 |  Lubovitch, Conterto 622
Photo by Jack Mitchell
| Guest Artist Series 2008-2009 36th Season
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Contemporary Dance Theater kicks off its 36th season with a exciting concert by renowned master Lar Lubovitch and concludes with a showcase of the Tri-States own artists. The 2008-09 season is full of contrasts and commentary that cast a spotlight on where contemporary dance is in 2008-09. Two concerts highlight the considerable contribution of African American choreographers to modern dance. Also this season, two must-see concerts from the adventurous realm of contemporary dance theater. Whether large company or solo dancer, time-honored or cutting edge, the 2008-09 Guest Artist Series is a season of great performances by great artists. |
Lar Lubovitch Dance Company
September 26 & 27, 2008
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| Lar Lubovitch is among America’s most prolific, influential and
versatile choreographers, recognized by the New York Times as “one of
the 10 best choreographers in the world.” Renowned for his compelling
synthesis of classical and modern movement, Lubovitch is an important contributor to both ballet and modern dance. His work is highly regarded for its musicality, rhapsodic style and sophisticated formal
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Dvorak Serenade, Photo by Steven Schreiber
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structures as well as its radiant, highly technical choreography and deeply humanistic voice. In 2008-09 the Lar Lubovitch Dance Company celebrates its 40th
Anniversary. For the anniversary tour, Lubovitch will present his 1986
Mozart masterpiece, “Concerto Six Twenty-Two.” When first seen, the work that since became the dance anthem of
the AIDS crisis inspired the entire audience of Carnegie Hall to spring
to its feet and roar their approval. The program is also expected to
include “Dvorak Serenade,” one of Lubovitch’s most recent ballets, and
a new work choreographed to music by Bartok. 
Visit Lar Lubovitch Dance Company's web site |
Philadanco
November 21 & 22, 2008 |
 Philadanco, Photo by Lois Greenfield
| Philadelphia Dance Company, better known as Philadanco, presents a big, exuberant show with a large cast of superb dancers. One of the top four African American dance companies in the country, Philadanco has had 37 years to grow and mature into also one of the most successful and sought-after touring companies as well. Known for its athletic and |
| innovative works, Philadanco maintains
a prodigiously active touring and teaching schedule while still
breaking new ground. The company works with a long roster of renowned
guest choreographers and has developed a reputation for a dance
repertory that is full of originality, passion and diversity. Critics
rave about Philadanco’s electrifying performances and sizzling energy;
routinely praising the dancers for their skill, energy and “ability to
do anything.” Visit Philadanco's web site
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Jane Comfort & Company, "An American Rendition"
January 23 & 24, 2009
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| Jane Comfort & Company create dance theater works that push the intersection of movement and language to a new form of performance. The company is an extraordinary group of dancers, actors and singers who use a wide range of theatrical elements to address contemporary social and cultural issues. | 
Underground River |
"An American Rendition" examines the country’s moral and political paralysis in the face of the entertainment-induced coma that keeps Americans glued to the tube. “An American Rendition” uses integrated text and movement to depict the story of a US citizen who is kidnapped and tortured in a secret prison while the country distracts itself with TV realty shows. Using the remote control as a theatrical device, the company flips from reality to reality show as they offer up savage parodies of American Idol, Fear Factor, and America's Next Top Model, shows which feature humiliation as titillating entertainment.
Visit Jane Comfort & Company web site
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Maureen Fleming, "The Waters of Immortality"
February 20 & 21, 2009
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Maurenn Fleming, Flower Revolution, Photo by Lois Greenfield
| Maureen Fleming uses her remarkably pliable body the way a painter wields a brush, transporting us by the power of her images to new realms of myth and meaning. A master of butoh, the minimalist movement developed in post war Japan, Fleming creates a spellbinding form of multi-media visual theater she refers to as surreal movement poetry. Her goal is to reveal the transcendent through images that focus on the human body as a vehicle of transformation. With her fine ensemble of designers and co-performers, Fleming creates metaphorical images that explore |
| our never-ending search for what is
universal about the journey of the soul. "Waters of Immortality" (2007) is a six-part work inspired by the writings of William Butler Yeats, integrating dance into a multimedia tableaux featuring three-dimensional video projections, Japanese bamboo flute music, still photography by the legendary Lois Greenfield and music by Philip Glass. Visit Maureen Fleming's web site |
Gesel Mason Dance Projects, "No Boundaries: Dancing the Visions of Contemporary Black Choreographers"
March 20 & 21, 2009
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| The incomparable dancer/choreographer Gesel Mason has won awards and wowed critics with her dramatic intensity and technical control. Her solo dance theater work, “No Boundaries: Dancing the Visions of Contemporary Black Choreographers,” celebrates the diversity of style and vision in the field of modern dance. For this unique project, leading black choreographers from different generations, including Bebe Miller, Donald McKayle, Reggie Wilson, Andrea Woods, David Roussève, and Jawole Willa Jo Zollar set original and historical works on the phenomenal solo dancer. Mason herself has
|  Gesel Mason, Photo by Paul Emerson
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| created work for this project, thereby encompassing
almost seven decades of choreographic vision. Mason weaves video clips
of these artists and others between the dances, revealing the people,
words and ideas behind the work. Together, the artists demonstrate the
diversity of work by, for and about African-Americans; their visions
push Black Dance in America beyond stereotypes and color boundaries. |
Choreographers Without Companies
June 12 & 13, 2009
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Jeri Gatch, Peloton Photo by Lynn
| Contemporary Dance Theater’s annual showcase of the best new work by Tri-State choreographers is a beloved tradition among the local dance community. Always an audience favorite, CWC presents a delightfully varied selection of dances by the area’s talented pool of choreographers and dancers. Accomplished artists with a lifetime of dance-making share the stage with ambitious newcomers bringing |
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fresh ideas. It is a festival of diverse voices, styles, sensibilities
and visions, offering a window into the world of possibilities for
creating dance.
Selected by a panel of dance professionals and produced by CDT director
Jefferson James, CWC never fails to enchant and amaze.
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2008-09 Sponsors Contemporary Dance Theater receives season
support from
   
   The Lar Lubovitch Dance Company performance is funded in part by the National Dance Project of the New England Foundation for the Arts, with lead funding from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. Additional funding provided by the Ford Foundation, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and MetLife Foundation.  Click on logo for more information about NEFA
The performance of Philadanco is partially
supported by a grant from Pennsylvania Performing Arts on Tour, a program developed and funded by the Heinz
Endowments; the William Penn Foundation; the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency; and The Pew Charitable
Trusts; and administered by Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation."  Click on logo for more information about PennPAT
Performances by Maureen Fleming, Jane Comfort & Company and Gesel Mason are supported by the National Performance Network.  Click on logo for more information about NPN
CELEBRATING 36 YEARS!
Contemporary Dance Theaer was
founded in 1972 by Jefferson James and remains the only arts organization in the Tri-State dedicated to promoting and
presenting contemporary dance. CDT operates a dance studio and performance space in the historic College Hill
Town Hall, 1805 Larch Avenue, Cincinnati, 45224. For more information call (513) 591-1222 or visit www.cdt-dance.org.
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