Thank you for celebrating our 30th anniversary with us!
Three highlights from this major milestone event included:
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Honoring Debra Cash, the 2024 recipient of BDA’s Dr. Michael Shannon Dance Champion Award,
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Raising over $12,500 for BDA’s mission,
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Announcing BDA’s new partnership with the Omni that will showcase the talents of local artists while enhancing hotel guests’ experience through a series of dance performances in the lobby.
A special thanks to Jenny Oliver and Hannah Ranco for opening the event with amazing dance solos, to our generous sponsors at the Omni Boston Hotel at the Seaport that provided a beautiful space plus delectable food & drinks, and to everyone who joined us in person for this special occasion.
Dear BDA Community:
Hope you’re enjoying summer and all of the season’s dance events–many of which are highlighted in this week’s Pro-Motion newsletter.
The end of this week marks National Disability Independence Day. Consistent with the spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) law that it commemorates. Boston Dance Alliance (BDA) is proud to support access to dance through our Dance with Disabilities (DWD) initiative.
Over the last year, BDA has provided ASL interpretation at an array of dance events and supported dance projects for and by disabled members of our dance community–from individual classes and presentations to larger projects that help to amplify dancers with disabilities.
Here’s to more dance with more dancers of all abilities in our community!
All the best,
Aaron Myers, Executive Director
Ben's Trumpet
FREE! – Don’t miss City Ballet of Boston at the Boston Public Library for a Ben’s Trumpet outreach performance! Watch an excerpt of the Ben’s Trumpet ballet, listen to the classic children’s story, and take part in a creative movement class geared towards young movers, ages 3-8. Tuesday, July 30, 10:30 AM at the Jamaica Plain BPL Branch.
Northeast Arts Adult Summer Intensive
Specifically designed for the adult dancer, Northeast Arts Adult Summer Intensive offers the most comprehensive dance training in Boston. Their team of professional dancers and teachers will share the magic of dance and its countless benefits, including increased strength, balance and flexibility, stress relief, and artistic immersion. Additional options like a professional photoshoot and optional showcase performance make it possible to create your own bespoke course tailored to your needs. Experience the feeling of a day in company life, and take away special memories and keepsakes. Choose between one week, both weeks or drop in classes: Wednesday, July 24-Saturday, July 27 & Wednesday, July 31-Saturday, August 3.
Other events in the community this week:
This week at Jacob’s Pillow, MOMIX takes over the Ted Shawn Theatre, Wednesday-Sunday. The Henry J. Leir Stage hosts USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance for a special one-night-only performance on Wednesday, July 24. Sekou McMiller & Friends lead a community Afro Latin Jazz and Soul workshop on Wednesday, July 24 and take over the outdoor stage for another one-night-only performance on Thursday, July 25. Dancers of Damelahamid follows and takes the stage on Friday, July 26 and Saturday, July 27. You can also catch them via livestream on July 27, July 31 or August 1. Meet the 2023-24 Jacob’s Pillow Curriculum in Motion™ Institute artists for a series of free lively, interactive presentations on Saturday, July 27.
A.I.M by Kyle Abraham Movement Workshops emphasize four of the company’s core movement values: exploration, musicality, abandonment, and intuition. Participants experience a personalized postmodern movement vocabulary full of intricate gestures and signature A.I.M movement. Thursday, July 25, 11 AM- 12:15 PM at the Vineyard Arts Project, 215 Upper Main Street, Edgartown. Registration $15. A.I.M by Kyle Abraham will also present a mixed repertory including If I Were A Love Song, a series of poetic vignettes set to some of Nina Simone’s most intimate songs; and MotorRover, a new duet both abstract and tender, created by Kyle Abraham in conversation with Merce Cunningham’s 1972 ensemble work, Landrover. Friday, July 26, 7 PM, at the Martha’s Vineyard Performing Arts Center, 100 Edgartown Road, Oak Bluffs. Tickets: $18-$58.
FREE! – Join the second event in the Multicultural Arts Center Summer Series: Samba Night! Celebrate the beauty of Latin music to the sounds of Samba featuring the incredible melodies of Receita de Samba. Don’t forget your dancing shoes. Thursday, July 25, 6-8 PM at Centanni Park (outside the Multicultural Arts Center), 41 Second St. Cambridge, MA.
Origami Night is a new multi-disciplinary choreopoem utilizing spoken word, dance, and sensory design to trace a woman’s life from working class navy brat to radical feminist to mother, and explore aging, love, loneliness, and the queer act of self-examination. Performances begin Thursday, July 25, 7:30 PM and run through Sunday, August 4, 2:00 PM, at Boston Center for the Arts’ Plaza Blackbox Theatre, 539 Tremont St. , Boston. Tickets: Pay-what-you-can.
Liquid Spine is hosting 3 open dance classes this summer. Join for improvisational explorations, contemporary phrase work, and Liquid Spine undulation technique. Good vibes, low stress, and lots of space for freedom of movement and choice. All movers 18+ are welcome to attend. Pre-registration is required and will take you only 2 minutes to complete. Fridays, July 26, August 2, and August 9, 6:00-7:30 PM at the Enchanted Dance Academy, 25R East Street, Winchester. Registration: $10-$20 per class.
Annex Contemporary Dance Company, the Seacoast’s premiere dance troupe, presents An Evening of Dance. This exciting program will include a diverse collection of new and repertory works by Artistic Director Julie Hebb, York resident and former principal dancer with NYC’s Rebecca Kelly Ballet. Friday, July 26 and Saturday, July 27 at 7 PM at the STAR Theatre, 120 Rogers Road, Kittery, ME. Tickets: $25.
Cotuit Center for the Arts is ready to jam! Join the Fam Jam, a family-friendly dance party for parents and kids. Dance as DJs play Top 40 hits and classics from the 80’s -2000’s. There will be lights, prize giveaways, and interactive fun. There are 2 sessions. Saturday, July 27, 10:30 AM-12:00 PM & 1:00-2:30 PM at the Cotuit Center for the Arts, 4404 Falmouth Rd, Cotuit, MA. Tickets: $15-$45.
Catch Works-In-Progress featuring work by Ava Grebe, Juliet Paramore, Justine Schmaltz, Motlee Party, Hannah Craig, Ana Delgado and Company Redacted. Saturday, July 27, 7 PM, at SomArt at the Hive, 561 Windsor St., Somerville. Tickets are by donation. Suggested amount: $10.
Godfrey Muwulya has been teaching East African Dance and Drumming on Martha’s Vineyard for over twelve years, captivating the community with his dynamic teaching style and extensive knowledge of Ugandan dance and music. Dance at the Yard, Monday, July 29, Wednesday, July 31 and Friday, August 2, 11 AM at The Yard Studio, 1 The Yard, Chilmark. Registration: $28.
Feet Keep the Beat Festival starts with a FREE Traditional Irish Session at ROOTED Armory Café (donations welcome) this Monday, July 29, 7 PM. The festival continues Wednesday, July 31, 7-9 PM with a another FREE Flamenco Tablao jam at ROOTED Armory Café (donations welcome). Catch the World Premiere with various percussive dance performances Friday, August 2, 8 PM at the Arts at the Armory Performance Hall. Tickets: $35 (discount available for BDA Members). Wrap up the festival with FREE Community Workshops & Dance Off. Sunday, August 4, 3-6 PM at the Arts at the Armory Performance Hall.
Panel Discussion: The Future of Creative Spaces in Boston
Join a panel discussion presented by Artadia & BCA: The Future of Creative Spaces in Boston. Against the backdrop of a booming real estate market and a related precarity of viable workspaces for artists, Boston faces a challenge shared by similar urban hubs: How do we ensure artists remain in Boston? The discussion will run from approximately 6–7pm followed by a reception in the Mills Gallery. Wednesday, July 24, 6:00–7:30 PM at the BCA Cyclorama, 539 Tremont St., Boston.
Get your discounted tickets to Feet Keep the Beat
Boston Dance Alliance is a proud sponsor of Feet Keep the Beat. Get your tickets for the World Premiere happening Friday, August 2, 8 PM at the Arts at the Armory Performance Hall by Friday, July 26 and benefit from a BDA Member special discount. Log in to your member portal for more information or email info@bostondancealliance.org for more information.
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