Hidden Dimensions – An Evening of Live Music and Dance

WHO: Uptown Dance Company and Axiom Quartet
WHAT: Hidden Dimensions – an evening of live music and dance
WHEN: March 2-3, 7:30pm
WHERE: Uptown Dance Centre
7417 Shadyvilla Ln
Houston, TX 77055

Hidden Dimensions – An Evening of Live Music and Dance

On March 2-3, 2018, Uptown Dance Company partners with Houston’s Axiom Quartet for two performances of “Hidden Dimensions,” a program of three new dance works all performed to live music. The performances, which take place at Uptown Dance Centre, feature music from three Phillip Glass String Quartets, the first Cello Suite by Benjamin Britten, and selections from Axiom Quartet’s upcoming debut album (“Axiom – Moments of Truth,” release date April 13, 2018, Parma Recordings).

Choreographer Andre Silva, current principal dancer with Texas Ballet Theater, returns to Uptown Dance Company with his newest creation. Mr. Silva’s Hidden Dimensions marks his final installment of a multi-year project, moving towards the creation of an evening length work titled To the moon and back (planned for Uptown Dance Company’s upcoming 20th anniversary season). Mr. Silva’s previous works for the same project (Cosmos, 2015; and Wherever you go there you are, 2016) explore themes of aggression, sensuality, playfulness, and solitude. Mr. Silva says his newest work “combines the past concepts, including: mindfulness within each moment of movement, space in different levels – both ethereal, and those around us – and expression of emotions through movement.” With Hidden Dimensions, Mr. Silva explores a narrative approach to his choreographic process, creating a work that portrays a woman caught in a dream realm.

Music from Axiom’s new album inspired Artistic Director Beth Gulledge-Brown’s newest pas de deux, titled At first sight. The musical selections highlight Axiom’s focus on performing varied musical genres, ranging from Haywyre and Monteverdi. Drawing her inspiration recent life events of her dancers, as well as the kinetic energy of the music, Gulledge-Brown describes her work as an example of “art imitating life.” Guest dancer Rupert Edwards also returns, building on his artistic relationship that began with Uptown Dance Company last season.

Even in a city as culturally rich as Houston, audiences rarely get the opportunity to hear one of the solo cello suites by Benjamin Britten in live performance. Axiom cellist Patrick Moore first approached Uptown Dance Company in 2015 with the idea of programming Britten’s Cello Suite No. 1, seeking the addition of choreography and lighting alongside his performance to provide multiple pointes of access to listeners. The concept greatly interested choreographer Alex Pandiscio and sparked a collaboration. Through numerous discussions of the musical structure and motifs, Moore and Pandiscio extracted themes in the work that resonated with them both – fate, separation, trauma, love, fear, and triumph. These themes form the basis for the programmatic work, Entanglement.