Dance into SuMMeR If you want more dance, it’s a good time to find it. Here are some more movement events happening in the coming weeks.
Bromelia takes to the air Bromelia Aerial Dance Collective knows how to fly. Its members will hurdle through the Orange Peel’s atmosphere (while being careful not to hit to the giant fan) in late June and early July. Asheville band Hello Hugo will provide live accompaniment and perform a few tracks of its newest album. Bromelia’s new full-length show, Jump Sessions, will “explore the ways in which pop media and the daily news influence our tendencies toward resilience, catastrophe and each other.” Bromelia will get a bird’s-eye view of the Orange Peel on Sunday, June 30 and Monday, July 1, 7 p.m. $14; $12 in advance. batty4.wix.com/bromeliadance.
Set in Motion MOTION Dance+Theatre calls itself a “choreographic laboratory” and now it’s time to don your lab coat. The company’s goal is to take ballet into the 21st century through dance that captivates as it illuminates. “I want ballet to feel important; to feel current,” says artistic director Nick Kepley. “I want people to understand that it can convey complex ideas and emotions and that it’s not just tutus and tiaras.” MOTION Dance+Theatre will bring nine dancers to Asheville from Ballet Austin, Nashville Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet and several other national dance companies. Two of the dancers will serve as both performers and choreographers to create two world premiers while they soak in Asheville’s culture and spirit. The dancers will take to the Diana Wortham Theatre stage on Friday, July 12 and Saturday, July 13, 8 p.m. $30; $25 students and seniors. motiondt.com or dwtheatre.com.
Folkmoot is a folk must For anyone who speaks Old English, Folkmoot means “meeting of the people,” and that’s exactly what this WNC tradition has done for the past 30 years. But don’t think this longstanding festival is getting stale; an entirely new set of performers swirl and twirl each season. This year’s groups include stilt walkers from France, traditional dancers from Martinique, Thailand, Japan and Slovakia, plus some lively Scottish Highland step dancers. Other highlights of this two-week festival include a parade of nations through downtown Waynesville and a candlelight closing ceremony at Lake Junaluska. More than 200 groups from 100 different countries have converged on WNC over the years and this season’s anniversary festival is sure to leave you ready for an around-the-world staycation. Wednesday, July 17 through Sunday, July 28. See the website for schedule and cost: folkmootusa.org
Be your own dance company There are plenty of opportunities to spin your partner in Western North Carolina. From contra to shag, Bavarian folk dance to ballroom, our region offers dozens of classes, workshops and clubs each week. Check out the dance category of Xpress‘ calendar in print, or visit mountainx.com/events. —Jen Nathan Orris
has changed significantly over the past year, she’s continued to cull art from personal experiences. “Usually I have the concept for my piece by December or so. I knew I wanted to so something around the life cycle, but as far as what that was, it came way more slowly,” she says. Once the program’s various influences came into focus, the choreography quickly followed. Also part of the show is a world premiere of “Yin Yang” by Christopher Bandy, who’s been part of Terpsicorps since its start. For the last three years he’s served as ballet master. “He’s a wonderful choreographer, and I knew he would be because his dancing is so theatrical and creative,” says Maloy. Bandy is collaborating with Michael Bellar (a New York-based musician and founder, composer and keyboardist of The As-Is Ensemble) who has worked with Terpsicorps many times in the past. Moving forward, both Kacz and Maloy already have new ideas; both are inspired by the rebirths of their respective artforms. “You learn things about yourself that you don’t know,” says Maloy of tapping the personal for creative insight. “I’ve choreographed pieces before that I thought were about nothing, and then I sat book and looked at them and I could totally see things I was going through at the time, expressed in the choreography. “ With Reborn, she says it’s based on her own experiences, but by touching on the many phases of being human, “I don’t want it to feel like one person’s life cycle, I want it to represent the life cycle in general,” she says. And even though the birth in Reborn is that of a child, Maloy says that regeneration could symbolize any creative process. Kacz adds, “It’s not just the story of one person, it’s the story of all of us.” X Alli Marshall can be reached at amarshall@mountainx.com.
62 June 26 - July 2, 2013 • mountainx.com