Événement

Project FORKLIFT

Forklift Danceworks presents Project FORKLIFT, a concert of six dances by local choreographers, including a new work by Artistic Director Allison Orr- all in the style of Forklift Danceworks. Orr, who premiered The Trash Project in September and is known for creating dances with a unique and broad cast of performers, has challenged five of her favorite Austin dancemakers to choreograph dances in the style of Forklift Danceworks. Dances either engage people as performers not typically thought of as dancers and/or include material that in some way stretches commonly held perceptions of contemporary dance. The five choreographers taking the challenge are Mari Akita, Ann Berman, Caroline Sutton Clark, Sharon Marroqun, and Zenobia Taylor.

Dances currently in the mix include a dance for 11 massage therapists by Caroline Sutton Clark. Using the movement practiced by these therapists in their work, Clark intends to highlight their inherent artfulness. Sharon Marroqun, three-time Austin Critics Table winner for Outstanding Choreography, is presenting a solo for 74 year-old retired ballet dancer Frank Yazer.

Ann Berman will be presenting Curiosa, a nightmarish quintet inspired by the true story of Mary Toft, an Englishwoman in the 1700s who convinced much of Europe that she had given birth to seventeen rabbits over the course of two months. Anns most recent work, Chicken Complex, was nominated for best short dance by the Austin Critics Table and was listed as one of the top ten dance phenomena of 2008 by the Austin Chronicle.

Zenobia Taylor, Co-Artistic Director of The Getalong Gang Performance Group, will present Prix Fixe, an irreverent look at the actions and relationships of the people who cook and serve your food, featuring a cast of local cooks, servers, and bartenders. Mari Akita will explore everyday, pedestrian movements through a duet created by the gestures of a live performer being superimposed with her own video image.

Allison Orr will also present a new dance featuring a local police offer. This solo showcases the officer engaging in the work of directing traffic and will include video projections by video artist Travis Bren and original music by Graham Reynolds.