DANCE

Sokolow Now! performed last year at the Massachusetts Dance Festival 2009, exciting audiences with their highly energized electrifying performances of Session for Seven. On June 5th, 2010 at 8pm the company will celebrate the 100th birthday of the legendary Anna Sokolow. The ONE NIGHT ONLY event will take place at the Boston University Dance Theater. For ticket sales and reservations contact the box office at 617-358-2500. Sokolow Now!, under the artistic direction of Lorry May, will perform two narrative choreographies, which are essential reference works for all dance lovers and history fans alike. The first and centerpiece of the evening is Rooms, a powerful masterwork that sets the universal standard for the dramatic fusion of theater and dance. Sokolow commissioned noted jazz composer Kenyon Hopkins to write the music for Rooms. The innovative choreography of Anna Sokolow along with the masterful score by Hopkins is one of the greatest artistic pairings of the 20th century. Two thousand and ten marks the 55th anniversary of this American tour de force. The second narrative of the evening is As I Remember. This collection of three dances reflects various aspects of Sokolow’s life, which served as inspiration for her choreography. Originally created for her solo concerts, these dances show the dramatic power for which she is renowned. The dances are: ? Lament for the Death of a Bullfighter, choreographed in 1941 to the music of Silvestre Revueltas. This gripping, dramatic dance portrays the ritual, discipline and vulnerability of the matador as he faces the dangers of the bullring. ? Ballade in a Popular Style, created in 1936. A delightful unselfconscious romp through a world of innocent wonderment and fun. ? Kaddish, choreographed in 1945 to music of the same name by Maurice Ravel. Sokolow’s compelling theatrical interpretation of the Jewish prayer for the dead. The program will be completed by Session for Seven, the whimsical energetic dance that Sokolow Now! performed during the inaugural Massachusetts Dance Festival 2009 and of which the Boston Dance Examiner stated: “Sokolow Now! continued the sojourn with an original choreography of Anna Sokolow called Session for Seven – also combining strength, physicality, and technical excellence – especially during multiple clockwise “T” and forte turns, flying leaps (various sorts) and oozing first position plies; theirs was a performance so sharp that synergy molecules were literally buzzing between dancers, on stage.” (Boston Dance Examiner 2009) The dancers performing in the 100th birthday celebration are Joshua Beaver, Laura Bennett, Jennifer Hardy, Kendra Heithoff, Whitney Hoke, Nicola Irevasi, Kirsten McKinney, Courtney Piex, and Jaclyn Thompson. Sokolow Now! is the only company exclusively performing the repertory of the celebrated choreographer Anna Sokolow. Their passion for the work is evident in their stunning, unparalleled theatrical stagings of Sokolow’s original choreography.