Formed in 1995 by Mathew Janczewski the company’s founder and artistic director, ARENA has performed both nationally and internationally. The company performs and teaches in a variety of venues in order to reach new audiences and dance lovers. In the United States, ARENA has appeared in Minnesota, Illinois, Michigan, Pennsylvania and New York. In Europe, the company has taught and performed in the 7th Open Look International Summer Dance Festival in St. Petersburg, Russia, the 3rd TOUCH Festival in Arkanghelsk, Russia, and the L1 Dance Festival in Budapest, Hungary.
Involved in more than simply proscenium-based repertoire, Mathew collaborated in 2005 with Peter Rothstein of Theater Latte Da, creating Bankrupt City Ballad, a work based on the dance marathons of the 1930s. The piece is now demonstrated and taught across the state of Minnesota through the Shubert Theater’s educational outreach program. Last year, the Walker Art Center recognized ARENA Dances; commissioning the premiere of UGLY in October 2007 at the McGuire Theater.
ARENA Dances has been a company in residence in the rural Minnesota communities of New York Mills, Winona, and Morris, and has been recognized by the following foundations: McKnight, Jerome, Land O’Lakes, Target, Faegre & Benson, Beim, Best & Flanagan, the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council, Archie D. & Bertha H. Walker, the Trust for Mutual Understanding, Markell C. Brooks Fund for Dance of The Minneapolis Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
On the heels of performing with the “rock-star” string quartet in Dancin’ with ETHEL, the company headed for a New York debut at Joyce SoHo, with UGLY October 30–Nov. 2, 2008. In January 2009 we return to Symphony Space, performing with Dance Gotham before touring the works in Philadelphia, PA, Kalamazoo, MI and St. Louis, MO. ARENA finishes off the 13th season with a new show, POP, May 14–17, 2009 at The LAB. Also included is the remount of an audience favorite, resonance to the music of Bjork and a new company work to the sounds of DJ Alexander East.