Houston Contemporary Dance Company Presents Localish
HOUSTON CONTEMPORARY DANCE COMPANY Presents LOCALISH
FEBRUARY 27TH AND 28TH
7:30PM PERFORMANCE
RESERVED TICKETS: $25
INSTITUTE OF CONTEMPORARY DANCE
1302 HOUSTON AVE ST 300
HOUSTON, TX 77007
(713)-804-6646
Houston, TX- HCDC presents Localish February 27th and 28th at 7:30PM at the Institute of Contemporary Dance. Founding Artistic and Executive Director, Marlana Doyle has curated 7 Houston based choreographers to present new, smaller works on the company in an intimate setting with the theme and/ or idea to be based around the City of Houston and its ties to diverse communities surrounding the city. These artists are: Mia Angelini, Lenorris Arnold, Laura Guittierez, Key’Aria Lockett, Robbie Moore, Olivia Morrow and Isabella Vik.
LOCALISH is funded in part by the Houston Arts Alliance through the City of Houston, Texas Commissionon the Arts, National Endowment for the Arts, Mid America Arts Alliance and Dance Source Houston. We would also like to thank Bob Boblitt, Bobbie Nau, Shirley and Brian Colona and Amegy Bank, for their support this Season. Thank you to the Alice Kleberg Reynolds Foundation for their support of this performance!
Read more about the 7 Local Guest Choreographers below:
Mia Angelini is originally from Jefferson, Pennsylvania. She graduated from Point Park University with a BFA in Dance. While at Point Park, she had the opportunity to perform in the International Choreography Competition as a part of the Jazz Dance World Congress. Upon graduating, she became a company member of METdance, in Houston, Texas. During her 7 seasons with the MET, she performed works by many renowned choreographers at various venues local to Houston, as well as the Inside/Out Series at Jacob’s Pillow, Spring to Dance in St. Louis, Women in Dance in Baton Rouge, Palm Desert Choreography Festival, and the Dallas Dance Festival. She has been teaching and choreographing for competitive studios and pre-professional programs for the past 14 years, is the Houston Contemporary 2 Director and is thrilled to have the opportunity to work with the beautiful artists of HCDC.
Lenorris Arnold is originally from Memphis, Tennessee, Mr. Arnold moved to Houston, Texas and studied all dance disciplines at Masters, The Upper Level in Stafford, TX. His unique lyrical style of movement garnered attention from both drill teams and dance studios throughout Houston and he has become an extremely sought after teacher and choreographer in Texas and Louisiana. In addition, he judges promising young talent with Elevation On Tour as well as Thunderstruck Dance Competition. Lenorris’ choreography has won numerous top awards at competitions such as Adrenaline Dance Convention, Legacy Dance Competition, Primetime Dance Productions, Hall of Fame Dance Competition, Artists Simply Human Dance Workshop, Move Dance Productions, New York City Dance Alliance, StarSystems Talent Competition, and Showstopper Competitions. Lenorris greatest achievement thus far is his show that he directed and produced that opened December 29, 2022 at The Match Theatre in Downtown Houston entitled “The Iris”.His greatest inspiration is the progress of the dancers themselves.
Laura Gutierrez is a dancer, choreographer and teaching artist originally from Houston, Tx. A graduate of the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, she received a BFA in Contemporary Dance from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. She performed works by Joan Jonas, Tino Sehgal, Robert Wilson and has worked with Cara Hagan, Jane Weiner, Rosie Trump, Helen Simoneau and Jonah Bokaer Choreography. As a multidisciplinary choreographer, her work is influenced by concert dance, site-specific works of art and architecture. She was named one of Dance Magazine’s “25 to Watch” (2014) and currently teaches at Kinder HSPVA.
Key’Aria Lockett is a Dallas-born choreographer, performer, filmmaker, and educator whose work lives at the intersection of embodied storytelling, immersive experience, and radical imagination. Her movement language draws from ballet and modern techniques, including Cunningham, Horton, and Countertechnique, combined with Pilates-inspired somatics, presence, and spatial awareness. She holds an MFA in Dance from Hollins University and a BFA in Creative Performance from Boston Conservatory. As a performer, she has worked with Dallas Black Dance Theatre II, Urbanity Dance, and VLA Dance. She has appeared in works presented by the Institute of Contemporary Art Boston and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Her choreographic work spans stage, screen, and site-specific installation. She has been recognized with an Emerging Filmmaker Award for Roxbury Love Story and has presented work both nationally and internationally. Her most recent international piece, Virtue, was created for the dancers of MindLeaps Rwanda and premiered at the 2024 Ubumuntu International Arts Festival. Key’Aira is currently Assistant Professor of Dance at the University of Houston, where she teaches advanced technique, composition, and directs the Dance Ensemble.
Robbie Moore is a celebrated dancer with extensive experience in the United States and abroad. Moore grew up dancing from age six in Houston, Texas, where he attended the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. He is a 2010 U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts. Moore graduated from the Juilliard School in 2014. Moore toured internationally with L.A. Dance Project, under the direction of Benjamin Millepied, from 2015-2017. In 2017, he moved to Belgium to work for Eastman – Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui. Moore has performed with Opera Ballet Vlaanderen (2018-2020) and Ballet du Grand Théâtre de Genève (2022). In 2023, he appeared in Iconoloclast’s commercial ad for Lady Gaga x Dom Pérignon directed by Yoann Lemoine. He is excited to work as a guest artist and choreographer for Houston Contemporary Dance Company for their upcoming season. Robbie currently resides working as a freelance dancer, Pilates instructor, movement coach and choreographer.
Olivia Morrow began her formal training at the High School of Performing Arts in Houston, Texas, and continued her education at the University of Houston where she graduated with a BFA in Dance as a Joanna Friesen Dance Scholarship recipient. Upon graduation, she was awarded Excellence in Choreography by the HSPVA faculty as well as 2021 Recognition in Choreography by the University of Houston faculty. She has presented work at the Midtown Fall Festival in Philadelphia, Dancing Through College and Beyond in New York City, and {254} Dance-Fest in Waco, TX. She was selected for the Emerging Choreographer Fellowship through Aimed Dance Company, has exhibited work in collaboration with Dani Hammack through DiverseWorks for The Happening- Kinder HSPVA 50th Anniversary Exhibition, as well as Spaces Dance Concert presented by HTX Connect at the MATCH Theatre. She is delighted present work in collaboration with the HCDC artists as part of Localish.
Isabella Mireles Vik is an interdisciplinary artist focusing on movement, choreography, physical performance and body art. Vik’s work explores themes focused on societal struggles and the human condition, creating dynamic physicality while blending abstract narratives. Vik creates work for galleries, theaters, film and site specific spaces. Their process is dialectical and conceptual, often influenced by their current conditions and challenging those conditions. In 2023 they formed the performance project Aufheben in which they currently direct and choreograph Vik’s larger group works. Vik has performed and researched both nationally and internationally for their artistic practice having traveled to Greece, Spain, Germany, Mexico, New York and Los Angeles for performances or programs. Intersecting performance art and movement together, their training has brought them to artists and mentors such as Ron Athey, Sade Alleyne (Alleyne Dance), Laja Field, Anton Lachkey, Sita Osthiemer, Edivaldo Ernesto, Horacio Macuacua, Francisco Cardovo and Peter Jasko. Currently, Vik is focused on producing a new evening length for the Fall of 2026 and continuing their freelance work as both a performer and choreographer.
ABOUT HOUSTON CONTEMPORARY DANCE COMPANY:
Houston Contemporary aims to lead and innovate performing arts in Houston by drawing upon the director’s long tradition of inclusiveness and diversity within all facets of the organization. HCDC sets itself apart by employing high caliber performing and choreographic artists from across the country. In setting high technical and artistic standards, HCDC is currently the only contemporary repertory company to provide Houston audiences with opportunities to view works created by some of America’s most exciting dancemakers that speak to and are representative of the full spectrum of Houston’s diverse populace, while supporting talented Texas based artists as well.
For more information about Houston Contemporary Dance Company and how to purchase tickets, please see below:
Houston Contemporary Promo Video
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