• E-mail
• Print
• Comment
• Font Size
• Digg
• del.icio.us
• Discuss article

A Veritable Feast: Alchemy Dance Project Performs at M.T. Pockets Theatre

Posted on: Thursday, 23 March 2006, 09:01 CST

By Katie Mcdowell, The Dominion Post, Morgantown, W.Va.

Mar. 23--FOR INFO or tickets, call 284-0049 or go to www.mtpockets theatre.com. Usually home to edgy theatrical performances, the stage at M.T. Pockets Theatre will welcome a different type of artistic expression this weekend when Alchemy Dance Project performs. The only professional dance company outside university endeavors in Morgantown, Alchemy will celebrate food and drink during its performances of "Choreography Cafe," given at 7:30 p.m. today, Friday and Saturday. Alchemy choreographer and artistic director Angela Dennis was frank when asked what inspired her to build an entire dance performance around the pleasures of eating and drinking. "The honest answer: I was really hungry one night when I was brainstorming," she said with a laugh. "For our last performance (at M.T. Pockets), we did a 'Moving Memoir,' where we took moments from beginning of life through the course of life and expressed them through dance. It was very cohesive, but it was draining emotionally, drawing from all those different experiences. So for this performance I decided to go fun." Fun meant plopping down and pondering how many songs she could find that had something to do with food or drink and then going from there, she said. After all, who doesn't love good food? "It was a lot of fun to then pick out what pieces I would use," she said. On the list: performances to "Blueberry Hill,""Banana Pancakes" and "Big Rock Candy Mountain.""It's a blast," Dennis said. "It's a really fun show. My quote for M.T. Pockets was 'whimsical and evocative.' It's upbeat -- sometimes you don't get that in modern dance. And it's an eclectic mix of music." Choreographing a performance for a space as small as M.T. Pockets' stage can be difficult, Dennis said, which is why themed pieces work best. But dancing in such a small venue also has its pluses, she said, as it makes for a much more intimate feel between the dancers and the audience. Dennis began her training at the David Hochstein School of Music in Rochester, N.Y., and was a member of WVU's African Dance Ensemble and principal dancer, teaching assistant and choreographer for WVU's modern dance troupe Orchesis. This is her third year as artistic director for Alchemy Dance Project. Also in the company are Tricia Fulks, Lindsay Fowler, Kara Lawson, Nnenna Minimah, Lauren Quattro and Laura Weiser. Guest performers appearing in "Choreography Cafe" are Katie Finklea, Alaine Lambertson and Steven Shutts (soloist). M.T. Pockets general manager Vickie Trickett called working with Alchemy "a pleasure.""Alchemy is a group of very talented and professional performers that are dedicated to their art and enjoy presenting as much as audiences enjoy watching," she said. "Audience members enjoyed their fall presentation of 'Moving Memoirs,' and are looking forward to another evening of modern dance." Tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for seniors, $7 for students. Info and tickets: 284-0049 or mtpocketstheatre.com. M.T. Pockets is at 235 Spruce St., Morgantown.

-----

Copyright (c) 2006, The Dominion Post, Morgantown, W.Va.

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

For information on republishing this content, contact us at (800) 661-2511 (U.S.), (213) 237-4914 (worldwide), fax (213) 237-6515, or e-mail reprints@krtinfo.com.

Source: The Dominion Post (Morgantown, W.Va.)

More News in this Category