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Cities Information
HOUSTON
Houston Company Members
Houston Reviews 2008
For more detailed information about Travesty Dance Group events in Houston as well as ticket information go to: www.tdghouston.info
Update on Houston activities:
Houston-based Travesty Dance Group (under the direction of Karen Stokes) expanded from a project-to-project based company to a company with an annual season in Fall 2006. The company members sign annual contracts and work on multiple projects throughout the season. From spring 2007-spring 2009 Travesty Dance Group/Houston has been pleased to work with Musiqa, FreshArts, Discovery Green, Downtown Theater Day, Buffalo Bayou Arts Festival, Texas Contemporary Dance at Miller Theater, the Discovery Series at the Hobby Center, the Uniquely Houston Series at the Hobby Center, the Plays and Players Theater in Philadelphia, the Center for Choreography at the University of Houston, Weathervane Theater in Ohio, Cullen Theater in Houston at the Dance/USA National Conference, Artopia by Houston Press, Synergy by Spacetaker, and Big Range Dance Festival at Barnevelder Movement/Arts Complex. During this time, Karen Stokes choreographed two new one act works (“Green” and “Bad Q!”), as well as seven new repertory pieces which premiered as a collection in December 2008 under the concert title “Portables.” We also felt very grateful to have the opportunity to work with composer Rob Smith, and to work with the compositions of composer Bill Ryan. We looked forward to future collaborations with these talented composers. Stokes also composed five new a cappella vocal scores during this period, which were incorporated into her choreography. Reviews/Previews of some of the 2008 events are included above. In Fall 2009, TDG/H looks forward to presenting “The Recycle Club” at Barnevelder/Movement Arts.
Cleveland
Update on Kimberly Karpanty in Cleveland:
Founding member and Cleveland Director Kimberly Karpanty co-choreographed and performed “Straight Forward and Slightly Off-Kilter” with colleague Joan Meggitt, Artistic Director of Cleveland’s Antaeus Dance, in Kent State University’s faculty concert in December 2007. The duo will add a third section to the work for performances at Allegheny College and with TDG in Philadelphia at Plays and Players Theatre in October and November 2008, prospectively. The dance is a quirky romp through a field of contrasting dynamics and energies, interlaced with images of the classic tale of the tortoise and the hare.
Karpanty will also bring a premiere to Philadelphia, The new trio, titled “Go on, then,” is a collaboration with composer Claudia Howard Queen. The original score, with text by the choreographer, explores ways in which we use the three words of the title are used in contemporary language.
MORE FROM CLEVELAND
Karpanty’s collaborations with Cleveland artists continued when she was invited to perform with Double-Edge Dance at Cleveland Public Theatre in April 2008. She performed two works by co-director Kora Radella: “Some Nerve,” a duet with Radella, and “ a new solo, were part of an evening length concert, “Strike a Nerve/Strike a Chord”, with original music by Ross Feller. “Some Nerve” was also recently performed at the Ohio Theatre in Cleveland as part of the annual Dance Showcase.
In June 2008, Karpanty’s 18 minute dance/theatre project, “Torn Asunder,” was invited to be performed at the Intercontinental Dance Festival in Madison, Wisconsin. The work was created to raise awareness of the plight of over 30 million displaced persons and refugees worldwide who have been forced to flee their homes and native countries due to war and/or political oppression. The piece was performed 14 members of the pre-professional Kent Dance Ensemble, and children from local communities. The international sound score includes music by Gustavo Santoalalla, Susumu Yakota and Dobet Gnahore.
Karpanty’s experience with dance for the camera earned her a coveted spot in the two-week intensive Dance for the Camera Workshop in Victoria, British Columbia, directed by Ellen Bromberg. Her new film, “Thresh/Hold,” shot on location in Victoria, will be screened at Travesty’s Spring 2009 concert in Cleveland.
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