On Thursday, July 14 at Tryon Fine Arts Center (TFAC) join an evening of performance excerpts mixed with panel discussion. Featuring three choreographers and dancers from well-respected companies across the country, “Creation of Dance” will provide an up-close and personal look at what dance is all about, while encouraging audience participation with question and answer sessions.
Nick Kepley, one of the featured choreographers, has brought his newly established New York City dance company, MOTION Dance+Theatre, to Asheville this month for a three-week residency. Performing at TFAC allows the dancers a chance to rehearse these new movements in front of an audience in an intimate space well-suited for dance.
Kepley started MOTION last summer as a choreographic laboratory.
“You don’t get to practice the art of choreography very often,” Kepley said. “Artists can make hundreds of sketches before they create a masterpiece. Writers go through hundreds of edits and drafts. But the art of making dances needs time, space and talent, all of which come at a price.”
The benefits of MOTION are not exclusive to the choreographers. Kepley explains that many dancers often feel trapped in a box by their directors, who see them day after day and begin to categorize them and limit their repertory, based on what they think their strengths and weaknesses are. He said that MOTION gives them a chance to push themselves in new ways and discover new sides of their artistry.
“We’re interested in furthering the art of dance, encouraging artists to propel dance into the 21st century,” Kepley said. “The only way to do this is by fostering the creative talent of the future, both creatively and monetarily.”
The performance will take place at 7 p.m. For tickets and more information, contact TFAC box office at 828-859-8322 or visit www.motiondt.com.
– article submitted by Beth Child