POE: Three new works based on three short stories by Edgar Allan Poe, presented by Art.if.Act. photo: Ed Flores.
Founded by two MFA graduates from the UA School of Dance, Claire Hancock and Ashley Bowman, Art.if.Act sprang onto the Tucson performance scene last year with five new compositions last October; the company also staged “dance in the RED,” a multimedia performance to benefit the Southern Arizona AIDS foundation, in March. With Poe, the exciting and energized dance company debuts three new pieces inspired by the works of American Romantic author Edgar Allan Poe. The company has chosen three of Poe’s short stories for interpretation and is sure to push the boundaries of the interpretive dance, and will use various media to do so. Each story will feature a live string quartet and a film component in addition to dance. The show includes Carla Ecker and Ben Nesbit, from Tucson Symphony Orchestra along with compositions by Dan Coleman and Vin Calianno. Performance take place at Stevie Eller Dance Theatre Sept. 24 and 26. See ArtifActDanceProject.com for more details. – Maggie Golston
Ballet Tucson celebrates their 25th Anniversary in 2010—2011 with four classic performances. The season opener shows include two premiers, The Gift and Jubilee along with Graduation Ball, a humorous ballet set in a finishing school. The ballets take place at the Opening Night Gala Oct. 29 and also on Oct. 30 & 31 at the Stevie Eller Dance Theatre, 1737 E. University Blvd. Next up is The Nutcracker in late December at the TCC Music Hall. The annual Dance and Dessert event will take place in March at the Stevie Eller Dance Theatre and finally, to wrap up the season, Ballet Tucson will present Swan Lake on April 23 and 24 at the UA’s Centennial Hall. More information is available at BalletTucson.org. – Herb Stratford/ShowUp.com
Next April, edgy local modern dance group New ARTiculations will debut FLOW, a project funded by a grant from the Kresge Foundation. According to the troupe’s website, the performance will “illuminate water issues and celebrate our connection to the Santa Cruz River.” FLOW will be created through a series of community workshops led by New ARTiculations in conjunction with their partners, Pima County Natural Resources, the Ironwood Tree Experience at Prescott College, the Sonoran Institute and the Arizona Land and Water Trust. The project will culminate in a performance in April, with dates and venue to be announced. More information, visit NEwARrticulations.org. – Maggie Golston
UAPresents excels at bringing world-class touring dance to the Old Pueblo and 2010-2011 is no exception. This season will see Savion Glover performing “SoLo in TIME” on Nov. 13, Paul Taylor Dance Company hits town in Nov. 20, Merce Cunningham Dance Company will perform as part of their “Legacy Tour” on March 12, the Trey Mcintyre Project will take the stage next on March 26 and finally, on April 16 the Martha Graham Dance Company returns to Tucson. In addition to these great performances, UA presents will assist the UA School of Dance’s “Carmina Burana” and “Premium Blend” (February) events at the Stevie Eller Dance Theatre to round out their dance events this season.
– Herb Stratford/ShowUp.com
Zuzi Dance Company is reviving its spring dance event Crossing Boundaries for two performances only, Oct.1-2. Audiences can once again experience interpretations of local border issues through movement (including aerial), live music and theater. On Oct. 29-30 is a choreographer’s showcase No Frills Cheap Thrills; a student review for family and friends happens Nov. 19-20. ZUZI’s most popular dance pieces from the past thirteen years, along with new ones, takes place nightly Dec. 17-21 in the 13th Annual Winter Solstice Performance: Best of ZUZI! Solstice Celebration. All shows take place at ZUZI’s Theater, 738 N. 5th Ave. Visit ZuziMoveIt.org or call 629-0237. – Dolly Spalding
