Dear BDA Community,
I hope you had a restful weekend and energizing start of your week. Whether you saw the Kendrick Lamar halftime show live or after the fact online, you probably know that the performance was filled with symbolism and insights on American history. Making nods to the history of entertainment in the USA and all the political background, it was an intricate and well structured celebration of Black History Month and criticism to cycles of repression. It served as a reminder of how change can happen through revolutionary art – specifically dance – and how important it is to be aware of your history.
Also in the context of Black History Month and American Dance History, we at BDA are proud to announce that we are ambassadors for Alvin Ailey in Boston. The company returns to Boston’s Wang Theatre in April and we are excited to offer our members and pro/motion subscribers a discount!
At BDA, we continue to support dancers, dance makers and dance lovers in reaching their goals with as much information as we can provide. We list weekly events and opportunities to get involved in the dance community and are an active part of conversations on redirecting major aspects of our dance community. We want to keep you moving! We want to keep evolving!
Read on for what’s happening this week and let us know if there are other ways we can continue to support you!
Thank you for keeping the dance community vibrant,
Carmen S. Rizzo, Membership & Operations Associate
BDA Member Events This Week
SOLD OUT! – Dance Date is a dance-for-all workshop that invites paired participants ages 8+ to explore communication, trust, and creativity with a loved one through contemporary dance and creative movement. Class requires no prior experience with dance: theater-based eye contact/focus exercises, ”trust fall” exercises, and elements of dance theory are employed to build trust and connection, while inevitably fostering a few giggles. Come with your child, your grandma, your best friend, or your partner and enjoy a Valentine’s Day date that celebrates love and connection in all its forms. Friday, February 14, 6:30-8:30 PM, at The Dance Complex, 536 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge. Tickets: $10-$20.
Join Carrie Walsh in a special Swan Lake themed master class with accompanist Simone Mead. Carrie worked with both the Royal Ballet of London, the Birmingham Royal Ballet, Ballett Dortmund and the Royal Danish Ballet to name a few of the companies she danced with. She is now an Emergency Medicine Resident at Harvard’s Massachusetts General Hospital and the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. Saturday, February 15, 10:30 AM at Northeast Arts, 85 Seaverns ave., Jamaica Plain. Registration: $18.
FREE! – Join the Office for the Arts at Harvard for a celebratory OFA 50th Birthday Party, with student performances in music and dance, storytelling and poetry, plus a ceramics pop-up exhibition and so much more. Stay after the show for a reception in Annenberg Hall with drinks, dessert (cake!) and festivities. Come raise a glass to the enduring power of artmaking at Harvard and beyond! Thursday, February 13, 8 PM in Sanders Theatre, 45 Quincy St., Cambridge.
FREE! – Join Dr. Ilya Vidrin at the Valentine’s Day Mixer + Jam with Somatic Partnering. Bring a friend, a date, or come alone and meet others while honing your partnering skills both on and off the dance floor. All dance styles welcome. All levels and all abilities – no previous dance experience necessary. Friday, February 14, 5:30-7:00 PM at the Harvard Dance Center, 66 Garden St., Cambridge.
FREE! – Jacob’s Pillow will host a dance and movement workshop led by artists Michael Richter and Liv Schaffer about community and aging in collaboration with Zion Lutheran Church as part of the 10×10 Upstreet Arts Festival. Open to participants of all abilities, with a special invitation to our senior community, this workshop creates space for connection and expression through movement. Saturday, February 15, 11 AM, at the Common Room, Zion Lutheran Church, 74 First Street, Pittsfield. Questions about accessibility accommodations? Please contact community@jacobspillow.org.
FREE! – MEET is an improvisational series where artists of different performing art disciplines can meet each other through practice. The night of names will be drawn from 3 “hats” each focusing on different “spaces”: the sonic space, the visual space, and the embodiment space. There is some room to cross over spaces (for those pan-disciplinary artists out there), but each participating artist will be asked to pick the primary space they want to focus on and drop their name in. All participants must show up at 6 PM. There will be no time between sets to set up your stuff. Have it prepared ahead of time. Saturday, February 15, 7-10 PM, at SomArt @ the Hive, 561 Windsor Pl, Somerville.
FREE! – Join Jassi Murad in “Cumulus“, an embodied workshop on the intersection of language and gesture. Sunday, February 16, 4-6 PM at the Foundry, 101 Rogers St., Cambridge.
The Dance with BooksⓇ program is for students in Grades K thru 2nd Grade. Lessons include: moving and expressing creatively, learning styles of dance like Jazz Dance, Ballet, West African Dance, and Creative Dance and learning more about dance by listening, discussing, and moving to books about dance. To register email dancewithbooksboston@gmail.com. Tuesday, February 18-Thursday, February 20, 3:30-4:30 PM, A Dance Studio, 111 Concord St., Boston (use rear entrance). Registration: $15/class.
Audition for Complexions Summer Intensive with Joe Gonzalez. Saturday, February 15, 3:00-4:30 PM (ages 13-26) at Jo-Me Dance Arts, 85 Seaverns Ave., Jamaica Plain. Register online. If you have any questions, please email: info@complexionsacademy.com.
Bearnstow’s Young Artist Residency, running mid-June to late August, is an intensive summer program for dedicated dancers with a passion for creative exploration. Residents receive full access to workshops, mentorship from professional artists, and hands-on natural history instruction. Opportunities include performing in weekly showings, leading creative sessions for a youth camp, and collaborating with fellow artists on original work. Residents also have access to 65 acres of natural land for inspiration and creative development. The program culminates in a final performance, documenting the work created. Participants receive room, board, a $100 weekly stipend, and a chance to work as interns assisting with kitchen, cabin upkeep, and facility maintenance. The residency fosters artistic growth through teamwork, collaboration, and a shared experience of living and creating together. Deadline: February 28.
Apply to the upcoming Cosmos Space Salon fundraiser. This artist and creator centered salon will be an informal, casual space for you to present your work, spark discussion, and seek feedback on any in-progress projects. Apply now and support the development of the new work, Finding Space. Deadline: Thursday, February 13. Event date: Saturday, March 1, 6-9 PM at the SomArt Space @ the Hive.
A treasured annual event, Celebrity Series brings Alvin Ailey back to Boston for a series of unforgettable performances. We are excited to offer our members and Pro/Motion subscribers $49 tickets in all seating sections! Enter our promo code: CR4JOY at the TicketMaster seat map to unlock your deal! If you are a card to culture holder you can purchase up to four $20 tickets! Students of any age can also unlock $20 tickets with the code ADVSTU. With the $35 Under 35 program, get up to two $35 tickets for people ages 35 and under. Email crizzo@bostondancealliance.org if you have any questions on how to redeem your discount!