dance has been relegated to specialized venues, protected from the general public and rarified.
taking it out of the closet and injecting it into peoples lives is an endless source of inspiration, a broader conversation.
mission:
-to create engaging dances in collaboration with other artists and communities for arts venues and public space, investigating the intersection of art and daily life
-to bring dance to the public by situating it in unexpected locations for unsuspecting audiences creating the opportunity for serendipitous exchanges with a broader audience.
-to expose experimental dance to a broader audience outside the theater.
-to foster a collective of performing artists interested in working collaboratively
the modern dance awareness society brings dance to the public in unexpected ways. In 1998, Despina Stamos and Wen-Shuan Yang began searching for different contexts and environments to dance. Ms. Stamos and Ms. Yang noticed that most people that they met outside of the insular world of the theater had little idea of what modern dance was or could be and that for many, it was an outdated form that had little relevance to their lives. Ms. Stamos and Ms. Yang decided to take up that challenge and create work that transpires in places that people inhabit in a more open way. In the theater, there are definite roles namely participant/performer vs. spectator/receiver. In spaces where those roles are less delineated, the possibilities for challenging this model can arise. the modern dance awareness society transforms environments by turning up the kinesthetic volume, highlighting aspects of the physical space and actively engaging audiences. This interaction allows the audience to influence and shape the final composition with the performers.
April 13, 2011 at 7:32 pm
I saw you perform at Rubulad and FIGMENT. I have a dance background. I love your work.
October 6, 2018 at 3:39 am
Great article, I think it can be very useful for an interested person.