EXPLORING THE CONNECTION BETWEEN DANCE AND DANCER

MOVEIUS Contemporary Ballet’s fall performances will present works by artists who have distinguished themselves as performers and are now making their mark as choreographers. In keeping with the company’s mission to catalyze the creation and public presentation of innovative, accessible, and thoughtful contemporary ballet, the fall program presents thought-provoking ballets by four up-and-coming choreographers, including two new works commissioned for MOVEIUS.

The world premiere of Michael Smith’s Agora will anchor MOVEIUS’s fall program. Smith performed with The Joffrey Ballet for more than a decade before shifting his focus to choreography. Smith has already created works for a Joffrey gala and for the Atlanta Ballet. Now, local audiences have the opportunity to see a ballet Smith created for MOVEIUS.

MOVEIUS’s commission gave Smith the opportunity to explore new ideas through choreography. “When we work in a space that is nurturing, positive, and creative, beautiful things can flourish,” he said. Agora makes inventive use of curtains, lighting, and music to explore the nuances of public interactions. Two tension-packed minutes into the piece, the petite Catherine Roth drops to the floor in convulsions as she is torn across the boundary dividing performers from spectators. Within seconds, the tension breaks as Dustin Kimball arrives and the two dance a thoughtful duet that showcases the dancers’ strength and fluid shifts between classical and contemporary movement. Emphasizing the sharp contrasts within Agora, Smith describes the work as “anxiety-driven, but in the end hopeful.”

In addition to Smith’s work, MOVEIUS’s fall program features a second world premiere with Tyrone Walker’s Before I Go. Rounding out the program, the company will also perform Florian Rouiller’s Profondeur Inconnue and Katya Vasilaky’s spirited Parts of a Quartet.

Before presenting the full program to audiences in Rockville on October 31, MOVEIUS is hosting a family friendly pay-what-you-can preview at Dance Exchange this coming Saturday. The preview will take place in an informal studio setting and features conversations with choreographers and dancers as well as excerpts from the upcoming program. Plus, meet and mingle with the dancers and enjoy wine following the preview.

What: Meet MOVEIUS: Fall Performance Series Preview

When: Saturday October 18 at 7:30 p.m.

Where: Dance Exchange 7117 Maple Ave, Takoma Park, Maryland 20912

Purchase Tickets.