Dance Salad Festival 2016

 

Houston, TX – DANCE SALAD FESTIVAL performances on March 24, 25 and 26, 2016, 7:30 PM at the Wortham Center, Cullen Theater, 501 Texas Ave. Houston, 77002.

Now celebrating the 21st anniversary in Houston and the 24th season since its inception in Brussels, Belgium, Dance Salad Festival promises another gathering of world-class performers. Famous in their own countries, the dance companies/dancers have won praise from critics and audiences wherever they have toured.

Choreographers’ Forum, March 23, 7:00 PM @ the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Free event. Check details below.

Press Conference, March 23, 11am-2pm @ Wortham Basement Studio Lounge, 510 Preston, Houston, 77002. Check details below.

For updates, photos and to buy tickets $25-$58, go to: www.dancesalad.org.

Take advantage of the Art Package  for out of town visitors with a discount rates for Festival tickets and rooms at DoubleTree by Hilton Houston, Downtown and free admission to the Museum of Fine Arts Houston. Details on www.dancesalad.org

USA PREMIERES marked with **, Houston Premieres marked with *

–Stuttgart Ballet, Germany, two Principal Dancers, Alicia Amatriain and Jason Reilly will perform Christian Spuck‘s hilarious spoof on ballet,Le Grand Pas de Deux, set to the Overture from “The Thieving Magpie” by Gioachino Rossini. These are dancers of international acclaim and have been named “Outstanding Dancer” in the annual critics’ choice of the magazines Ballettanz and Dance Europe.

–Spellbound Contemporary Ballet, Rome, Italy, will perform highly acclaimed and traveled all over Europe and Asia, Four Seasons*, choreographed by company’s Founder and Artistic Director, Mauro Astolfi, set to music by Antonio Vivaldi and an original contemporary score by Luca Salvadori.

–USA debut by Gartner Platz Theater**, Munich, Germany with Made in Love: Minutemade Act One by renowned Berlin based European choreographer, theater and opera director Marguerite Donlon, set to various music scores, and Versus Standard by Jacopy Godani, who is now the Artistic Director of Dresden Frankfurt Dance Company, former William Forsythe’s company, set to music by 48nord.

 

Royal Ballet of Flanders, Antwerp, Belgium with curated sections from the recently premiered Fall*, the first work created for this company by their new Artistic Director, perennial Festival favorite, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, set to music by Arvo Part as well as Sidi Larbi’s stunning pas de deux Faun, set to Debussy’s original score interlaced with contemporary music created by composer Nitin Sawhney. Faun has been showcased recently at the opening of the first season of Cherkaoui’s Artistic Directorship at the Royal Ballet of Flanders and premiered in Houston in Dance Salad Festival in 2011 by Eastman dancers.

–National Ballet of Canada, Toronto will present Principal Dancers, Sonia Rodriguez and Piotr Stanczyk in a Pas de Deux from the beautiful and melodic ballet Por Ti  by Spanish choreographer Luis Martin Oya set to music by Yasmin Levy.

–Ballet X*, Philadelphia, USA will debut in Texas and Houston with curated sections from Nicolo Fonte’s recently premiered and highly acclaimed work Beasts set to various music scores.

–NW Dance Project*, Portland, USA, will debut in Houston with Yidam set to music by Michael Gordon and choreographed by London born, Ihsan Rustem, who worked with some renown choreographers all over Europe, and is recipient of 2014 Hubbard Street Dance Chicago’s International Commissioning Project and Whim W’Him’s inaugural Choreographic Shindig, 2015. NW Dance Project has fostered the creation and premiere of over 175 original contemporary dance works to date.Dance International Magazine proclaims: “[NW Dance Project is] a laboratory, factory and repository for risk-taking new works from the next generation of choreographers from Europe and North America.”

Choreographers’ Forum on March 23, 7 PM @Museum of Fine Arts, Houston will feature Marguerite Donlon, Choreographer of Made in Love: Minutemade ActOn, Gartner Platz Theater, Munich, Germany, and Mauro Astolfi, Choreographer of Four Seasons, Spellbound Contemporary Ballet, Rome, Italy. Marguerite and Mauro will share their insights on the creative process and show short video clips of their work. The Forum will be moderated by Maggie Foyer, well known dance writer from London, UK. Free event! 1001 Bissonnet St, Houston, TX 77005 

Press Conference: March 23, Wednesday, @ Wortham Basement Studio Lounge, 510 Preston, 77002, from 11 AM – 2 PM one floor down from the entrance level, signs will be posted. Please RSVP directly to Christina Levin at dsfassist@aol.com or 832.533.4826 to arrange your name to be listed with the Wortham Center’s back stage security desk and book an individual time slot from 11 am to 2pm with a particular company’s dancers/choreographer or Director of the festival, Nancy Henderek and/or to have access to rehearsals on stage for photo and video shoots. Individual interviews can be arranged on other days/times depending on artists’ availability. Please contact Christina Leven to arrange.

*****

Classical, modern and contemporary dance share the Dance Salad Festival stage to form a mix of movement and compelling choreography. Some of the world’s best dance companies come to Houston to participate in this week-long Festival. To see the full range of the choreography we highly recommend you attend at least two of the three evenings.

This multicultural presentation has received international recognition for its quality and innovativeness. The city’s Consular Corps is a community partner and many foreign members serve as sponsors and hosts.

Dance Magazine said: “Producer Nancy Henderek’s eye for some of the best international dance is unparalleled.” In a special section of The Houston Chronicle entitled “Houston’s Ultimate People,” Nancy Henderek is described as a “one-woman United Nations.”