The BOOST dance festival 2012

Entering its third year, the BOOST dance festival will boast an astounding line up of Seattle and San Francisco artists. Following the sold out successes of 2011, BOOST returns to The Erickson Theater, March 1617 and 2324, 2012. Playing host for a total of 10 local choreographers and 2 guest artists, BOOST is gearing up to present highly athletic, artistically driven works. The 2012 BOOST artists include Iyun Harrison of Ashani Dance, Kate Wallich, Catherine Cabeen of Catherine Cabeen and Company,… Show more Kristen Legg of Redd Legg Dance, Maya Soto and Anne Motl of Northwest Dance Syndrome, Keneniah Bystrom and Victoria McConnell, Eric Aguillar of Serendip Dance, Markeith Wiley and Calie Swedberg, Marlo Martin of badmarmar dance, Jeanette Male, and Elizabeth Chitty and Suzanne Myer of Project Tremolo.
The BOOST dance festival continues its mission to become a catalyst for local choreographers and performers by creating an environment of support and inspiration. BOOST producer, Marlo Martin, believes in the power of positive energy, and she works tirelessly to ensure that BOOST achieves its goals with compassion, clarity, and accountability. From start to finish, this festival strives to be the best, for its applicants, artists, performers, technical crew, and audience members. BOOST proudly offers a transparent selection process, complete with the announcement and celebration of its astute panel members, and dedicates time and energy to producing thorough and thoughtful feedback to all applicants. Through this very specific process, BOOST hopes to bridge relationships and create opportunities for networking between new artists within Seattle and from a far. This year's panel included Aiko Kinoshita (Seattle), David Lorence (San Francisco), Kristin Hapke (Pennsylvania/Seattle), and Marlo Martin (Seattle).
Following the selection of the artists, BOOST quickly moves on to supporting its artists and performers by giving 20 hours of free rehearsal space at eXit SPACE in Green Lake. The festival also promotes the artists through a series of master classes. This year's BOOST master class teachers are an astoundingly impressive group of individuals. The instructor's range of experience, backgrounds, and styles are vast creating a bill of classes that will entice and inspire any dancer. The 2012 BOOST Master Class Series includes: Kristen Legg (contemporary ballet), Catherine Cabeen (advanced modern), Maya Soto and Anne Motl (modern with partnering technique), Keneniah Bystrom (physical theater/improvisation), Suzanne Meyer and Elizabeth Chitty (contemporary), Kate Wallich (modern), and Marlo Martin (modern). The Master Class Series will take place March 1222; specific times and dates will be available February 15, 2012.
Most dance lovers in Seattle will recognize many of the 2012 artists, but some names are new to this city's dance scene. Honoring its dedication to merge veteran choreographers and emerging artists into one festival, BOOST will blow the audience away with its pure physicality, fresh perspective, and genuine talent. This year's artists are gearing up to present works that are both artistically and physically motivated. A common thread is emerging this year, and it is looking like it will be centered on the pure athleticism, stamina, and technique needed in dance. So get ready to be inspired and wowed.
Iyun Harrison and Kate Wallich have been recognized for their exceptional artistic merit and will be presenting their works throughout the run of the festival. Audiences should count themselves lucky for so many chances to view choreography by these stellar artists.
Mr. Harrison has been gathering energy and force while on faculty at Cornish College of the Arts. He has begun the development of his new company, Ashani Dances, and he is eager to show Seattle audiences what he is all about. Ashani Dances will perform Union, a work that Mr. Harrison believes best represents his artistic perspective as a choreographer. Union debuted in 2010 at Webster University, and was later selected for American College Dance Festival's national performance at the Kennedy Center's Eisenhower Theater. Mr. Harrison's inspiration for Union came while living in the Midwest and observing several of his young female students' emotions in regards to the pressure and expectation that they should be wed, or at the very least engaged, by their junior year. With a fierceness of raw movement, along with grace and poise, Ashani Dances offers a work that is both engaging to watch and thought-provoking.
Kate Wallich is a rising star in the Seattle dance scene. In large part, Ms. Wallich was seen and noted following the performance of A Wood Frame at last year's BOOST dance festival. Since then Ms. Wallich's work has been seen in NEXTfest NW and in her self-produced concert with Allie Hawkins. Ms. Wallich, in collaboration with Lavina Vago, will present an adapted exceprt from her full length work, Room with Themes. Audiences can rest assured that Ms. Wallich and Vago will stretch the limits of their own technique, which is immaculate, while creating a landscape rich in imagery, soulfulness, and intent.
From the seasoned, awe-inspiring Catherine Cabeen of Catherine Cabeen and Company to Michigan-transplant Kristen Legg of Redd Legg Dance to the newbie surprise Eric Aguillar of Serendip Dance, BOOST delivers, staying true to its vision of presenting both the veteran and new artists.
Catherine Cabeen will present and perform a mesmerizing solo work, Composites. The work, originally performed in Seattle in 2010, has been seen in New York, Santa Fe, and Baltimore. Composites is a collaborative work between Ms. Cabeen (choreographer/performer), Jay McAleer (writer), and Julian Martlew (composer). Composites is a strikingly kinetic work that was made in response to the phonetic structures and rhythm of McAleer's text. The movement vocabulary, performed at the speed of speech, creates a rich visual palette for the audience and an extreme challenge of articulation for the performer, of which Ms. Cabeen masters.
Kristen Legg has been producing work here in Seattle since the day she arrived. Redd Legg Dance's work varies from the abstract and hilarious to the balletic and composed. This year, all points are coming together as Ms. Legg has assembled an amazing group of technical and seasoned performers. With full extensions that seem to rise into the sky without effort, Redd Legg Dance members are a bright spot in the Seattle dance scene. Ms. Legg throws audiences a fun curve ball as she bends classical lines and distorts the picture perfect qualities of traditional modern dance in her work titled Mother May I
Eric Aguillar's first and only work was shown at 12 Minutes Max in 2011. Mr. Aguillar's eye for details, his control and clarity of movement, and his truly unique voice make him an exciting new artist to watch. He found his inspiration in a "free pile" of photos, being struck by the vulnerability and strength of the pictured women. The photos came from a medical text "Physical Diagnosis" showing the bare chest of women. In collaboration with video artist Aubrey Birdwell, Ms. Aquillar's work Abnormalities of the Thorax will feature members of Serendip Dance.
Collaboration is key for these three outstanding duos: Maya Soto and Anne Motl of Northwest Dance Syndrome, Keneniah Bystrom and Victoria McConnell, and Markeith Wiley and Calie Swedberg. From the long-time partnership of Ms. Motl and Ms. Soto comes a surprisingly new look to their company and its choreography. This year Northwest Dance Syndrome dons their dark side. Ms. Motl and Ms. Soto have casted new dancers along with long-time members to play out the distinctly creepy roles of a dysfunctional family. The male/female duos of Bystrom/McConnell and Wiley/Swedberg are both new partnerships. All four artists are young, within years of graduating college and it is from this freshness that they each explore and create new works. These artists are eager to present and are willing to take risks, which will prove to be very entertaining to watch.
Festival producer, Marlo Martin, will present excerpts from tenSIDES by badmarmar dance. Ms. Martin's work has been seen for years in Seattle, but has truly exploded onto the scene within the last year with showings at NEXTfest NW, Full Tilt, the Velocity Fall Kick Off, 12 Minutes Max at On the Boards, Spotlight on Seattle, and BOOST 2011. Ms. Martin was listed as one of the Top11 in '11 by SeattleDances and her company is on a mission to create physical movement that is inspired and created from human experience and emotion. tenSIDES will debut in its entirety April 2728, 2012 in a split-bill with fellow BOOST presenter Kate Wallich at Velocity Dance Center.
In an effort to further develop and bridge relationships between artists, BOOST offered a Guest Artist application in 2012. With an overwhelming response from artists from New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, Portland, and more, this year's artists truly earned their place as the inaugural guests of BOOST 2012.
Jeanette Male is a recent graduate of Cornish College of the Arts and is currently a graduate student at Mills College. Ms. Male will present a solo work entitled Cornered, which, true to its name, is performed in constructed corner that will be placed on stage while blind-folded.
Project Tremolo promises to bring impressive technical feats and highly passionate performances from its directors, Ms. Chitty and Ms. Meyer. With backgrounds ranging from concert dance to industrials and music videos, Project Tremolo will be a refreshing and entertaining voice within the festival format. Nowhere Space is a series of solos and duets stung together that explore the use of no boundaries, no gravity, and no expectations and how these affects the performers' ability to connect with space and their own body.
The BOOST dance festival 2012 promises to be rich in content and form. While showcasing the talents of some favorite Northwest's and national choreographers, along with the new voices of the next generation of artists, BOOST will do it all with its own special style. BOOST is a one of a kind Seattle dance festival. In its third year it is the show to see! Tickets go on sale February 24. Visit www.boostdancefestival.com for details.

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