Pro/Motion – week of February 12

Hello BDA Friends,

I hope you all are staying warm and possibly enjoying a snow day after a quite eventful weekend! This week is also jam packed with a plethora of events and ways to stay engaged in the community so keep scrolling and mark your calendars.

With Valentine’s day around the corner, I wanted to take a moment to send you love! This community is incredibly special to me and I appreciate how much I’ve received from it. Hope you feel extra loved and passionate about the amazing work that happens in the area every day!

Warmly from São Paulo, Brazil,

Carmen S. Rizzo
Membership & Operations Associate
BDA Member Events This Week
Eileen and Raul dance together outdoors, smiling.
FREE! – Dance Caliente Brings the World to Your Feet, a multi-costumed interactive show will be performed on Valentine’s day! Enjoy some treats at Billerica’s Senior Center while watching 6 dances, ranging from the Foxtrot to Argentine Tango. Mini-lessons are taught throughout the show. Thursday, February 14, 1:30-3:00 PM at 25 Concord Road, Billerica. Please RSVP by calling the Center so they know how many chairs to provide: 978-671-0916 ext. 2022
A Trike Called Funk logo, Boston Bhangra logo and photo of Yyoyo Escada in 3 separate circles
Hosted in partnership with The Dance ComplexA Trike Called Funk’s “Juxtaposed Flows” is a mini-series of events designed to bring together various dance communities to learn from one another in a fun & interactive format. Each event will feature a different combination of instructors specializing in local and international dance forms as well as DJs specializing in the corresponding music genres. This event will feature dance lessons in Bhangra, instructed by Kit Tempest of Boston Bhangra, and Waacking, instructed by Yyoyo EscadaFriday, February 16, 6:30-8:30 PM, at the Dance Complex. Registration: $5
Elder dancers in chairs raise one arm
FREE! – Adaptive Dance Teacher Training open to the Greater Boston dance community includes 1.5h. adaptive dance training, a 2h Spaulding/McLean Hospital Training and a 15-minute pizza break! Anyone who attends is also welcome to speak to Simon Montalvo about potential teaching opportunities through Urbanity’s Movement Meets program. Saturday, February 17, 3:00-6:45 PM at Urbanity Central, 725 Harrison Ave. Please email simon@urbanitydance.org if interested.
Other events in the community this week:

90’s Valentine’s Day Cabaret is an aerial cabaret featuring heels, pole dance, contortion, burlesque and more. Wednesday, February 14, 7:30 PM at Sonia, 10 Brookline St., Cambridge. Tickets: $35-$44 (21+ only)

There are 6 more chances to catch The 7 fingers, the Canadian troupe, in Duel Reality at the Emerson Cutler Majestic Theatre. Wednesday, February 14-Sunday, February 18. Tickets: $10-$92

The Cabot is proud to welcome Juanito Pascual back for their annual Flamenco Valentine’s celebration, now in its 7th year! This year Juanito and Friends present an all new show featuring a stellar lineup of both new and familiar faces, including dancer Neli Tirado. Wednesday, February 14, 8 PM at the Cabot, 286 Cabot St., Beverly. Tickets: $36.25-$70

FREE! – Join Liz Lerman, a choreographer, performer, writer, and educator, at ArtLab for a special work in progress showing as she embarks on a new Harvard University Committee on the Arts (HUCA) commission. The new performance, “My Body is a Library,” will be a dance-based public artwork that explores how we create categories, unpack nomenclature, and uphold oral histories and traditions. RSVP is requested. Thursday, February 15, 6 PM at the Harvard ArtLab, 140 N. Harvard St, Allston. Doors will open at 5:45 p.m.

In Zephyr — A Whirlwind of Circus the ever-inventive Cirque Mechanics offer the latest expression of their celebrated blend of ingenuity, theater, and circus arts. Thursday, February 15, 7:30 PM at UMass Amherst’s Frederick C. Tillis Performance Hall151 Presidents Drive, Amherst. Tickets: $10-$55.

Anti-Valentine’s Day Fight Cabaret is an aerial cabaret featuring pole dance, hoop, heels, partner acrobatics and more and each act is a fight of sorts. Thursday, February 15, 8:30 PM at Crystal Ballroom, 55 Davis Square, Somerville. Tickets: $37 (21+ only)

FREE! – Welcome the Year of the Dragon and celebrate the Lunar New Year! Learn about the origins of Chinese traditions such as dances, lanterns, lucky tangerines, and rattle drums through crafts and performance. Friday, February 16, 4 PM at First Church in Wenham1 Arbor St, Wenham.
Pao Arts Center celebrates the Lunar New Year hosting an afternoon of art, interactive workshops, and performances. All ages are invited to join cultural activities including puppet-making, Lion-Dance performance by Nüwa Athletic Club, cookie stamping, two dances by Tibetan Association of Boston and more! Sunday, February 18, 11 AM-3 PM at the Pao Arts Center, 99 Albany Street, Boston. Suggested Donation: $10.

Steel Pier, set in the depression era of 1933, follows the journey of Rita Racine as she competes alongside many other contestants in what should be her final Dance Marathon on the Atlantic City boardwalk at the world famous Steel Pier. Friday, February 16-Saturday, February 24 at the American Legion Nonantum Post 440, 295 California St, Newton.

Dance the night away celebrating belonging and joy with the Theater Offensive at their inaugural Queer Prom! The event features “Prom Court” honorees whose work inspires and uplifts Boston’s QTPOC youth, music, dancing, and performances from True Colors youth. Sunday, February 18, 6-9 PM, Afterparty 9-11 PM at Tenderoni’s Fenway, 1363 Boylston St., Boston. Tickets: $0-$100.

FREE! – Los Angeles-based activist dance theater company CONTRA-TIEMPO will host a community dance party and workshop (“Sabor Session”). Tuesday, February 20 at 6:30 PM. Then on Friday, February 23 at 6:30 PM, the company will perform an excerpt from their full-length work ¡azúcar!, which brings to life the vibrations of Cuban musician Celia Cruz. Both events will take place at the Common Room at Zion Lutheran Church on First Street in Pittsfield.

Abilities Dance Boston Call for instructors poster
Abilities Dance Boston seeks dance instructors to teach assigned classes consistent with the program curriculum. Requirements include:
● 5 years of dance experience (2 years of teaching ballet/modern/contemporary)
● Willingness to be able to learn adapted dance practices. Adapted dance experience a
plus but not required
● Flexibility, excellent communication skills, and good work ethic
● Must pass a CORI check
Teaching in various locations in Greater Boston area during timeframes listed below:
– Brighton, Wednesdays 3:00PM-4:00PM (Immediate start)
– Dorchester, Tuesday, 1:00PM-2:00PM (Immediate start)
– Brighton, Mondays 3:00PM-4:00PM (Immediate start)
– Roxbury, Thursdays, 3:00PM-4:00PM (Immediate start)
– Back Bay, Thursdays 10AM-11AM(Immediate start)
– South End, Tuesdays 10:00AM-11:00AM (From Feb 7th)
Compensation: $50/h. Plus PTO, IRA (retirement). If interested, send a cover letter and a resume to maja@abilitiesdanceboston.org
Développé call for ballet teacher poster
Développé seeks a ballet teacher who enjoys working with young dancers (age 8-11). Ability to teach modern/contemporary a plus! Pay commensurate with experience. For more information, email office@evolving-dance.com.
Photo of 3 musicians performing on percussion and string instruments

New England States Touring (NEST) Grant Applications are now open! NEST has three distinct grant opportunities and all three are accepting applications through March 1, 2024:

  • NEST 1: Funds the public presentation of a New England artist presented by a New England nonprofit organization.
  • NEST 2: Funds the public presentation of a New England artist presented by two New England nonprofit organizations. Tours must include one presenting organization based inside of the artist’s home state and one other organization from outside of the artist’s home state.
  • NEST 3: Funds tours of regional, national, or international artists presented by New England nonprofit organizations. Tours must include a minimum of three New England organizations in different communities presenting the same artist.

Proposed activities may begin three months after the March 1 application deadline (on or after June 1, 2024).

Three dancers in dresses move freely under an open blue sky

As part of the One Billion Rising 2024 call to action, Boston will be rising! On International Women’s Day, women, trans & non-binary folks are invited to join a DANCE FLASH MOB for REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE at a downtown Boston location (accessible by Red Line). All abilities welcome! No dance experience needed. MIDDAY Movement is partnering with union organizer Lisa Gallatin to bring you this epic event. ART IS ACTION! Friday, March 8, 5 PM. You may register as a dancer or as an ally!