Kerry Clawson | September 14, 2010
STAGE NOTES: Choreographer to hold open casting call
Those who want to be a part of local dance history are invited to help create an Akron-specific dance, Bolero: Akron, with New York choreographer Larry Keigwin, beginning with an open casting call at 5 p.m. Monday at the University of Akron's Guzzetta Hall, 139 E. Buchtel Ave.
No dance experience is required to be a part of creating this world premiere piece reflecting the personality and energy of the Akron community. It will be performed as part of the Keigwin + Company performance Oct. 2 at the University of Akron's E.J. Thomas Hall.
Keigwin is seeking 50 to 100 volunteers to take part, and promises to utilize any special talents auditioners may reveal. He visited earlier this summer to brainstorm with community arts and cultural leaders about themes to anchor his Akron piece.
After mulling things over, here's what Keigwin said in an e-mail: ''Community is always an overall theme of Bolero but with Akron I'll also look at themes of campus and career. Tire industry and reinvention.''
Auditioners are asked to dress in comfortable clothes for movement. Reservations are encouraged by calling 330-972-7948 or e-mailing boleroakron@gmail.com. Those who participate will be required to commit to 10 rehearsals Sept. 21-Oct. 2, including tech and dress rehearsals.
Cast members will each receive two free tickets to the Keigwin + Company performance Oct. 2. Plus, if past renditions of Bolero in other cities are any indication, they'll forge memories of a lifetime.
Keigwin has created city-specific dances to Ravel's famous composition in New York City; Purchase, N.Y.; Santa Barbara, Calif.; and Denver. His 2007 commission, Bolero: NYC was described by the New York Times as ''a joyful and breathtakingly clever celebration of the city and its people.''
He's considered a hot young newcomer on the New York dance scene, having founded his company in 2003. Known for his showbiz flair, Keigwin formerly danced on Club MTV and was an associate choreographer for the Radio City Rockettes and the Off-Broadway musical The Wild Party.
Also on the program Oct. 2 is Keigwin + Company's performances of Air and Wind, Love Songs and Triptych, all choreographed by Keigwin.
Keigwin + Company's Akron performance kicks off DanceCleveland's 2010-2011 season and is the third year the Cleveland dance presenter has collaborated with E.J. Thomas Hall and the University of Akron. Also on the DanceCleveland season are:
Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Nov. 6 at Playhouse Square's Ohio Theatre, co-presented by Tri-C Presents. Since its beginnings in 1977, Hubbard Street has attracted nationally known choreographers, including Lynne Taylor-Corbett, Margo Sappington, Daniel Ezralow, Nacho Duato, Jiri Kylian and Twyla Tharp.
FLY: Five First Ladies of Dance will perform Dec. 3-4 at Oberlin College, Hall Auditorium Theater. Co-presented with Oberlin College and Conservatory Theater and Dance Program, FLY features performances by influential contemporary dancer/choreographers Germaine Acogny, Carmen de Lavallade, Cleveland native Dianne McIntyre, Bebe Miller and Jawole Willa Jo Zollar. In Cleveland, each woman will perform a solo work.
Senegalese and French, Acogny is considered the mother of contemporary African dance. Zollar, who studied in New York with McIntyre, founded Urban Bush Women in 1984. De Lavallade danced with the Metropolitan Opera, American Ballet Theater and New York City Opera before founding PARADIGM with Gus Solomons Jr. McIntyre's accolades include a 2007 Guggenheim Fellowship for Choreography. Miller, who has been making dances for more than 25 years, formed the Bebe Miller Company in 1985.
Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, Jan. 29, 2011, at the Ohio Theatre, co-presented with Tri-C Presents. The men-in-drag ''Trocks,'' who have become an international dance phenomenon since the 1970s, blend a full range of ballet and modern dance styles with a comic approach.
RIOULT, April 2, at the Ohio Theatre. Founded in 1994, the modern dance company creates and presents the works of Pascal Rioult. Born in France, Rioult is a former principal dancer with the Martha Graham Dance Company. The Cleveland performance will include Rioult's bold interpretation of Ravel's Bolero and Wien, set to Ravel's La Valse.
Parsons Dance with The East Village Opera Company, June 11 at the Ohio Theatre, co-presented by Opera Cleveland. Remember Me is a mix of contemporary American dance, opera and rock music that combines the athleticism of Parsons Dance with live vocal performance by EVOC in a modern retelling of a classic story of tragic love.
For single tickets or season subscriptions, see http://www.dancecleveland.org or call 216-991-9000.
