Tickets for Dancin’ with Ethel are now available from the Southern Theater web site.
October 23-26, 2008 at the Southern Theater
One of the Twin Cities’ most versatile choreographers, Mathew Janczewski combines provocative modern dance with inventive partnering to showcase the skill and grace of his “fearless movers” (CityPages.com). ARENA Dances’ Dancin’ with Ethel brings to the stage two world premieres and three repertory favorites, with live accompaniment by the internationally renowned string quartet Ethel. The concert features an original score by composer Michael Croswell and a new work by Ethel to accompany a duet specifically choreographed for Erin Thompson and Amy Behm-Thomson.
Tickets: $29, pay-as-able Sat. at 5pm
A collaboration with the string quartet “Ethel” and local composer Michael Croswell. Michael Croswell’s participation is supported by an American Composer’s Forum commission and funding from the National Endowment for the Arts.
Hear a preview of music used in the program!
My mouth has an intimate relationship with my foot (working title - quartet) is commissioned by the American Composer’s Forum to partner local composer Michael Croswell with ARENA Artistic Director, Mathew Janczewski, on a new collaboration. Michael and Mathew enjoyed a successful first partnership on Honk, Bonk, Whir, Hum in 2006 for Michael’s debut at the Red Eye Theater. For a choreographer and composer to collaborate at the outset of a piece is a rarity in theater and dance, and both artists look forward to renewing the relationship.
The Composer’s Forum commissioned this new work from Janczewski and invited him to collaborate with a local composer of his choice. Janczewski then approached Croswell for this project, following the success of their Honk, Bonk, Whir, Hum performance.
Duet (performed by Erin Thompson and Amy Behm-Thomson) looks at the relationship of two people after many years of inspiration, teaching and learning from one another, and the type of sisterly love between these two specific dancers.
“Erin Thompson and Amy Thomson, two remarkable dancers, and ETHEL—a group that has inspired many of my works over the past several years—it is truly a thrilling combination.” Mathew Janczewski, Artistic Director of ARENA Dances
Prairie (sextet) is from ARENA’s tenth anniversary season. The work was first set on the dance students at Carleton College. The creation of the work came out of the many long drives out to Northfield and seeing the sun setting on the big wide open land ahead.
Hold On (Octet) Crafted with layers and closely working with the music, Hold On explores the patient waiting that takes place, “the quiet before the storm”. At the very end of the work, the audience is suddenly brought into a vortex of spacious, sweeping, banging movements. The second section of duets, called the antagonistic duets, invites the viewers’ eye to move from couple to couple, questioning how the pushing and pulling affects each person.
Spiral Shift (Octet) First set on the students of St. Olaf College in 2006, Spiral Shift will be performed by ARENA Dances for the first time this season. It is an abstract work investigating the weight and momentum of spirals within the body. The movement arose during a time of that specific investigation and was then further developed through the music of John King.