by erin thursby scopes1925@msn.com
This week at the Florida Theatre, you’ll find three different dance companies performing on three different days. Whatever form you prefer your dance in; there’ll be something to reel you into the theatre. EU had the opportunity to speak to Jennifer Muller to learn more about their upcoming performance on Friday, February 8th. Attendees will have the chance to see a triple collaboration between Florida Community College at Jacksonville, Jacksonville University and Douglas Anderson School of the Arts.
Jennifer Muller, a world renowned dancer from New York, has created a program to promote dance, teaching the younger generation to express themselves through movement. Not only will you get to see student collaboration, you’ll also be engaged by cutting edge chorography as the professional dancers mix with the students.
EU: Why do you think dance, movement strikes such a chord with people?
Jennifer Muller: I’ve always believed it’s our first language. That we communicate that way before we communicate verbally. We still have that, we’re still reading body language in our daily lives. So it touches something very visceral in all of us, the base of our humanity…I think there’s something really primeval about it, that we may not recognize as such.
EU: As a leader in dance, what inspires you to try something new, to strike out in a new direction?
JM: I believe so strongly that dance is not only a healer, but a way to bring people together. It brings together the sense that there are no boundaries between people. For me, I always take my inspiration from life…I always have a need to speak…and this is my medium, this is the way I speak and contribute to the world.
EU: Can you tell us a little about The Works Education Programs?
JM: We’re very devoted to education. We have our professional training programs, our scholarship apprentice program, where we train 15-20 people a year…We have an emerging chorography program…We show young and emerging artists our studio…The other thing we do are our Outreach programs. One is called “Faces of Wonder” where we visit poor schools…and they see what live dance is on stage. It’s really an amazing program in that you go out to the schools and you realize so many of them have not seen professional dance live on stage before. It’s really transforming…We also have a program called “Imagine That”…and it deals with the expressiveness of non-verbal communication…The arts funding is drying up, so this is an outlet for them to have a different sort of inner worth.
EU: Can you tell us about the collaboration that you’re facilitating between FCCJ, DASOTA and JU?
JM: We recently started talking with Douglas Anderson, this program was originated by Douglas Anderson and…[our] director of arts programs. They came up with the idea of involving three different schools in one piece…[It’s] vital and fun…with each doing sections of the piece. We think this is a bit of a breakthrough to come out and work for almost four weeks at a combination of schools and have them get onstage with a professional company.
friday, february 8th
For more information on Jennifer Muller/The Works, please visit jmtw.org. For tickets or performance information please call the Florida Theatre Box Office at (904) 355-2787 or visit us at floridatheatre.com. The Florida Theatre is conveniently located at 128 East Forsyth Street in Downtown Jacksonville. Tickets are also available through TicketMaster.
sunday, february 10th
If you’d rather see a traditional ballet, look no further than the Hermitage Theater Russian Ballet. They are on their first tour of the US, so be sure to give them a warm welcome when they perform at the Florida Theatre.
The dance set they plan is the famed Gala Concert, featuring scenes from the most famous classical ballets, such as Swan Lake, Giselle, Esmeralda, Corsair, Nutcracker, Don Quixote and many others. The complete schedule of the tour and information on the cast can be found at HermitageBallet.com.
For tickets or performance information please call the Florida Theatre Box Office at (904) 355-2787 or visit us at floridatheatre.com. The Florida Theatre is conveniently located at 128 East Forsyth Street in Downtown Jacksonville. Tickets are also available through TicketMaster.
tuesday, february 12th
For a dose of something contemporary, there’s always the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. They aim to dazzle audiences and uphold Ailey’s vision, that “dance is for everybody.” These guys are on the bleeding edge of bold new dance, so come and see them at this exclusive Florida engagement!
Alvin Ailey at the Florida Theatre is presented by the FCCJ Artist Series. Tickets are $40.50-$70.50. Charge-by-phone (904) 632-3373 or toll-free outside Jacksonville (888) 860-BWAY. Buy online with Instant Seat Selection by visiting artistseries.fccj.org
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