The unexpected can be part of what makes dance exciting. Colleen McCarty, artistic director ofMOVING ART DANCE COMPANY, had to rethink the company's season opener, Habitual Insanity, after a dancer's eleventh-hour injury — a tough situation, given that the cast was only a trio. McCarty decided to reconfigure the piece with two performers. She says little choreography was lost. Movement flows between duets and solos, accompanied by original ambient electronic music, including some distorted female vocals blended with whale sounds. McCarty characterizes the contemporary choreography as "very rhythmic and percussive, very physical — and a little quirky." Performances are Friday-Saturday and Nov. 11-12 at Contemporary Dance Theater (1805 Larch Ave., College Hill). Tickets: 513-621-2787. ...
As its name suggests, Cincinnati Ballet's NEW WORKS FESTIVAL offers several new works, including four world premieres. Presenting edgy, original choreography from local, national and international talent, the diverse program is well suited for the Ballet's intimate new Mickey Jarson Kaplan Performance Studio (1555 Central Parkway at Liberty St.). Many works explore universal interpersonal themes. Sarah Slipper, an award-winning choreographer and the artistic director of the Northwest Professional Dance Project, created an innovative duet about a couple's spatial and symbolic relationships with a table and chair. Cincinnati Ballet's Kelly Ann Sloan choreographed Kiss Me, I'm Quirky while nursing an Achilles tendon injury that kept her from dancing for six months. It playfully satirizes personalities and scenarios within the company. Might inside jokes and politics be revealed? From Italy's internationally celebrated choreographer, Luca Veggetti, there's On the Edge of Silence, examining the possibilities of a dancer's body as an extraordinary and expressive instrument. On a more classical note ballet master Devon Carney has restaged Marius Petipa's demanding classic, La Corsaire Pas de Deux. Carney also presents the energetic Blue Rondo, set to the lively Jazz music of the Dave Brubeck Quartet. The piece challenges dancers with unusual time signatures, atypical phrasing and speed. Audiences take note — most performances this weekend (except for Sunday at 8 p.m.) are sold out; more are scheduled the following weekend. Info: 513-621-5282 or www.cincinnatiballet.com.
CONTACT JULIE MULLINS: jmullins(at)citybeat.com
