Hello BDA Community,
A big thanks to everyone who participated in Boston Dance Alliance’s Open Call Auditions/Dancer Health Day this past Saturday, September 14, at The Foundry, in Cambridge.
This year’s event featured four leading dance instructors specializing in as many dance forms, 30 dancers, 18 observers, and 8 volunteers who provided 11 wellness exams.
We were overjoyed to see such a diverse and talented cross section of the dance community come together for a day full of dance & self-care as well as new connections & new opportunities.
For more chances to dance, please see all of the exciting listings in this week’s edition of BDA’s weekly newsletter and please click here to share your upcoming dance events with us.
Thank you,
Aaron Myers, Executive Director
We at Boston Dance Alliance are saddened to hear about the passing of Michaela Mabinty DePrince on September 10, 2024. The Sierra Leonean-American ballerina graced countless stages with her artistry and left the most beautiful memories for audiences across the world. As a part of the Dance Theatre of Harlem, the Dutch National Ballet and most recently, Boston Ballet, she was an incredible force and beacon of light, on and off stage. A well-accomplished ballet dancer, inspirational artist, and dear friend to many, DePrince will never be forgotten by those who had the honor and privilege of getting to know her. Our sincere condolences to family, friends, and the dance community in this time of grief and mourning.
The Boston Center for the Arts announces resident artists. Congratulations to Cassie Wang and Nailah Randall-Bellinger on receiving the Boston Dancemakers Residency. We extend our congratulations to the newest BCA Dance Lab Residents Darnell “Snoopy” Brown, Mira Göksel, and Alexander Davis. A special congratulations goes out to Olivia Moon, for being the only dance artist to be a part of the ACTivate cohort this season.
FREE! – Join José Mateo Ballet Theatre for trial classes for young dancers ages 3-10 at their open houses. Learn more about the school and how the Youth Dancers Program is the right choice for your young dancer. Saturday, September 21, 9:00 AM-1:45 PM, 14 Cushing Ave., Upham’s Corner, Dorchester.
Every year, OnStage celebrates National Dance Day with a class marathon taught by the Company’s dancers. The event aims to highlight the Company’s mission of providing a range of styles for all levels and opportunities for emerging choreographers and instructors. There will be seven classes running 35 minutes each featuring Contemporary with Mykayla Cohen, Pop with Allie Hahn, Classical Jazz with Annamae Aurilio, Tap Choreography with Austen Starr, Modern Jazz with Erica Thorp, Commercial with Nikki Sanborn, and Intro to Floorwork with Jessica Taddeo. Saturday, September 21, 4-8 PM, at Mass Motion Dance, 100 Holton St., Brighton. Registration: $25.
FREE! – The Somerville Arts Council and the Georgian Studies at Harvard University’s Davis Center join forces to catalyze a vibrant cross-cultural collaboration among four talented artists—two from Somerville and two from the country of Georgia. The genres this year are dance/choreography and percussion/drumming. Dancers/choreographers Claire Lane, Lasha Mdzinarashvili, and percussionists/drummers Georgi Oniani, and Marcus Santos will present the work they have been collaborating on over the summer at the Exchanging Notes Final Performance 2024. Saturday, September 21, 6:30 PM & 8:00 PM, at SomArts Space at the Hive, 561 Windsor Street, 4th floor, Somerville.
In a co-production with CANVAS, Michael Winward and Holly Stone will be spilling the tea yet again on capitalism, colonialism, and queerness in American Ballroom Dance. Come join us at @magmagloucester for an evening of art starting Saturday, September 21, 7:30 PM. Tickets available through MAGMA, sliding scale pricing, $20 suggested donation.
Performance Artist Sara Juli stars in Period.The End? – a live comedy variety show about menopause and perimenopause. Hosted by show creators, Erin “Peri” LaPlante and Stephanie “Full-Meno” Lazenby, the show burns the script on tired tropes about women’s aging. Through live comedy, storytelling and a panel of experts, Period.The End? invites the audience to reinvent how we approach menopause and this exciting stage of life. Saturday, September 21, 7-9 PM, at the Medallion Opera House, Gorham Town Hall, 20 Park Street Gorham, NH. Tickets: $20.
The Cotuit Dance Festival is a celebration of award-winning dancers and dance-makers, featuring 10 choreographers and 20 performing artists, many internationally renowned. Showcasing diverse dance styles including modern, ballet, tap, aerial, and site-specific performance, the festival will take place at “Tangletuit”, Cotuit Center for the Arts’ outdoor theater space which seats 250 people! This year’s featured artists are: The Bang Group, Decent Dance, Laila Franklin, Joe Gonzalez, KAIROS Dance Theater, Leah Misano, Olivia Moon, Shaina Schwartz, and Cassie Wang. Both days feature different artists. Sunday, September 22, 3 PM and Monday, September 23, 6 PM, at 4404 Falmouth Road, Cotuit. Tickets: $10-$50.
FREE! – Ancient Tunes and New Melodies: Sing for the World in Harmony is a performance of traditional Chinese Culture exquisitely prepared by the Student Art Troupe of Beijing Normal University, China. The evening will feature a variety of performances including traditional Chinese music, dance, Beijing Opera, Hanfu Show, and Chinese Kungfu. By embracing the cultural heritage of ancient China while absorbing contemporary expressions, the authentic performances offer a vivid interpretation of Chinese people’s vibrant spirits and timeless pursuits, celebrating the universal harmony in the world. Friday, September 20, 7:30-9:30 PM, at the Distler Performance Hall, Granoff Music Center, 20 Talbot Ave, Medford.
FREE! – Wendy Jehlen’s Anikaya, offers The Women Gather Workshop, a movement and sound-making practice open to anyone who self-identifies as a woman. This shared communal experience will culminate in a collective public ritual. Saturday, September 21, 2-5 PM at the Boston Center for the Arts/Calderwood Pavilion, 527 Tremont St., Boston.
FOR THIS EARTH, hosted by Liquid Spine, is an evening filled with creativity, sustainability, and meaning making. Immerse yourself into the world of eco-arts through visual art and screendance. Their Eco-Arts Gallery and Community Art Project begin at 6:00 PM. The International Screendance Festival begins at 7:15 PM. Saturday, September 21, 6-9 PM, at The Foundry, 101 Rogers St., Cambridge. Tickets: $20.
A cabaret-theater crossover production of Dracula will interpret this classic story through burlesque, pole dance, contortion and more! Presented by Helena Performance Group of Nista Heart Studio, audience participation will be included. This event is 18+. Saturday, September 21, 8-10 PM at the Great Hall on the second floor of Old Town Hall, 32 Derby Square, Salem. Tickets: $40-$46.
Global Arts Live presents Sidy Samb & Afroflamenco. Sidy Samb is an acclaimed Senegalese musician who has made his home in Spain. His unique Afroflamenco project explores the subtle connections and unique divergences between the iconic sounds of his two homelands. The result is a music-fueled cross-cultural encounter brimming over with passionate performances at the intersection of African and Iberian traditions. Tuesday, September 24, 8 PM, at the Crystal Ballroom at Somerville Theatre, 55 Davis Square, Somerville. Tickets: $25-$52.
Dance/USA launches their #Dance2Vote campaign as part of their mission to advocate for the dance ecosystem, encouraging everyone in the dance community who can vote to exercise their right to vote. Voting is one of the most impactful ways we can shape the future of our art form, our communities, and the society we envision. By casting your vote, you let politicians know that we are an engaged and passionate group with a clear stake in the future. It’s your chance to weigh in on issues that matter to all of us: equitable working environments, arts funding, a fair tax structure for arts organizations, and accessible arts education for everyone. Find more information and make a plan to vote: https://www.danceusa.org/dance2vote.
Dance/USA, the national service organization for dance, is conducting a survey of the national dance ecosystem. The survey is open to those living and/or working in the U.S. who participate in the dance field — dance artists, administrators, presenters, technical teams, educators, archivists, agents, and more. The purpose of the survey is to learn about the individuals and organizations who make up the U.S. dance community and understand how Dance/USA can serve and support them, which will inform Dance/USA’s Strategic Reframing Process. In order to include as many voices as possible, the 5-10 minute survey has the financial incentive of being entered to be one of the 5 randomly selected respondents to win a $100 gift card. Drawing will take place in December.
Calling all Dance and Circus Artists! Applications are currently being accepted for the Next Steps for Boston Dance grant program. Designed to support original, innovative, and risk-taking artistic ventures to nurture and grow the careers of choreographers, Next Steps for Boston Dance responds to the needs of dance artists and circus artists working in multiple genres to have the flexibility to push creative boundaries, work in dedicated spaces, and have mentorship and/or skill development opportunities. Six to seven grants will be awarded to artists with an emphasis on including a variety of genres. Selected Artists will be at different career stages: at the beginning of a professional career, mid-career, and well-established. Deadline: October 25, 2024.
Our partners at ArtsEmerson are offering BDA Members a special discount for tickets to “In the Same Tongue“. Get 2 tickets for the price of one for any performance in sections A,B, and C. Check your member portal for more information or email crizzo@bostondancealliance.org. Shows run Thursday, September 26-Sunday, September 29, at Emerson Paramount Center, Robert J. Orchard Stage, 559 Washington St, Boston. Tickets: $10-92.50.