The Philadelphia Live Arts Festival and Philly Fringe is an internationally recognized presenter of performing arts. A broad array of performing artists, from Philadelphia and around the world, converge for two concurrent sixteen-day festivals during the month of September in venues throughout Philadelphia. Now in its 14th year the festival will run from September 3rd –18th.
For a twist this year, fringe veteran, Steven Weisz and his Drexel Hill based MM2 Modern Dance received special permission to bring their perfomance to Delaware County with their premiere of Emergence, on Saturday, September 11th at 2:30, 4:30 and 7:30pm at the Upper Darby Performing Arts Center located at 601 Lansdowne Avenue, Drexel Hill, PA.
Weisz goes on to add “this will be my 6th year with the Philly Fringe and I wanted to be able to bring this incredible experience to more people in the suburbs, who might not otherwise venture in to the city. The folks at the Fringe Festival were great in allowing us to extend their borders this year”.
MM2 Modern Dance has evolved as a leader in imaginative movement and creative collaboration for college age dancers as well as post-college dance majors in career transition. The Fringe offers the perfect platform for Weisz’s new choreographers and dancers to gain exposure for their works.
The work being presented at the Fringe this year, titled Emergence, has taken on a variety of meanings during the course of its development. Derived from examples in nature, a flock of birds or a school of fish moving together, emergence is the way complex systems and patterns arise out of relatively simple interactions. For company members of MM2, especially those who recently graduated from college, it has marked their own self-exploration and development as they seek careers and their place in the performing arts world. Company member, Liz Lyle reiterates, ” It’s challenged me to think out side of the box and inspired me to conceive fresh ideas and new movements.”
For example, in the piece Post-Emergence, Lyle explores patterns that create contact between elements, while incorporating some quirky gems. Her counterpart, Cathrynne Grace Reynolds takes on the concept of Pre-Emergence in an attempt to emerge from pandemonium by finding calm within chaos. In Re-Emergence, Jenna Faye Eugenides incorporates original, live music by Daniel Ison, to tackle the issue of global responsibility, where following “the flock” may actually be a contributing problem.
Dancer Angela Littlefield notes that both MM2 Dance and the Fringe provide “a crucial learning experience to the new choreographer, allowing one to reveal themselves to both the dance and arts community at large.” For audiences, it is a great opportunity to see new work emerge right here in Delaware County!
2010 company members are: Kristen Blundi, Jessica Bryan, Kristen Davies, Jenna Faye Eugenides, Stephanie King, Angela Littlefield, Liz Lyle and Cathrynne Grace Reynolds.
More about MM2 Modern Dance can be found on the web at http://www.mm2dance.org
QUICK FACTS
Show: Emergence
Company: MM2 Modern Dance
Event: Philadelphia Live Arts & Philly Fringe
Date: Saturday, September 11, 2010
Times: 2:30pm, 4:30pm & 7:30pm
Venue: Upper Darby Performing Arts Center, 601 Lansdowne Avenue, Drexel Hill, PA
Tickets:
$15 general admission
$10 students and buyers under 25 years w. ID
Box Office: http://www.livearts-fringe.org or http://www.DanceBoxOffice.com
Special $5 tickets available: Send text message to 25827 and in body of message put mm2dance to find out how to get this discount.
Comments
One response to “MM2 Modern Dance brings the Philly Fringe to Delaware County”
Can’t wait!! Glad the performing arts and Fringe have made their way to Delaware County. Hope more take advantage.