Houston Met Presents 2|2

Press Contact:
Suzanne Davis | Amber Henrie
Suzanne@inthelights.net
Amber@inthelights.net

HOUSTON MET PRESENTS 2|2: AN EVENING OF WORKS BY EMERGING AND ESTABLISHED CHOREOGRAPHERS

Sidra Bell and Lauren Edson to Present World Premieres

 

HOUSTON, October 9, 2013 – The Houston Metropolitan Dance Company (MET Dance), Houston’s leading dance company known for its invigorating jazz and contemporary repertoire, presents 2|2: two nights and two world premieres on November 7- 8 at 8:00 p.m. at the Cullem Theatre, Wortham Center. Choreographers Sidra Bell (NYC) will premiere Under Your Skinand Lauren Edson (Boise, ID) premieres  After the Rain. The company will restage Peter Chu’s thought-provoking piece hidden in plain sight, an audience favorite that premiered in April 2013. Repertory pieces EYE by Jason McDole (Pittsburgh, PA) and Ricky Ruiz’s (Chicago, IL) Ask the Dust will round out the performance roster.

“The talent of these artists is truly extraordinary,” says Marlana Doyle, Artistic Director for MET Dance. “Whether more seasoned, or up and coming, each choreographer captures the emotion, energy and beauty that makes MET Dance so captivating to audiences.”

Under Your Skin will make its world premiere this season from Sidra Bell, a tribute to the ability of movement to narrate and share experiences beyond a façade. “I believe inspiration is everywhere,” Bell says, “and my goal when I work with a group of new artists is to excavate their personal experiences and how it relates to my own.” A sought after teacher, Bell is currently a Master Lecturer at the University of the Arts (Philadelphia) and her critically acclaimed company and choreography has been seen throughout the United States and internationally.

Also to debut at 2|2 is After the Rain, a fusion of ballet and contemporary choreographed by emerging choreographer Lauren Edson that speaks to the human experience. “What interests me most are people and our interactions,” says Edson. “I enjoy creating work that is a mix of contrasting themes and elements and has an emotional connection.” Edson who studied at Julliard, under the direction of the late Benjamin Harkarvy, has won several awards for her work and has been commissioned by numerous companies and universities.

Audiences will also enjoy repertoire works from choreographers Jason McDole and Peter Chu as well as emerging choreographer Ricky Ruiz. McDole’s EYE juxtaposes turbulence and destruction with stoicism and calm. The work was originally created in May 2013 over five days with the Houston Met dancers. Chu, who recently choreographed on season 9 and 10 of “So You Think You Can Dance,” takes audiences to a different, decidedly darker side of Las Vegas. Chu’s darkly comic work, hidden in plain site, conjures iconic stories of celebrities, media, facades and the demons that accompany such public lifestyles. For his Ask the Dust, Ruiz found himself fascinated with memories and possessions that accumulate at the end of a person’s life and chronicle his existence.

TICKETS and PERFORMANCE TIMES

Tickets are $45 to $15 and can be purchased online at www.houstonmetdance.org or www.explorehouston.org/ticketing. Tickets can also be purchased by phone, (832) 487-7041, or in person at the Cullen Theater, Wortham Center, 501 Texas Avenue, Houston.

VENUE INFORMATION

Home to Houston Ballet and Houston Grand opera, The Cullen Theatre, Wortham is conveniently close to downtown Houston and is host to many of the world’s most accomplished entertainers.

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REPERTORY

Under Your Skin (2013 World Premiere)

Choreography: Sidra Bell

Music Composed by: TBA

A tribute to movement, Under Your Skin draws on contemporary culture to demonstrate its ability to narrate the human condition.

After the Rain (2013 World Premiere)

Choreography: Lauren Edson
Music Composed by Max Richter

A fusion of ballet and contemporary, After the Rain speaks to human interaction, playing with contrasting themes and emotions to evoke raw emotion.

EYE (2013 Company Premiere)

Choreography: Jason McDole
Music Composed by: Wojciech Kilar

EYE juxtaposes turbulence and destruction with stoicism and calm. McDole used images of nature and birds as the inspiration behind the work.

Ask the Dust (2013 Company Premiere)

Choreography: Ricky Ruiz
Music Composed by: A Setting Sun & Shigeto; Lorn

Ask the Dust evokes connections between memories and possessions that accumulate at the end of a person’s life and chronicles his existence.

Hidden in Plain Sight (2013 Company Premiere)

Choreography: Peter Chu
Music Composed by: DJeff

Set in Las Vegas, Hidden in Plain Sight takes audiences amidst a whirlwind of cocktail lounges, celebrities, facades and the demons that accompany such a lifestyle.

PREMIER CHOREOGRAPHER BIOGRAPHIES

SIDRA BELL is currently a Master Lecturer at the University of the Arts (Philadelphia), was Adjunct Professor at Barnard College (Columbia University), and has a degree in history from Yale University and an MFA in Choreography from Purchase College Conservatory of Dance. Bell has received many commissions for new work from internationally renowned companies and institutions around the world.

LAUREN EDSON studied at North Carolina School of the Arts and The Juilliard School, under the direction of the late Benjamin Harkarvy. She most recently danced with the highly acclaimed Trey McIntyre Project located in Boise, ID and was featured in several of McIntyre’s works. Her past professional experiences include Hubbard Street 2, Bodyvox, Idaho Dance Theatre and Ballet Idaho.
As a choreographer, she has won several awards and been commissioned by numerous companies and Universities throughout the nation.

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MET Dance

Founded in 1995, Houston Metropolitan Dance Center Inc. strives to educate and revitalize a passion for dance through the finest instruction and performance. With professional and youth dance companies, as well as a strong community outreach program, MET Dance continues to be a leader in the vitality and diversity of Houston’s dance community. MET Dance Company has performed throughout the United States in dozen’s of theaters receiving high acclaim. The organization’s new state-of-the-art facility, located in midtown, offers comprehensive dance training for all ages and interests. The youth dance company and free educational outreach programs have reached the lives of hundreds in the Houston community.