Eisenhower Dance Ensemble (EDE) will celebrate 20 years of visionary dance with the concert 20/20 Dance on Friday, December 10, 2010 at 8:00 p.m. at Seligman Performing Arts Center. The concert will present revivals of audience favorites and a new work by EDE Choreography Competition winner Daniel Gwirtzman.

Notes EDE Artistic Director Laurie Eisenhower, “I love the name 20/20 as a concert title for one of our 20^th anniversary concerts. It suggests the visionary outlook that EDE has strived for throughout the past twenty years. I want this program to celebrate our past, but also look forward to the future.”

The retrospective part of the concert will include revivals of Mosaics, one of the most performed works in the Company’s history, The Show, an audience favorite which is a tribute to the movies of Federico Fellini, and Catharsis, a large-scale collaborative work with Oakland University’s Repertory Dance Company.  

States Eisenhower, “EDE has had a long standing relationship with Oakland University, so it is fitting to include a collaboration with OU’s finest dancers.”

Celebrating the future vision of the Company, EDE will present two newer works by guest choreographers. The first is a work titled Falling Out, which is a dramatic work by Chicago choreographer Brock Clawson that was set on the Company last season.

The highlight of the program will be the Michigan premiere of Encore, a fun and exciting new work by New York choreographer Daniel Gwirtzman. The dance is performed as though the Company is conducting a rehearsal and then dancing in a performance, offering a glimpse into the life of a dancer.

Gwirtzman is an established producer, director, choreographer, teacher and critically acclaimed performer. Celebrating fifteen years as a New York City choreographer, Gwirtzman has earned praise for creating a diverse repertory known for its humor, inventiveness and accessibility. The DanceBreak Foundation, which showcases the next generation of great Broadway choreographers, has selected Gwirtzman as one of its six choreographers for 2010.

True to the educational vision of EDE, the program will also include a dance performed by over forty dancers from the EDE Center for Dance student companies.

Concert Information

20/20 Dance

Friday, December 10 at 8:00 p.m.
Seligman Performing Arts Center
22305 West 13 Mile Road, Beverly Hills, MI 48025
Tickets: $16 general, $12 senior, $8 students
Box Office: (248) 559-2095

Founded in 1991, Eisenhower Dance Ensemble is a professional contemporary dance company based in metro-Detroit. Now in its 20th season, EDE is considered by many critics to be Michigan’s premier contemporary dance company. EDE also offers world-class dance instruction to students of all ages and levels of ability at its two school locations. For more information about EDE, please visit www.ede-dance.org or all the EDE offices at 248-559-2095.

Detroit City Conduit is a collaborative event striving to bring energy and art, light and performance to Detroit. The movement acts as a conduit, or means of communication between diverse people of the greater Detroit community. In a shared evening of performance, Mise en Place Dance presents dynamic new work by choreographers Amy Cova and Thayer Jonutz. The event will feature a main stage dance performance supported by live musicians, video dance and visual art.

Oscillating between Michigan and New York, Mise en Place Dance is committed to creating quality dance performances for diverse audiences throughout the nation. The company values diversity in movement and aspires to fuse the eclectic training of its founding members, Amy Cova and Thayer Jonutz. The pair strives to cultivate a continuous, rigorous and honest dialogue throughout their creative process. Intrigued by the limitations and opportunities that present themselves when two bodies move in the same space, Mise en Place enters the dance scene with athletic, thoughtful movement.

Spinal Streets and a Straw, a new work by Amy Cova is inspired by the social and cultural climates surrounding the Detroit riots of 1967. Cova’s contemporary movement vocabulary is informed by her ethnographic study and collection of personal narratives with an aesthetic that

reflects her own point of view. Detroit native, Alvin Hill has composed an original score to partner with Cova’s dynamic choreography. The ensemble cast is an eclectic mix of performers, packing the stage with raw energy and talent. Cova has been recognized for her colorful fusion of movement nationally and internationally. Her choreography has been described as athletic, virtuosic as well as expressive and flowing.

Thayer Jonutz’s new work, Doors is inspired by his travels to Japan this last summer. Jonutz was intrigued by the juxtaposing themes that were separated by gateways in the Japanese culture. He found himself walking through crowded, modern city-landscapes to then pass through a doorway of some sort ending up in a spiritually transformative Zen garden. Jonutz has partnered up with Bobby Glowacki, also a Detroit native, with the construction of three Japanese-style sliding doors that are used throughout the choreography to transform the space. Jonutz is known for his methodical approach to the formation of his art as well as his unconventional movement vocabulary that he employs to express himself.

At the heart of Detroit City Conduit is the premier of Phases, a new work, that was conceived, created, and will by performed by Amy Cova and Thayer Jonutz. This work features four sections of dramatically different themes that speak to the evolution of human relationships throughout the seasons of life. Again, Alvin Hill has collaborated with the Mise en Place, creating an original score to support their vision.

$10 admission
Starbrite Studios at Russell Industrial Center
1604 Clay St. #500,
Detroit, MI

Saturday, December 19, 2009 at 3:00 p.m.

is Red Hat Society Day at the New McCree Theatre. For this performance, all Red Hat Society members will be admitted for only $5.00 per person.  The New McCree Theatre is presenting its Holiday Musical, “A Soulful Christmas,” an exciting, foot-stomping, Christmas celebration, set to music and dance.  For more information call the theatre (810)787-2200 or visit www.BuyMcCreeTickets.com .

5005 Cloverlawn at Pierson Rd., Flint.

This is my first contribution of letting the public see a couple of my snapshots from what I would normally keep all for myself. My upcoming projects for thedetroiter.com also feel like a small step back to the days when I just had to check Ann Gordon’s blog to see what excitement was going on.

I’m new to this so please let me know if there’s a name that could be added to further clarify artists, titles of pieces, etc.

I started with Lemberg Gallery, then the Paul Kotula Projects, Susanne Hilberry and finished to see some of the Happenings in and around Andrea Springer’s Studio in the Russell Industrial Center.

Small ceramic pieces by Tom Lauerman and Fabio Fernandez

I took a lot of closeups at the Sculptures in Love with Architecture exhibition at the Lemberg Gallery. I wanted to play with everything in this gallery so bad!

View of the stripes of the crowd that evening

Small ceramic pieces by Tom Lauerman and Fabio Fernandez

I then ventured upstairs to see the selected works at the Paul Kotula Projects.

A simple but pleasant wall piece in one of the side rooms by Jim Shrosbee

Works on paper by Kathleen Mcshane

Jae Won Lee’s ceramic work was on display as well as some of the work that incorporates her hair

There were minimal colors and nothing on the walls at the Susanne Hilberry Gallery

Kate Levant’s sculpture at Susanne Hilberry

A closeup of Mike Smith’s work of foam and found object

A closeup of Kate Levant’s work at Susanne Hilberry

Kate was telling me that first she drew it and then she burned the design onto the metal.

Andrea Springer’s Studio is across from mine and that night there was artwork in the elevator, poetry in the bathroom, comedic acts with choruses of thunder in the background, and some very elegant dancers.

Chris Masters dancing around Andrea Springer’s designs

There’s something unique about the late night mood you get when you walk around the Russell Industrial Center

Aftermath of a performance by The Detroit Fly House, kindof feels like a Vice Magazine photo

The next day I visited the Museum of New Art and and finished at the Cave for Vanessa Merrill’s solo show.

Someone reading Marie Perrin-Mcgraw’s diagrams that resembled chalkboards

A video still from the series of videos by Jenna Caschera

A closeup of one of Tim Ead’s pieces

Vanessa Merrill’s solo show, Porcelain Gloves.

Large cut plastic sheets that made the Cave gallery feel like a translucent cave.

This is a side view of her piece because I didn’t want to spoil the fun of seeing this work in person

Broken eggs hanging from the ceiling

And just because I feel like I should’ve started this a while ago, I added some of my favorite highlights from last weekend from Pewabic’s gallery, the ORG gallery and the work from Walking Distance at 2739 Edwin.

Ian Swanson’s paintings using contemporary art materials, extremely hazardous stuff

Corine’s photo of her portrait studio that was on the postcard for the Walking Distance show

I really enjoyed seeing Gary Schwartz short films as well, I can only imagine how much time and perfection they take to set up.

A close up of a wonderful show at Pewabic of Mia Mulvey’s porcelain works

Well, I hope that will get my project started with a big introduction! I plan on detailing more about each Gallery and soon artists and public projects in Detroit!

Three New Exhibitions
- Art Spiegelman: Portrait of the Artist as a Young %@&*!
- Linkage Artists Select Artists
Jesper Just | With Mixed Emotions

Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit

Opening Reception: Friday, May 29, 2009 at 8:00pm to 12:00am

ART SPIEGELMAN: PORTRAIT OF THE ARTIST AS A YOUNG %@&*!
May 29 – July 26, 2009

Extreme Animals

Art Spiegelman

Pittsburgh and San Diego based dance duo, Extreme Animals create urbanized dance music filtered through suburban minds. Minds frazzled by Atari, Garfield, Gumby, the comical excesses of 90’s Rave culture and gallons of Capri Sun juice drink. For this special performance they will be joined by Detroit’s own hardcore funk ensemble, Will Sessions. Videos by renowned artist, Paper Rad and Extreme Animals member, Jacob Ciocci, will also be screened.

Jacob Ciocci is an American visual artist, performance artist and musician. Along with sister Jessica Ciocci and friend Ben Jones, he is one of the three remaining founding members of Paper Rad, an artist collective based in both Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Providence, Rhode Island.

Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit is located at 4454 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, MI. For informantion call 313-832-6622 or Email: info@mocadetroit.org.

Eisenhower Dance Ensemble in MOTOWN IN MOTION featuring
The Contours with Sylvester Potts

Join Eisenhower Dance Ensemble and Motown’s legendary The Countours for a razzle-dazzle evening of dance and music! This lavish production showcases the work of such renowned choreographers as Joel Hall, Stephan Koester, Laurie Eisenhower and Bill DeYoung and celebrates the music that made the Motor City famous. This playful, humorous, and wonderfully theatrical performance will have you dancing in your seat-and out into the streets!

Where: Macomb Center for the Performing Arts, Clinton Township
When: 8:00PM

Tix: $35 Gold Circle, $30 House, $25 Student/Senior, $15 Ages 12 & under
Box Office: 586-286-2222
www.ede-dance.org

Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts proudly presents the surreal and innovative dance company, MOMIX, in a “best of 20 years” retrospective, one night only, Monday, March 16th at 8PM on the historic Music Hall main stage.
Blurring the fine line between illusion and reality with mind-blowing inventiveness, the athletic dancers of Momix fool the naked eye with an amazing array of black-light illusions, acrobatic choreography and fantastical props. Led by Pilobolus/Aeros co-founder Moses Pendleton, this special Best of Momix program assembles a quarter century of choreographic highlights from the celebrated dance troupe’s repertoire. It’s a must-see evening for long-time fans and the uninitiated alike.

“Momix dazzles with indefinable grace, personality . . .” — New Orleans Times-Picayune

For 20 years, Momix has been celebrated for its ability to conjure up a world of surrealistic images using props, light, shadow, humor, and the human body. This “Best Of” performance features “Moon Beams,” an excerpt from Lunar Sea, as well as “Zaar” from Passion. “Discman,” “Pole Dance,” “Sidewinder,” “Gila Dance,” “Millennium Skiva,” “Dream Catcher,” “Sputnik (Fellow Traveler)” and “E.C.” are other dances on the program.

“Few theater artists today can achieve the level of visual splendor and theatrical magic that Mr. Pendleton can.” – The Wall Street Journal

A spectacular company of dancer/illusionists, Momix and choreographer, Moses Pendleton are on, “An endless search for another gravity.” Using an inventive mix of athletics, dance, theatre, comedy, riveting music, outrageous costumes, inventive props and light, shadow and the human body, they create shows that transport audiences from the everyday to a surreal fantasy world of exceptional beauty. Momix has created an eclectic and compelling roster of projects, including stage performances in over 22 countries, appearances on PBS’s “Dance in America,” creating new work to celebrate Opening Day at the San Francisco Giants’ new spring training park and feature film appearances including F/X2 and in one of the first IMAX 3-D films, Imagine.

Where: Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts, Detroit

When: 8:00PM

Tix: $30.00-$50.00

www.musichall.org

www.ticketmaster.com

If you would have asked me a week ago about the presence of the art of dance in the metro Detroit area, I would have maybe been able to name a handful of dance schools located in strip malls out in the suburbs that I remember driving by, with fond recollections of watching friends’ dance recitals in grade school and driving an old boyfriend’s little sister to and from dance class on Tuesday nights. I would also have been able to tell you that the Music Hall and Detroit Opera House occasionally see the Russian Ballet and the Alvin Ailey Dance Theatre come through. If you would have asked me about contemporary dance, I would have retorted with, “You mean where they trot around in ridiculous outfits and attempt to address philosophical issues like environmentalism and gender construction?” THAT was my perception of Detroit’s dance culture.

Then I discovered, and entirely by accident, the Eisenhower Dance Ensemble.

Did you know that, right here in metro Detroit, we have a critically acclaimed national and international touring dance group? Neither did I. Did you know that the same dance group also opened a dance center, providing the highest-quality dance instruction to students of any age while also fostering an appreciation for the art of dance and allowing students to share the stage with the professional members of the Ensemble? Got me again.

Laurie Eisenhower, founder and Artistic Director of the very
community-minded Eisenhower Dance Ensemble.

In fact, the more I learned about the Eisenhower Dance Ensemble and the Eisenhower Dance Center, the more impressed I became. The mission of EDE—and, by extension, its founder Laurie Eisenhower—is to be a professional dance company with the highest artistic standards and showcase the works not only of the founder but also of national and international choreographers and artists, as well as provide community outreach and education programs. Since the company was founded in 1991, founder Laurie Eisenhower has built it into quite a formidable presence in the national dance community. The Ensemble has toured all over Michigan and the Midwest, as well as Texas, California, Washington D.C., New York, and even Russia. They’ve showcased works from a variety of internationally known choreographers, and have even produced several full-length touring productions of their own.

The Eisenhower Dance Center, which opened in 1995, further aides in EDE’s mission to provide community outreach and education. Student companies have the chance to perform onstage as part of the Pre-Show for the Ensemble, and perform all over the community in nursing homes and assisted living homes as well as at local festivals. Since 2004, the Center has teamed up with the Birmingham Bloomfield Art Center to offer a full schedule of dance classes, expanding their Rochester-based school into Birmingham.

Founder and Artistic Director Laurie Eisenhower is certainly no egomaniacal artist, either. The EDE is very community-minded, not just in the promotion of dance as an art form but also in the promotion of other choreographers and artists. Just last year the company initiated its first choreographers’ competition, and the winner of that competition was able to create a new work for the Ensemble for the 2008-09 season. The Ensemble regularly performs works of other choreographers, in addition to Eisenhower’s acclaimed choreography. EDE also emphasizes community health and does quite a bit for the benefit of children, including “Healthy Kids,” a program developed in conjunction with the Beaumont Weight Control Center which uses dance as an interventional method in addressing overweight issues in children.

Impressed yet? Now you just have to see them.

I was invited to attend the NewDanceFest VII at the Troy High School Performing Arts Center, and found myself utterly enthralled by what I was seeing. Firstly, of six works performed, only two were created by Eisenhower—the rest were set by choreographers from EDE’s first choreographer competition, as well as a piece set on the EDE by another choreographer for a previous season. This fact continues to impress as it shows just how much EDE is truly committed to highlighting and promoting dance in the community and on a national scale.

The performances were visually breathtaking, from the witty costuming to the graceful and elegant dancers. Some of the pieces were slightly more serious in tone, while others were playful, exhibiting a certain joie die vivre. My personal favorite of the playful pieces was Ces Petits Riens (These Little Nothings), which began with an almost slapstick-style musical chairs performance; the child-like nursery-rhyme intro to Reading a Book By Its Cover was also quite fun and playful, but segued unexpectedly into something much darker.

Of all the pieces performed as part of this program, it was Unconditional that was the real standout. Set by Stephanie Pizzo for the 2007-08 season and premiering at the Macomb Center for the Performing Arts in April of 2008, this piece proves how powerfully the art of dance can communicate a story. Unconditional tells the story of lovers in love, lovers spurned, lovers jaded, and lovers regretting. A masterful work of human emotion executed flawlessly, set with precision as the piece follows one girl as she moves from her group of friends to one lover to another lover, the heartbreak and anger and healing and renewing that takes place in her wake, and the regret she later feels. It is poignantly simple, at once both mournful and hopeful, and speaks to all of us equally.

Mary Bischoff and Alicia Cutaia. Photo by Riina Ruben.

Watching the dancers float across the stage I rediscovered my childhood love of dance and appreciation for its beauty. In this day and age where Dancing with the Stars is one of the most-watched shows on television, it seems amazing to me that more people aren’t flocking out to see their local dance ensembles perform live right in front of them—then it occurred to me that, much like myself, they probably don’t know about them.

Coming up this season you have the opportunity to witness the Eisenhower Dance Ensemble in action performing one of their own full-length touring programs, the popular Motown in Motion. This program showcases the work of nationally renowned choreographers including Laurie Eisenhower, Joel Hall, Stephen Koester, and Bill DeYoung, and celebrates the 50th anniversary of Motown with the legendary group the Contours in a playful and humorous theatrical dance performance. This performance will be on Saturday, April 4th and 8:00PM at the Macomb Center for the Performing Arts; tickets range in price from $15.00-$35.00.

Dance is an under-appreciated art form that the majority of people outside of the dance community itself have little awareness of, though it is every bit as enjoyable and entertaining to watch as any other theatre performance, opera, musical, or comedy act. EDE is here to help people realize this and appreciate the art that is dance; I fully encourage all of you to experience this fine Ensemble for yourself and perhaps rediscover a little bit of your own child-like wonder.