Alchemy Dance Company’s 2013 Home Season of performances titled “I Am We” will feature two new works by Artistic Director Amy Harding. Shows will take place at The Performance Garage located at 1515 Brandywine St. in Philadelphia on Friday, March 1 at 8pm, Saturday March 2 at 3pm and 8pm and Sunday, March 3 at 6pm.
Alchemy Dance Company will present “I Am We” at the intimate venue of The Performance Garage to create an atmosphere focused on developing a deeper emotional connection with audiences. “Being able to perform in the same space that we rehearse in is invaluable,” said Artistic Director Amy Harding. Alchemy has sold out their collaborative fundraisers at the Performance Garage in the past, and they plan to continue the tradition with their 2013 World Premieres. Tickets are already on sale at www.danceboxoffice.com and are discounted to $15 when purchased in advance. Tickets sold at the door will be $20.
With a team of 6 dancers, Alchemy will take viewers on a journey from the internal to the external creating environments on the stage with lighting and movement that provide room for exploration. The whole of the production, “I Am We”, is two pieces, “I Am We” and “Follies”, which act as two sides of the same coin featuring glances at inner struggles and external projections both as individuals and a collective. Both pieces include original music by Alchemy Composer and Technical Director, Jonathan Bowles.
The dance “I Am We” is a series of personal stories, feelings, ideas, and issues that relate closely to the company. Through these internal moments the company examines its humanity, the threads that connect them, and the concept that all are one. Artistic Director Amy Harding found inspiration from her dancers for this piece and intuitively created movement in honor of their individual journeys encouraging a deep relationship between dancer, movement, and concept. Harding says, “For the first time, I feel this dance really came through me, but not from me. These solos, duets, and groups are stories and feelings that, while they came from a certain place, cross boundaries and are relative to us all.”
Alchemy’s second piece of the evening, “Follies”, pokes fun at social concepts through playful scenes of a dualistic nature. “Follies” is like the pretty face that is put on while a storm surges inside. The underlying storm peeks through here and there as if one is riding its waves but never letting it gain control. In this dance, Harding uses character and energy to playfully depict the serious needs and wants of today’s society where there appear to be new struggles with each passing day. “It’s a story of human spirit,” says Harding, “… of laughter in the face of adversity, of character, and of finding the self when surrounded by illusion.”
While Harding does not usually dance in company performances, she will take the stage briefly during “Follies” giving the dancers a momentary rest and audiences a glimpse at where this movement originated. About dancing, she says, “I’ve never felt like I was the type to need the stage. I like being the creator, molding and shaping things from behind the scenes. But, it’s good to keep your skills honed and every now and then I like to get out there and give it a go. Someday, my body will no longer support me in that, so it’s good to have these moments when the opportunity arises.”
“I Am We”
Alchemy Dance Company
Date: 3/1-3/3/2013
Time: Friday, 3/1 at 8pm, Saturday, 3/2 at 3pm and 8pm, Sunday, 3/3 at 6pm
Location: The Performance Garage, 1515 Brandywine St., Philadelphia PA
Tickets Info: $15 in advance through www.danceboxoffice.com or $20 at the door
General info: 484-680-2200 / [email protected]
Steven is currently the CEO of Delaware Valley on Line, one of the first regional Internet Service Provides that now focuses on business-class web hosting, design, and internet marketing. He is president and founder of Rainbow Promotions Inc., a special events and entertainment agency established in the late 70’s, that services corporate and retail accounts both locally and nationally.
Steven is the Founder of PhiladelphiaDANCE.org,the largest web presence and resource for the dance community in the greater Philadelphia region, and the Founder and Editor of The Dance Journal. His involvement in the dance community extends to being Director of Graffito Works, an international platform for dancers and performing artists to create site-specific work and to make it readily accessible to the public.
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