Internationally acclaimed Doug Varone and Dancers has chosen The University of Akron as the site for its 11th annual summer workshop June 6-26, and the public is invited to a series of free events.
Drawing professional and preprofessional dancers from around the world, the summer workshop marks the first time that Doug Varone and Dancers have returned to Akron since its world premiere of “Alchemy” at E.J. Thomas Performing Arts Hall in fall 2008. Based in New York City and the resident company of the Harkness Dance Center at the 92nd Street Y, Doug Varone and Dancers has received 11 Bessie Awards and performed in more than 100 cities in 45 states, as well as in Europe, Asia, Canada and South America.
Free and open to the public, all of these events begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Albrecht Studio of UA’s Center for Dance and Theatre in Guzzetta Hall, 139 E. Buchtel Ave., unless otherwise noted:
Monday, June 7, at 7:30 p.m.
Lecture Demonstration
An informal performance and discussion with Doug Varone and Dancers, the Lecture Demonstration looks at varied repertory spanning the company’s 24 years.
Wednesday, June 9, at 7:30 p.m.
Exploring Repertory I
The first in a series of three showings deconstructing Varone’s works and creative process, this event features a varied program from the company’s extensive repertoire. Each “Exploring Repertory” evening, complete with a comprehensive play-by-play from Doug Varone and examples of his creative devices, is a glimpse into the inner workings of dance invention.
Monday, June 14, at 7:30 p.m.
Exploring Repertory II
Please see description above.
Tuesday, June 15, at 7:30 p.m.
Showing: Peggy Baker
Peggy Baker, a student and protégé of choreographer and neuromuscular specialist Irene Dowd since 1985, is acclaimed as one of the most outstanding contemporary dancers of her generation. In a career spanning 35 years, she has performed with the Lar Lubovitch Company, Doug Varone, Tere O’Connor, Molissa Fenley and Mikhail Baryshnikov’s White Oak Dance Project, among others. Since 1990 she has performed primarily as a solo artist, collaborating with fellow artists from a wide range of disciplines.
Thursday, June 17, at 7:30 p.m.
Exploring Repertory III: “Boats Leaving”
Akron Art Museum, 1 South High St.
Doug Varone and Dancers premiered “Boats Leaving” in 2006 at the American Dance Festival. At the Akron Art Museum, the company will give a free, public presentation featuring a breakdown of this award-winning work set to music by Arvo Pärt and created around scores of photos from the New York Times. To further illustrate the process of creating movement based on imagery, Varone will create dance responses to art work from the museum's collection before closing with an audience question-and-answer session.
Wednesday, June 23, at 7:30 p.m.
Work-In-Progress Showing and Open Rehearsal: “Chapters from Broken Novels”
Get a sneak-peek into Varone’s new work, “Chapters from Broken Novels,” with an original score by David van Tieghem. Varone explains, “Lately, I’ve begun to realize that my home library is filled with what I sadly refer to as broken novels — books whose sentences I’ve passionately underlined and scratched through beyond recognition. These are fragments of thoughts that conjure an evocative sense of mystery in my imagination. I began collecting and organizing the most haunting of these into a notebook about 10 years ago and have been adding to it daily. Chapters from ‘Broken Novels’ will evolve with a film-like quality, composed of 34 short clips or ‘chapters.’ Over time, all of the stories will be linked together to pose questions about the complexity of our human experience.”
June 25 and 26 at 8:45 p.m.
Outdoor Performances
Firestone Park, 1480 Girard St.
The Heinz Poll Summer Dance Festival, sponsored by the City of Akron, presents Doug Varone and Dancers in free outdoor performances at Firestone Park. The company is performing “Lux,” “Castles,” and excerpts from “Chapter from Broken Novels” as the finale of its Akron residency.
Media contact: Cyndee Snider, 330-972-5196 or cyndee@uakron.edu.