On Saturday, October 16th, Sanspointe will transform the lobby at Birmingham Museum of Art with modern dance, live music, art and spoken word.
Sanspointe will present Dances Fall in Tuscaloosa at Morgan Auditorium on Tuesday evening, October 26th. July 30, 2010; Birmingham, Ala – Birmingham-based, professional modern dance company Sanspointe will present “Kinetic Canvas: A Dance Installation” at the Birmingham Museum of Art on Saturday, October 16, at 1:00 and 3:00 in the afternoon. The performance is free of charge and open to all!
The partnership between Sanspointe and the Museum began in June 2010 when Sanspointe’s Artistic Director Shellie Chambers began a conversation with the Museum’s Assistant Curator of Education Kristen Greenwood about the possibility of collaborating with the Museum to present a dance installation in their space...dances inspired by the museum itself.
Chambers felt it was time to do something new and unexpected following the company’s four-day run of “Primary Subject” in May.
“After our May concert, I felt that our company and audience members needed to see something different in our next concert. I immediately began looking for an unconventional space where we could perform that would inspire our work and expand our audience.” said Chambers.
Everything fell into place, and the company is now rehearsing five new site-specific dances that will be presented in “Kinetic Canvas: A Dance Installation.” Twelve Sanspointe members and friends are collaborating on these works, which include live music, spoken word and of course dance and art. The 40-minute performance will be performed twice on October 16, 2010, at no cost to the public.
In addition to the public performances on October 16, Sanspointe will perform on August 24th for UAB students, faculty and staff who have been invited to read the UAB 2010 Discussion Book, Outcasts United, by Birmingham’s own Warren St. John, and view the artwork, Mpanqui, Jimaqua (Brotherhood, Twins) by Cuban artist José Bedia. The artwork was selected by Museum staff to complement the book as it reflects many of the book’s themes. The performance piece is a collaboration by Chambers and Sanspointe Founder Michelle Hamff that features movement and spoken word in four languages. Three community members have been invited to perform in the work.
Sanspointe was founded by Michelle Hamff in 2003 to provide choreographers and dancers with an opportunity to create new work, collaborate artistically and present high-quality modern dance performances for the community. Sanspointe presents at least two concerts of original and inventive choreography by a handful of Alabama dance artists each year, and has presented more than 30 original works by Alabama choreographers.
Under the artistic direction of Shellie Chambers, Sanspointe has been recognized as a 501 (c) (3) tax exempt organization with ten company members, including dance artists, musicians and designers. Sanspointe’s members bring a diversity of interests, experiences and talents to the Company. This unique fusion of artistic ideas and inspirations allows Sanspointe to constantly evolve and challenge its members’ and audience’s expectations of modern dance.
Founded in 1951, the Birmingham Museum of Art has one of the finest collections in the Southeast supported by a strong educational program designed to make the arts come alive for children and adults throughout the region.
To learn more about Sanspointe, visit www.sanspointe.org. For more information on Birmingham Museum of Art, visit www.artsbma.org.
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North Carolina-based Guest Artist Killian Manning’s There was Morning and Evening, Another Day to music by Kit Weinart.
An aerial dance choreographed by newest company member Rachael Inman, performed with an unusual partner, a swing to music by Terry Riley.
A whimsical trio by Taryn Lavery to music by mum.
A frenzied duet, Mind Over Me, choreographed by Shellie Chambers to John's Book of Alleged Dances, a composition by John Coolidge Adams for string quartet and piano and performed by Kronos Quartet.
A collaborative work “I made something for you” in which dance artist Rhea Speights and musician Justin Wallace contribute to the original soundscore.
Closing out the program is Another Landscape, collaborative work by Lynn Bowman and Speights, featuring six dancers and music by Dirty Three. Another Landscape creates and recreates and creates again pictures and images inspired by the perpetual act of making art. The choreographers Lynn Bowman and Rhea Speights used various artists as jumping off points for this collaborative work including Vincent Van Gogh, Michael Corinne West, Marc Chagall, and Antony Gormley.
Have you ever wondered how a dance is created, what goes on in the studio before the performance, or what kinds of questions the artists ask as they create? Join Sanspointe April 17th to observe rehearsal, view a work in progress and chat with the artists about their process.
Join us at 3:30 on April 17th for PreMoves: dances in progress - an open rehearsal, and preview of new work Another Landscape choreographed by Lynn Bowman and Rhea Speights followed by a facilitated discussion with the artists.
This event is free to attend, but a reservation is requested at http://premoves.eventbrite.com.
Donations are welcome when you register above, at the event or anytime year 'round on our web site www.sanspointe.org. Your donation will support Sanspointe's 2010 Season, including Primary Subject and Dances Fall, and is tax-deductible. Thanks for your consideration.
You are also invited to join the company for class on April 17th from 1:00 until 2:30 at CDF Studios. Class is $10. Then, stick around to observe rehearsal and preview of Another Landscape.
Sanspointe is pleased to present Primary Subject May 13-16 at the CDF Studio Theatre in Birmingham, featuring new dance works choreographed by Alabama-based dance artists Lynn Bowman, Shellie Chambers, Rachael Inman, Taryn Lavery, Rhea Speights and North Carolina-based guest artist Killian Manning and new music by Justin Wallace.
Included in Primary Subject is Manning’s "There was Morning and Evening, Another Day” to music by Kit Weinart. Manning spent two weeks in Birmingham during the 2009 Holidays setting the work on six dancers. She is Artistic Director of No Forwarding Address, on the faculty at UNC-Greensboro in Communication Studies and teaches dance at the Ballet School of Chapel Hill.
Speights and Wallace will perform their collaborative work “I made something for you” in which the dancer and musician contribute to the original soundscore. Lavery is presenting choreography for the first time with the company, and Chambers has set a frenzied duet to music by John Adams.
Also featured in Primary Subject is an aerial dance choreographed and performed by newest company member Rachael Inman, cofounder of Fuzion Dance Artists based in Sarasota FL. She will perform with an unusual partner, a swing. Closing out the program is a 20-minute collaborative work by Bowman and Speights, featuring six dancers and music by Dirty Three.
Before the concert begins, the audience will enjoy live music 30 minutes before curtain by up-and-coming singer/songwriter Neil Couvillion. Couvillion will perform songs from his album Time Machine. Recorded with the help of some great musicians and friends, his sound has been described as a mix between Patty Griffin and David Gray.
Primary Subject is sponsored by Andress Engineering Associates, Inc. and Pilates on Highland. The performance is also made possible by grants from the Alabama State Council on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Sanspointe was founded by Michelle Hamff in 2003. Today, the company exists to provide choreographers and dancers with an opportunity to create new work, collaborate artistically and present high-quality modern dance performances for the community. Sanspointe presents two concerts of original and inventive choreography each year by local choreographers for audiences in its hometown of Birmingham, Alabama, and performs at events during the year around the Southeast.
Under the artistic direction of Shellie Chambers, Sanspointe is a 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization.Sanspointe’s members bring a diversity of interests, experiences and talents to the company. This unique fusion of artistic ideas and inspirations allows Sanspointe to constantly evolve and challenges its members and the audience’s expectations of what modern dance is.
Primary Subject will be performed in an intimate theatre setting at Children’s Dance Foundation’s Studio Theatre in Downtown Homewood (1715 27th Court South). Tickets, $12, can be purchased online at www.sanspointe.org. Seating is limited.
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Sanspointe received a grant from The Alabama State Council on the Arts (ASCA) to present Primary Subject in May 13-16, 2010. Primary Subject will feature modern dance works choreographed by Lynn Bowman, Shellie Chambers, Taryn Lavery, Rhea Speights and guest artist Killian Manning. This is Sanspointe's first request and grant from ASCA.
On October 22, following performances of Dances Fall in Birmingham, we performed excerpts of Dances Fall at Vestavia High School (VHS). We were excited to perform for the second time to perform at VHS. We performed one a solo from Michelle Hamff's Neruda No. 5, Rhea Speights Trick or Treat Me Like a Fool, and Lynn Bowman's A Very Dry Spell for more than 600 fine arts students.
