Sunday, February 28, 2010 (All day)Images:
An all-day event, the Local Dance History Project Forum will feature a dance class led by project artists, two panel discussions exploring Philadelphia’s contemporary dance scene in the late 1970s and early 80s, and a presentation of archival video clips, photos, flyers, and more. The panels, moderated by Lisa Kraus, will feature project artists Dan Martin and Michael Biello, Jano Cohen, PDP’s Terry Fox, and Ishmael Houston-Jones, alongside Jeff Cain, musician, playwright, performance artist, and co-founder of Old City Arts; Gerry Givnish, visual artist and co-founder of the Painted Bride Art Center; Wendy Hammarstrom, who appeared with the project artists in Dance & Dancers; and Bruce Schimmel, journalist, founder of Philadelphia City Paper, and editor of Dance Dialog, a journal of critical writing circa 1980.
SCHEDULE: 12 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Admission is free. For more information, contact Philadelphia Dance Projects at (215) 546-2552.
12 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. | Open Class
Experience a dance and movement class led by the Local Dance History Project artists. This class is open to everyone, experienced or not, adept or not.
2 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. | Discussion: Expanding the definition of dance and performance in Philly circa 1980
How were the artists featured in Dance & Dancers– a sold-out presentation at the Harold Prince Theater at the Annenberg Center for Performing Arts in 1980– exemplary of countering the prevailing styles of modern dance in Philadelphia at that time? How did they weave their socio-political points of view into their artistic work?
Panelists | Michael Biello, Jano Cohen, Terry Fox, Wendy Hammarstrom, Ishmael Houston-Jones, and Dan Martin; Moderated by Lisa Kraus.
3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. | Break/Refreshments
4:30 p.m. – 6 p.m. | Discussion: The rise of the “independent” performing artist, collaborations and “pick-up companies” along with “alternative” venues and press
Time travel to 1975-1983 with those who were there. Explore the creative environment in Philadelphia when there were no local dance presenters with “real” theaters, nor funding for individual performing artists. Real estate was cheap but what were the other factors that made it possible to be inspired, make art and get it to the public?
Panelists | Michael Biello, Jeff Cain, Jano Cohen, Terry Fox, Wendy Hammarstrom, Ishmael Houston-Jones, Gerry Givnish, Dan Martin, and Bruce Schimmel; Moderated by Lisa Kraus.
The Local Dance History Project is made possible by a grant from the Pew Center for Arts & Heritage through Dance Advance, with additional support from the PA Humanities Council’s “Our Stories, Our Future” initiative and the Dolfinger McMahon Foundation.