Artifact in the Making

This summer, Tucson's Art.If.Act Dance Project is sending off a proverbial  message in a bottle with their latest show, The Great American Dance Tour.

A century of iconic American music and dance premiers in Tucson for  just two nights before crossing the Pacific to fill stages across China. With  28 dancers, 11 musicians, and over 200 costumes, it's bound to make a powerful impression.

The Art.If.Act Dance Project began as a Master's thesis that grew from the collaboration of fellow University of Arizona students, Claire Hancock and Ashley Bowman, with the idea that "art exists if we act to create it."

In September of 2009, Art.If.Act grew into a full company that creatively integrates music, dance and film into a varied slate of productions with a board of directors 12 strong.

In their second year, they have two full seasons already lined up, and their audiences-which draw in patrons of music, dance, and theater- continue to grow.

A year after its inception, the dance company drew the attention of Tucson businessman Larry Lang, who reached out to the group about creating a show to take to China. Lang has taken other Tucson performing arts groups to perform in the country, an effort that promotes healthy relationships between two very different cultures.

"Claire and I met with Larry and discussed the idea of taking a large group of dancers and musicians overseas to share the excitement of American dance styles and music," says Bowman.

Thus, The Great American Dance Tour was born.

The tour has deep roots in Tucson and in history. Created and performed by local artists, the retrospective traverses 100 years of American culture from the 1900s to present. The show has personal ties for co-creator Hancock as well: her family is steeped in the American cultural tradition, going back to her grandparents who were performers from the 1920s to 1950s. A professional dancer and vaudevillian, Hancock's grandmother Juel Bell Watkins and her twin sister June danced together as The
Watkins Twins on the stages of the United Servicemen's Organization for wounded soldiers in World War II. Hancock's grandfather, Martin Lowe, played the tenor saxophone in New York nightclubs and toured the country with big bands.

Of her work with Hancock on the Great American Dance Tour, Bowman says, "She and I worked together through research and our own professional experience to create each decade and the movement which reflects it. The music (created and arranged by music director Ben Nisbet) drives much of the inspiration as well."

The tour was created to entertain and educate across cultures, and this summer the collected stylings of Gene Kelley, John Travolta and Michael Jackson will be gracing stages across China.

See the show before it sets sail! Premier performances are Sunday, May 15 and Monday, May 16 at 7pm for $25 at the Stevie Eller Dance Theater, 1737 E. University Blvd.

For tickets call 344-8984 or visit ArtIfActDanceProject.com.