FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
2019-2020 Pittsburgh Dance Council Images
THE PITTSBURGH CULTURAL TRUST ANNOUNCES
THE 2019-2020 PITTSBURGH DANCE COUNCIL SERIES-
CELEBRATING ITS 50TH ANNIVERSARY SEASON-
CONTINUES THIS FALL SHOWCASING
CONTEMPORY DANCE PERFORMERS FROM AROUND THE WORLD
SEPTEMBER 2019 THROUGH MAY 2020
Pittsburgh, PA-The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust announces the 2019-2020 Pittsburgh Dance Council Series, celebrating its 50th season as a presenter of contemporary dance programming in the Cultural District, continues this fall by showcasing an array of performing artists from around the world this September 2019 through May 2020. The Pittsburgh Dance Council is a programming division (and a dance series) since 2002 of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust.
The Pittsburgh Dance Council’s current season opened in June of 2019 with the exclusive city of Pittsburgh and U.S. premiere of outdoor dance spectacle, Origami, by Companie Furinkaï from France; also presented as part of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust’s 60th anniversary of the 2019 Dollar Bank Three Rivers Arts Festival. This season’s dance offerings provide artists and audiences with an opportunity to experience dance in various Cultural District stage settings, including the Benedum Center, Byham Theater, Greer Cabaret Theater, and August Wilson African American Cultural Center, as well as in the downtown neighborhood at Trinity Cathedral.
“My goal for this milestone anniversary is to create a dance season that honors tradition while bringing the future into focus. Presenting dance artists and their works for our patrons to experience in traditional, as well as creatively fresh and unexpected performance settings, are some of the many highlights we are excited about for this 50th anniversary season,” comments Randal Miller, Director of Dance Programming and Special Projects for the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust. “We are delighted to bring an outstanding roster of world-renowned dancers who have performed here in past seasons and others who will have an opportunity to share their artistry for the first time with our diverse patrons of all ages. In support of dance, we look forward to continuing to grow our audiences each season by presenting new genres within this art form.”
During its 50 year presenting history, the Pittsburgh Dance Council has supported well over one thousand local, national and international dancers, choreographers and dance companies by hosting their performances in Pittsburgh. The seasons have featured contemporary works with popular historical roots within the world of dance, as well as explored new dance themes and genres that continue to grow the culture and audiences of dance. Some of these distinguished dance performers from around the globe have returned multiple times over the years, for example from the United States- Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, MOMIX, Pilobolus, Martha Graham Dance Company, and Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, and world-renowned Pittsburgh native, dancer and choreographer Kyle Abraham/Abraham.In.Motion, as well as Sankai Juku (Japan), Grupo Corpo (Brazil), and many more.
Earlier years of the Dance Council’s programming outreach supported contemporary performance opportunities through the Umbrella Series that showcased emerging Pittsburgh dancers and the Choreographers’ Continuum featuring works created by local and regional dance choreographers. During the 2004-2005 season the Dance Council and Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre showcased the Pittsburgh Ballet corps in a commissioned work by Pennsylvania Ballet in Christopher Wheeldon’s Swan Lake (in October 2004).
In celebration of culture and contemporary performing arts, the Pittsburgh Dance Council has provided a variety of opportunities for dancers and choreographers to present their innovative works as U.S. and North American premieres, as well as exclusive U.S. and city of Pittsburgh performances. Two free outdoor site-specific contemporary dance spectacles were performed to thousands of festival attendees as part of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust’s Dollar Bank Three Rivers Arts Festival in June of 2017 and 2019. The Dance Council’s presentations have also shined a brilliant spotlight on contemporary dance in collaboration with the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust’s festival programming vision.
To date, these historical Pittsburgh Dance Council (PDC) programming collaborations for the festivals presented by the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust include:
The Québec Festival (2004) (2003-2004 PDC season): Compagnie Marie Chouinard (Canada), Les Ballets Jazz de Montréal (Canada), and O Vertigo (Canada);
Australia Festival (2007) (2007-2008 PDC season): (Australia): Circus Oz, Lucy Guerin Inc. in Aether, and Chunky Move’s Glow;
Distinctively Dutch Festival (2012) (2011-2012 PDC season): (Netherlands): Dance Works Rotterdam/André Gingras in Anatomica, and Last Touch First by Jirí Kylián and Michael Schumacher;
India in Focus, A Showcase of India-Focused Arts & Culture (2015) (2015-2016 PDC season): Nrityagram Dance Ensemble (India), and Aakash Odedra (UK).
Pittsburgh International Festival of Firsts 2004, 2008, 2013, 2018:
2004 (2004-2005 PDC season): Pappa TARAHUMARA (Japan) in Ship in a View;
2008 (2008-2009 PDC season): Ballet Maribor (Slovenia) in Radio and Juliet to the music of Radiohead;
2013 (2013-2014 PDC season): Compagne Marie Chouinard (Canada), and Zimmermann & De Perrot (Switzerland);
2018 (2018-2019 PDC season): Deborah Colker Dance (Brazil) in Cão sem Plumas, and Yabin Wang (China) in The Moon Opera.
Dollar Bank Three Rivers Arts Festival, June 2017, June 2019 / Free outdoor site-specific dance spectacles:
June 2017: (2017-2018 PDC season): Blue Lapis Light (U.S.) in Stardust, an original aerial dance piece, was choreographed for the Fifth Avenue Place façade above Stanwix Street and performed on that outdoor site.
June 2019: (2019-2020 PDC season): Compagnie Furinkaï (France) in Origami, choreographed to original music and contemporary dance, was staged on a 40-ft shape-shifting shipping container and performed outdoors in Point State Park.
2019-2020 Pittsburgh Dance Council Season
MOMIX
September 21, 2019 | Byham Theater
County of Origin: United States
Various Pieces: VIVA MOMIX
Under the direction of Moses Pendleton, one of America’s most innovative and widely performed choreographers and directors, MOMIX is recognized internationally for presenting work of exceptional inventiveness and physical artistry. In addition to stage performances worldwide, MOMIX has worked in film and television, recently appearing in PBS’ Dance in America, and in commercials for Hanes and Target.
VIVA MOMIX is a collection of the most iconic pieces from the company’s illustrious repertoire and includes several fantastic new works by Pendleton. Surreal, wondrous and massively creative, MOMIX astonishes audiences with nothing more than light, shadow, props, and the human body.
ODC/Dance
with the Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh
November 6-9, 2019 | Trinity Cathedral
Country of Origin: United States
Piece: Path of Miracles
Journey through the stunning Trinity Cathedral with San Francisco-based company ODC/Dance in an immersive dance presentation, Path of Miracles. The piece describes the Camino de Santiago, the ancient Catholic pilgrimage across Northern Spain. Alongside dancers and choir, audience members also become sojourners and are guided through the Cathedral to experience the piece in four movements.
Debuting to sold-out audiences and widespread critical acclaim in San Francisco last year, Path of Miracles shares its inspiration and name with a spectacularly beautiful 2005 choral work by British composer Joby Talbot. The score will be performed live by the Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh.
This presentation is made possible by the New England Foundation for the Arts’ National Dance Project, with lead funding from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
Sarah Reich
January 16-18, 2020 | Greer Cabaret Theater
Country of Origin: United States
Piece: New Change
Sarah Reich has emerged as one of the new leaders in the art form of tap dance. Named by Dance Magazine as one of the “25 To Watch” in 2017, Reich has become a pop culture ambassador for the art form, appearing on FOX’s So You Think You Can Dance and touring the world with Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox.
In her debut album New Change, Reich explores the use of tap as the main percussion element within a jazz ensemble. Featuring all-original compositions written by Reich herself and inspired by tap rhythms, New Change puts a fresh spin on the beloved art of tap dance. Reich will be joined on stage by a full band and a special guest dancer.
Malpaso Dance Company
an associate company of Joyce Theater Productions
February 22, 2020 | Byham Theater
Country of Origin: Cuba
Pieces: Tabula Rasa (Ohad Naharin), Face the Torrent (Sonya Tayeh), Ocaso (Osnel Delgado)
Hailing from Havana, Malpaso Dance Company is one of Cuba’s most sought-after dance troupes. Emphasizing a collaborative creative process, Malpaso is committed to working with top international choreographers while also nurturing new voices in Cuban choreography.
One of the evening’s works, Ohad Naharin’s Tabula Rasa, premiered with the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre in 1986. More than 30 years later, Naharin has restaged the piece specifically for the Cuban company, breathing new life and experience into this rarely-performed piece.
Rocío Molina
March 25, 2020 | Byham Theater
U.S. Premiere
Country of Origin: Spain
Piece: Caida del Cielo
Spanish choreographer Rocío Molina has coined her own artistic language based on a reinvented traditional flamenco style which respects its essence but embraces the avant-garde. A graduate of the Royal Dance Conservatory in Madrid, Molina was awarded the National Award for Dance by the Spanish Ministry of Culture at age 26.
In Caida del Cielo (Fallen From Heaven), Molina contrasts light and darkness, celestial and savage. Accompanied by a live band, Molina’s dancing goes deep into her roots while pushing the norms of movement and gender, making a loud declaration that flamenco is an expression of freedom that cannot and should not be domesticated.
This show contains partial nudity that may not be appropriate for all audiences, suggested for ages 13+.
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
Presenting Sponsor BNY Mellon
May 5, 2020 | Benedum Center
Country of Origin: United States
Various Pieces: Program will include contemporary works, and Revelations.
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater embodies six decades of groundbreaking achievement in modern dance. Mr. Ailey once declared, “I want to hold up a mirror to my audience that says ‘this is the way people can be; this is how open people can be.’” Now more than ever, we need the power of dance to bring us all together, connected by our common humanity. It’s why we say: you don’t just see an Ailey performance, you feel it.
As the first company ever presented by the Pittsburgh Dance Council in its inaugural season, it’s only fitting that Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater will complete the Dance Council’s 50th anniversary season. The evening’s program will feature contemporary works that touch on timely topics and the beloved classic, Revelations.
2019-2020 Pittsburgh Dance Council Special Events
Compagnie Furinkaï (This event has already taken place.)
June 14-16, 2019 | Free and open to the public | Point State Park
(Also presented as part of the 2019 Dollar Bank Three Rivers Arts Festival)
Exclusive U.S. City Premiere of Origami, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Country of Origin: France
Piece: Origami
From Compagnie Furinkaï comes Origami, a bold collaboration between Franco-Japanese dancer/choreographer, Satchie Noro, and French designer/builder, Silvain Ohl, with music composed by Fred Costa. Inspired by the Japanese art of paper folding, Origami introduces an unlikely pairing: a monumental, 40-foot shapeshifting shipping container and a gravity-defying dancer.
Throughout the performance, the enormous steel red box shifts continuously, creating an unstable yet intriguing stage for the dancer to move in and around. The astonishing duet reorients the shipping container from a globalized and globalizing device to an artifact generating new kinds of relationships, a driving force behind Origami.
Un Poyo Rojo
September 14, 2019 | August Wilson African American Cultural Center
(Also presented as part of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust’s Multiple Choice Events)
U.S. Premiere
Country of Origin: Argentina
Piece: Un Poyo Rojo (Work is titled in the same name as the dance company)
An explosive spectacle that brilliantly unites theater, dance, sport, and acrobatics, Un Poyo Rojo is a humorous piece based in body language and movement. Set in a dressing room, two men challenge, fight, and seduce each other in this highly enjoyable duet.
Originally conceived for a variety show in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 2008, Un Poyo Rojo is a play that uses body language to explore the limits of contemporary language with regards to movement and its subsequent interpretations. The piece is a provocation, an invitation for us to laugh at ourselves and, at the same time, to accept ourselves entirely. This show contains mature content that may not be appropriate for all audiences, suggested for ages 13+.
Tickets
Single tickets (as low as $10) for the 2019-2020 Pittsburgh Dance Council season will be available at a later date at TrustArts.org/DANCE, by calling 412-456-6666, or in person at the Box Office at Theater Square, 655 Penn Avenue.
Subscription packages are available for $60-$330. Subscriptions can be purchased in packages of 4 show, with pricing beginning at $40. To subscribe, call 412-456-1390. Groups of 10 or more tickets, please call 412-471-6930. For more information visit, TrustArts.org/DANCE.
The Pittsburgh Dance Council joined the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust as a programming division in 2002. The mission of Pittsburgh Dance Council is to bring the best contemporary dance companies from around the world to the Cultural District. Each season, Pittsburgh Dance Council presents diverse, world-class contemporary works, including U.S. and world premieres.
The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust has overseen one of Pittsburgh’s most historic transformations: turning a seedy red-light district into a magnet destination for arts lovers, residents, visitors, and business owners. Founded in 1984, the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust is a non-profit arts organization whose mission is the cultural and economic revitalization of a 14-block arts and entertainment/residential neighborhood called the Cultural District. The District is one of the country’s largest land masses “curated” by a single nonprofit arts organization. A major catalytic force in the city, the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust is a unique model of how public-private partnerships can reinvent a city with authenticity, innovation and creativity. Using the arts as an economic catalyst, the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust has holistically created a world-renowned Cultural District that is revitalizing the city, improving the regional economy and enhancing Pittsburgh’s quality of life. Thanks to the support of foundations, corporations, government agencies and thousands of private citizens, the Trust stands as a national model of urban redevelopment through the arts.
TrustArts.org | @CulturalTrust on Facebook · Instagram · Twitter
# # #