D.C.-areadanceenthusiasts have the opportunity to witness some of the most exquisitedanceworks from across the country this spring at theMasonDanceCompany’s 2022GalaConcert on March 25 and 26.
“We are thrilled to be back in-person for the annual MasonDanceCompanyGalaConcert this year. Our company is honored and excited to perform workfrom some of the most important choreographers of our timewhile showcasing the incredible talent of our young artists at the start of their professional careers,” saysDirector of the Mason School ofDance.
This eagerly anticipated program returns as a in-person performance this year, showcasing AV students in four thrilling and technically-demanding works choreographed by some of the biggest names indance:Camille A. Brown(City of Rain),Alejandro Cerrudo(Silent Ghost [excerpt]), as well as world premieres byChristopher d'AmboiseԻLarry Keigwin.
Held prior to the March 26DanceGalaConcert performance,theMasonDanceFêteis an intimate benefit to showcase Masondancers and programs.Guests of theFêteare invited into studios to see sections of the works to be performed by students, who also present insights about the choreographer and the work itself. All net proceeds from the MasonDanceFête go toward the.
Meet the Choreographers:
is a prolific Black female choreographer, who is reclaiming the cultural narratives of African American identity. Some of her most recent artistic endeavors include being co-director and choreographer for New York Metropolitan Opera’s production of and choreographer of. She has also directed and choreographed the upcoming Broadway revival of,opening April 1. Her bold work taps into both ancestral stories and contemporary culture to capture a range of deeply personal experiences, empowering Black bodies to tell their story using their own language through movement and dialogue.
City of Rain, adancefor 10 with music by Jonathan Melville Pratt, was created for her own company in 2010. The work was recreated for the in 2019, and that is the version which has been staged for the MasonDanceCompany. City of Rain draws upon the emotional depth of losing a close friend and takes the audience through a journey of rich choreographic composition, complex rhythms, and movement signature.
Additionally, the Center for the Arts will welcome Camille A. Brown andDancers, as a Mason Artist-in-Residence, for a creative development residency with Mason’s School ofDanceand the greater Northern Virginia community. This residency willlead up to their Center for the Arts performance the following weekend, on April 2.
is an award-winning international choreographer whose body of work has been performed by more than 20 professionaldancecompanies across the globe. Cerrudo was appointed the first ever Resident Choreographer for in 2020, following his decade-long role as resident choreographer for Hubbard StreetDanceChicago. With his work in high demand from the New York City Ballet, the Guggenheim, and Ballet Theater Basel, dancing his work is a tremendous opportunity for students to explore the “rippling, serpentine flow” (The New York Times) of Cerrudo’s choreographic vision. Originally created for Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, ourdancers will perform the signature haunting duet fromSilent Ghost, to the music of Nils Frams. This sensual duet takes the audience on an emotional, intimate journey through luscious and fluid partnering.
is currently a Heritage Professor in the School ofDanceat AV. Born into a family ofdancers, he became a principaldancer in the New York City Ballet, and from 1990 to 1994, he was the artistic director, president, and CEO of the Pennsylvania Ballet.He also has a passion for musical theater and performed in the Broadway production ofSong andDance, which earned him a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actor in a Musical.d’Amboise’s yet-to-be-titled world premiere is set to Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G major. He says, “The 2nd movement is exciting with its sweeping lyrical exaltation that is suddenly undercut by intentional ‘wrong notes’ expressing a kind of ‘broken beauty’ that is haunting and captivating.” With that in mind, d’Amboise juxtaposes traditional poetic phrasing with contemporary athleticism and angular lines. Ninedancers move as a collective community, weathering sweeping emotional turmoil, joyful exuberance, and a shared sense of strength in unity.
is the final choreographer to be featured in this thrilling evening ofdance. His numerous career credits include curator, choreographer,dancer, educator, and artistic director. Since founding in 2003, Keigwin created more than 23 works for the company, which have seen performances on stages including The Kennedy Center, The Joyce Theater, Works & Process at the Guggenheim, and the New York City Center. A native New Yorker, Keigwin’s choreography is characterized by “a theatrical sensibility of wit, style, and heart” and he has received global recognition for his commitment to education and preparation of youngdancers for substantial professional careers in contemporarydance. The MasonDanceCompany will premiere his new work titledParade,set to an energetic new score by Curtis Macdonald.Paradeis an action-packeddancefeaturing 20dancers that delight the senses with bounding and groove through the space, moving in and out of complex patterns.