Shared Evening of Dance Works January 7, 2011

Gotham Arts Exchange presents a shared evening of dance works by The DASH Ensemble, Helios Dance Theater, Camille A. Brown & Dancers, and CorbinDances on Friday, January 7 and Saturday, January 8 at 7:30pm at Dance Theater Workshop, 219 West 19th Street, NYC. Tickets are $15 and are available at www.dtw.org or by phone at (212) 924-0077.

The DASH Ensemble will present excerpts from two pieces. The duet "Sundowning" (2009) takes audiences through a daring display of deep connections between its characters and the connections they make within themselves through both real and imaginative circumstances. The term “sundowning” refers to a state of confusion at the end of the day and into the night, often leading to a state of increased agitation, activity and even borderline demented behavior. "Just Go on with Your Life…" is a piece for five dancers created through a series of in-depth interviews of graphic and visual artists about their artistic processes. Mixed with short but memorable musical interludes, the piece reminds audiences what it is like to create, get inspired, and grow from it.

Helios Dance Theater will present excerpts from "Beautiful Monsters" (2010). Choreographed by Helios founder and artistic director Laura Gorenstein Miller, the work explores the boundaries between the physical body and the imagination in a romance that defies human limitations and examines the deep desires of childhood, romance and magic through movement, music and imagery. "Beautiful Monsters’" haunting dance dreamscape reveals the furious abandon of a body transformed by magic, bringing the vampire myth to spectacular display live onstage. Principal dancer for the piece is Melissa Sandvig, who gained national dance acclaim in 2009 as the first ballerina to compete on Fox’s hit television show “So You Think You Can Dance.” "Beautiful Monsters" features a hand-drawn animated film from animator/director Chris Miller (Shrek the Third) and an original score by composer Paul Canteleon (The Diving Bell and The Butterfly), with vocals from Angela McCluskey (Wild Colonials, Telepopmusik), and David Majzlin. Costume Design is by red-carpet fashion designer Rami Kashou and Scenic Design is by internationally celebrated Los Angeles painter Sharon Ellis.

Camille A. Brown will present excerpts from four dances. "City of Rain" (2010) features music by Jonathan Melville Pratt. "The Evolution of a Secured Feminine", performed by Ms. Brown, is set to music by Nancy Wilson. Ms. Brown also performs "Been There, Done That" (2010), a duet with Juel D. Lane (formerly of Ronald K. Brown/Evidence). "The Groove to Nobody’s Business" (2007) imagines the meeting of strangers on a subway, revealing glimpses of humanity in pedestrian movements and ordinary interactions.

CorbinDances will present an excerpt from "Shady", a celebration of humanity and sexuality that will receive its World Premiere at The Joyce Theater in June 2011. The work is an evening length suite of dances in three acts exploring the impact and affect of the seven states of consciousness: waking, dreaming, dreamless sleep, transcendental consciousness, cosmic consciousness, glorified state of cosmic consciousness, unified state of cosmic consciousness. The dances are made from multi-layered systems of improvisation, based on a single phrase of movement. The music selections vary from Mahler to Yaz to Brooklyn Indie rock band, Grizzly Bear. Beats, rhythm sections and live percussion weave the eclectic mix. Dancers: Meggie Sweeney, Gregory Dolbashian, Sharon Milanese, Morgan Fogerty, Traci Klein, Orlando Martinez, Christopher Ralph, Ashleigh Gertler.

This shared programming at Dance Theater Workshop is presented by Gotham Arts Exchange, and has been generously supported by the National Endowment for the Arts and the New York State Council on the Arts.