MOVING PASSAGES
Premiere Baltimore Dance Company Presents Works Inspired by Writing
How do we find words to describe something as fleeting and physical as dance? Do dancers think in words while they are dancing, or in some other language? How do writers create a sense movement with immobile words on a page? How does writing inspire dancers and choreographers, and how can they share that inspiration with their audience?
Baltimore’s Full Circle Dance Company, well-known for its thematic choreography projects, has spent 2012 exploring the connections between dance and literature, movement and writing. On October 4, 6 and 7 at Baltimore’s Theatre Project, the company will present Moving Passages the first of two full concerts inspired by this theme.
Drawing on sources as varied as twitter feeds, Shakespeare, autobiographical writings, Edgar Allan Poe, the Bible, and poet Jill Scott, each of six choreographers has tackled writing from a different angle. The resulting performances continue Full Circle’s tradition of creating a platform for diverse artistic visions unified by an overarching concept.
For the dancers, the Moving Passages creative process has been an intellectual and physical adventure. They’ve been asked by the choreographers to convey both beauty and decay as they unpack Shakespeare’s most famous sonnet, to embody the edgy rhythm of Jill Scott’s anthem to female pride, to be unhinged by crime like a Poe character, and to show with their bodies the contagious, isolating yet unifying nature of social media.
Full Circle has a longstanding commitment to broadening the audience for dance in Baltimore and for working directly with the community. As part of its exploration of writing and dance, the company is working with local children to expose them to both writing about dance and dance inspired by writing.
Asked why the company selected the theme of writing, Full Circle Director Donna L. Jacobs said: “Many of our dancers and choreographers are serious readers and writers themselves. We’ve found books to be among the richest sources of choreographic ideas. Many dances, after all, tell of personal journeys or stories. Others convey character or evoke a specific setting. And with the development of social media, both choreography and writing are undergoing a revolution before our eyes. We wanted to examine these issues in a fuller, more formal way. It is incredible how different each choreographer’s vision is. We cannot wait to share this exciting new work with Baltimore’s readers and dance lovers alike.”
For more information or to arrange interviews with the director and choreographers, please contact Liz Pelton, 410-467-0989, [email protected].
Performance Details
Morton Street Foundation, Inc. presents Full Circle Dance Company in Moving Passages: Dances Inspired by Writing
Thursday, October 4 (open dress rehearsal) $10; Saturday, October 6, 7:30pm and Sunday, October 7, 5:30 $20, $15 or students and Theatre Project subscribers. Visit theatreproject.org or call 410.752.8558. Special discounts apply when you purchase tickets for one of Full Circle's January performances.
