreciators on a deeper level and begin to broaden the audience for contemporary, particularly experimental, dance.

Dance Theater Workshop’s 2009-2010 season showcases dedication to artistic exploration, innovation, and quality programming through Dance Theater Workshop’s commissioning program, Season of Returns, Studio Series Creative Residency Program, Fresh Tracks Performance and Residency Program, Lobby TALKS, and Family Matters.  Strategic partnerships with DanceNOW [NYC], Barnard College, Urban Word NYC, 651 ARTS, FIAF’s Crossing the Line Festival, and Performa 09, and new partnerships with Baryshnikov Arts Center, Lower Manhattan Cultural Council and Anne Bogart’s SITI Company extend our ability to provide access to diverse and significant cultural programming. 


“Dance Theater Workshop continues to enact its promise to provide a holistic ecology for artists and audiences alike, and we invite you to enjoy and engage in a rich, provocative range of contemporary dance and performance, significant legacy works, and animated conversations in our 2009 – 2010 season. With our reduced prices and new fee-free ticketing, we are excited to offer even wider access to contemporary culture and global artistic practice,” said Carla Peterson, Artistic Director.

As the go-to destination for contemporary dance and performance, the upcoming season highlights the work of internationally acclaimed artists Bruno Beltrão, Nora Chipaumire, Lucy Guerin (Australia), Miguel Gutierrez, Raimund Hoghe (France/Germany), Koosil-Ja Hwang, Tere O’Connor, and Yasuko Yokoshi. Kimberly Bartosik, Faye Driscoll, Neal Medlyn, Hwang and Yokoshi make Dance Theater Workshop debuts and choreographers Ursula Eagly, Kennis Hawkins and Will Rawls (Dance Gang), Ori Flomin, and Mina Nishimura share programs.

Now in its third season, the critically acclaimed Season of Returns remounts Anna Halprin’s historically influential Parades and Changes and Urban Bush Women’s Jawole Willa Jo Zollar explores her early investigations into the sensual. Doug Elkins and David Parker and the Bang Group celebrate the holidays with their illustrious renditions of family favorites, The Sound of Music (FRÄULEIN MARIA) and The Nutcracker (Nut/Cracked). Nora Chipaumire and Pat Graney perform off-site.

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Posted by iDANZ NewsWire at Monday, July 13. 2009
Categories: iDANZ NewsWire
 
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