Ashani Dances FIVE @ Baltimore's Theatre Project
ASHANI DANCES FIVE!
Baltimore, MD – November 2017
Choreography by Artistic Director/Founder Iyun Ashani Harrison
Live Musical Performances by Singer/Songwriter Marc Avon Evans
THREE PERFORMANCES ONLY
Friday, Nov. 17 at 8PM, Saturday, Nov. 18 at 8PM & Sunday, Nov. 19 at 5 PM
Baltimore Theatre Project, 45 West Preston Street, Baltimore, MD 21201
Tickets: General: $25, Seniors/Artists/Military: $20, Student: $15
Box Office: (410) 752-8558
Purchase tickets at: https://theatreproject.ticketspice.com/five
About the Performance
ASHANI DANCES will present FIVE!, the company’s fifth performance, from November 17-19, 2017 at the Baltimore Theatre Project. The company, founded by Iyun Ashani Harrison in Seattle, relocated to Baltimore and produced its local debut last year. Ashani Dances is a resident dance company for Goucher College’s Center for Dance, Music and Theatre, where Harrison is a dance professor. In response to Ashani Dances’ Baltimore debut performance, Andrew Sargus Klein of Bmoreart.com wrote, “Love Me, Now Leave Me Alone is an important reminder that dance is a powerfully responsive tool, one that has the power to delve deeply, and then go beyond, visual work like Hopper’s ... there were beautiful, breathtaking glimpses of intimacy and melancholy, love and despair: all Hopper-esque, but also universal and evergreen.”
Ashani Dances’ FIVE! will present four original contemporary ballets by Harrison. Opening will be Exquisite Encounter, a lively, virtuosic quartet. Originally commissioned by the Ailey School (NYC), the piece now takes on new life in its Baltimore premiere. Harrison’s dynamic choreography brings the music to life as his dancers push themselves to their physical limit. For David-Anthony is a trio created in response to the death of Harrison’s younger brother. The work was originally created for Pomona College (Los Angeles, CA), where Harrison served as a resident artist earlier this year. This adaptation of the original work delves deeply into the psychology of loss and the tyranny of death. In Prayer, Harrison pays homage to his Jamaican ancestry through music and dance. This piece is a solo which serves as a metaphorical plea for humanity in our contemporary society.
The highlight of this year’s concert offering is musical performances by singer and songwriter Marc Avon Evans and his band, Soul Centered. Evans is a Baltimore-based international recording and performing artist who tours Europe, Asia, and Australia. Blues & Soul Magazine has written, “Marc Evans puts the Soul into Soulful House as he effortlessly grabs every track and stamps quality all over it.” Evans and Harrison will collaborate on Love on The Dancefloor - a lively, steamy dance set in a Charm City nightclub where B’more personalities shine bright.
Ashani Dances will also present a special student concert choreographed and performed by Goucher College’s Dancers of Color Coalition (DOCC). This one time, unique event will be on Saturday, November 18 at 2pm at Baltimore Theatre Project. The concert will feature works choreographed and performed by students and is a tribute to artists of color who have paved the way for current generations. This collaboration between students and Ashani Dances demonstrates the unique niche that Harrison has created for the local dance community and demonstrates the company’s commitment to providing mentorship and opportunities for emerging local talent. (Contact box office for details.)
