D.C.-area听dance听enthusiasts have the opportunity to witness some of the most exquisite听dance听works from across the country this spring at the听Mason听Dance听Company鈥檚 2022听Gala听Concert on March 25 and 26.
鈥淲e are thrilled to be back in-person for the annual Mason听Dance听Company听Gala听Concert this year. Our company is honored and excited to perform work听from some of the most important choreographers of our time听while showcasing the incredible talent of our young artists at the start of their professional careers,鈥 says听Director of the Mason School of听Dance听.
This eagerly anticipated program returns as a in-person performance this year, showcasing 性视界传媒 students in four thrilling and technically-demanding works choreographed by some of the biggest names in听dance:听Camille A. Brown听(City of Rain),听Alejandro Cerrudo听(Silent Ghost [excerpt]), as well as world premieres by听Christopher d'Amboise听补苍诲听Larry Keigwin.听
Held prior to the March 26听Dance听Gala听Concert performance,听the听Mason听Dance听F锚te听is an intimate benefit to showcase Mason听dancers and programs.听Guests of the听F锚te听are invited into studios to see sections of the works to be performed by students, who also present insights about the choreographer and the work itself. All net proceeds from the Mason听Dance听F锚te go toward the听.
Meet the Choreographers:
is a prolific Black female choreographer, who is reclaiming the cultural narratives of African American identity. Some of her most recent artistic endeavors include being co-director and choreographer for New York Metropolitan Opera鈥檚 production of听 and choreographer of听. She has also directed and choreographed the upcoming Broadway revival of听,听opening April 1. Her bold work taps into both ancestral stories and contemporary culture to capture a range of deeply personal experiences, empowering Black bodies to tell their story using their own language through movement and dialogue.听
City of Rain, a听dance听for 10 with music by Jonathan Melville Pratt, was created for her own company in 2010. The work was recreated for the in 2019, and that is the version which has been staged for the Mason听Dance听Company. City of Rain draws upon the emotional depth of losing a close friend and takes the audience through a journey of rich choreographic composition, complex rhythms, and movement signature.
Additionally, the Center for the Arts will welcome Camille A. Brown and听Dancers, as a Mason Artist-in-Residence, for a creative development residency with Mason鈥檚 School of听Dance听and the greater Northern Virginia community. This residency will听lead up to their Center for the Arts performance the following weekend, on April 2.
is an award-winning international choreographer whose body of work has been performed by more than 20 professional听dance听companies across the globe. Cerrudo was appointed the first ever Resident Choreographer for in 2020, following his decade-long role as resident choreographer for Hubbard Street听Dance听Chicago. With his work in high demand from the New York City Ballet, the Guggenheim, and Ballet Theater Basel, dancing his work is a tremendous opportunity for students to explore the 鈥渞ippling, serpentine flow鈥 (The New York Times) of Cerrudo鈥檚 choreographic vision. Originally created for Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, our听dancers will perform the signature haunting duet from听Silent Ghost, to the music of Nils Frams. This sensual duet takes the audience on an emotional, intimate journey through luscious and fluid partnering.
is currently a Heritage Professor in the School of听Dance听at 性视界传媒. Born into a family of听dancers, he became a principal听dancer in the New York City Ballet, and from 1990 to 1994, he was the artistic director, president, and CEO of the Pennsylvania Ballet.听He also has a passion for musical theater and performed in the Broadway production of听Song and听Dance, which earned him a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actor in a Musical.听d鈥橝mboise鈥檚 yet-to-be-titled world premiere is set to Ravel鈥檚 Piano Concerto in G major. He says, 鈥淭he 2nd movement is exciting with its sweeping lyrical exaltation that is suddenly undercut by intentional 鈥榳rong notes鈥 expressing a kind of 鈥榖roken beauty鈥 that is haunting and captivating.鈥 With that in mind, d鈥橝mboise juxtaposes traditional poetic phrasing with contemporary athleticism and angular lines. Nine听dancers move as a collective community, weathering sweeping emotional turmoil, joyful exuberance, and a shared sense of strength in unity.
is the final choreographer to be featured in this thrilling evening of听dance. His numerous career credits include curator, choreographer,听dancer, educator, and artistic director. Since founding in 2003, Keigwin created more than 23 works for the company, which have seen performances on stages including The Kennedy Center, The Joyce Theater, Works & Process at the Guggenheim, and the New York City Center. A native New Yorker, Keigwin鈥檚 choreography is characterized by 鈥渁 theatrical sensibility of wit, style, and heart鈥 and he has received global recognition for his commitment to education and preparation of young听dancers for substantial professional careers in contemporary听dance. The Mason听Dance听Company will premiere his new work titled听Parade,听set to an energetic new score by Curtis Macdonald.听Parade听is an action-packed听dance听featuring 20听dancers that delight the senses with bounding and groove through the space, moving in and out of complex patterns.