D.C.-area dance enthusiasts have the opportunity to witness some of the most exquisite dance works from across the world this spring at the Mason Dance Company's 2020 Gala Concerts.
This eagerly anticipated program features George Mason University School of Dance students in four thrilling and technically demanding works choreographed by some of the biggest names in dance: Kyle Abraham (Drive), Micaela Taylor ('90Sugar), a new work by Christopher d'Amboise, and Rafael Bonachela (Variations 10). Members of the Fairfax Symphony Orchestra (FSO) will provide live accompaniment for Variations 10, conducted by FSO Music Director Christopher Zimmerman. The Mason Dance Company Gala Concerts are Friday, March 27 and Saturday, March 28 at 8 p.m. at the Center for the Arts.
"The Mason Dance Company's 2020 Gala Concert offers an astonishingly relevant and exciting program," says Director of the Mason School of Dance Susan Shields. "We are honored and excited to perform work from some of the most important choreographers of our time."
Held prior to the March 28 Dance Gala Concert performance, The Mason Dance Fête is an intimate benefit to showcase Mason dancers and programs. Guests of the Fête are invited into studios to see sections of the works to be performed by students, who also present insights about the choreographer and the work itself. In another studio, guests can engage in a discussion on dance and music with featured choreographer and School of Dance faculty member
Christopher d'Amboise and the FSO's Zimmerman.
All net proceeds from The Mason Dance Fête go towards the
School of Dance scholarship funds. The event, which is Co-Chaired by Kimberly K. Eby, Julia G. Morelli, and Donna L. Kidd, begins at 5:30 p.m. and will include wine, hors d'oeuvres, and a dessert reception. WellDunn will cater the food and 2941 Restaurant, the Fairfax Country Club, and the Sultan Gourmet Market will donate desserts. For more information, visit
https://dance.gmu.edu/mason-dance-fete.
Choreographer
Kyle Abraham was listed in 2009 as Dance Magazine as "25 to Watch," where he was described as "equal parts power and grace." He has received a Jerome Foundation Travel and Study Grant (2008), a Bessie Award (2010), a MacArthur Fellowship (2013), and a Princess Grace Statue Award (2018). In addition to forming his own modern dance company (A.I.M.), Abraham has been commissioned by
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and the New York City Ballet. His work Drive is a memory infused piece celebrating the ecstasy of the dance club experience. He readily admits that the origins of his dance career began in the club world of his teen years growing up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Micaela Taylor's new dance creation is also a reflection of her youth. She describes her inspiration for '90Sugar as an awareness of being young and moving out into the world. Mason sophomore dance student Hadiya Matthews describes '90Sugar as "exponentially expressive...fused with modern and hip-hop influences." '90Sugar echoes Taylor's diverse movement background. She grew up in Los Angeles, where she began studying hip-hop at a very early age and eventually studied both modern and ballet. Named in 2019 by Dance Magazine's "25 To Watch" list, Taylor is the founder of the Los Angeles-based contemporary dance company The TL Collective, and she has received commissions to choreograph and teach from LA Contemporary Dance Company, AMDA College, Springboard Danse Montreal, MoveNYC, California State Long Beach, and Heidi Duckler Dance Theatre. She is the inaugural EMERGE Choreographic Award recipient.
Christopher d'Amboise is currently a Heritage Professor in the School of Dance at
George Mason University. Born into a family of dancers, he became a principal dancer in the New York City Ballet, and from 1990 to 1994, he was the artistic director, president, and CEO of the Pennsylvania Ballet. He also has a passion for musical theatre and performed in the Broadway production of Song and Dance, which earned him a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actor in a Musical. D'Amboise's yet-to-be-titled world premiere is set to Ravel's Piano Concerto in G major. He says, "The 2nd movement is exciting with its sweeping lyrical exaltation that is suddenly undercut by an intentional 'wrong note,' expressing a kind of 'broken beauty' that is haunting and captivating." With that in mind, d'Amboise juxtaposes traditional poetic phrasing with contemporary athleticism and angular lines. Seven dancers move along together as a singular unit until one dancer attempts to break away from the whole, rippling momentum and energy that ultimately changes or evolves the group.
The final choreographer to be featured in the thrilling evening of dance is Barcelona-born
Rafael Bonachela, who spent his formative years in London training with the legendary Rambert Dance Company. As a choreographer, Bonachela has been commissioned to create works for Candoco, George Piper Dances, ITDANSA Danza, Contemporanea de Cuba, Transitions Dance Company, and Dance Works Rotterdam, amongst others. In 2008, Rafael premiered his first full-length production for Sydney Dance Company (Australia), and less than six months later, he was appointed artistic director of the company. Variations 10 takes the audience on a journey of moods, emotions, and changing visual landscapes. Set to
Benjamin Britten's Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge, this romantic and visceral work illuminates the shimmering score. A wonderful marriage of music and dance, members of the Fairfax Symphony Orchestra will perform with the Mason Dance Company for this work.
Tickets to the Mason Dance Company Gala Concert are $28 for adults; $15 for students and seniors; and $10 for groups. Tickets to the Center for the Arts performance are available online at
cfa.gmu.edu, by phone at 703-993-8888, or in person at the box office (4373 Mason Pond Dr, Fairfax, VA 22030).
Tickets for the Mason Dance Fête (including the reception and performance) are $110, $75 for Mason School of Dance alumnus/a and parents. Sponsorship opportunities begin at $500. To purchase individual tickets online, visit https://dance.gmu.edu/mason-dance-fete. For ticket and sponsorship inquiries, please contact Alice Magelssen-Green by email at amagelss@gmu.edu or phone at 703-993-1593.
