SUMMERWORKS 2023 IS COMING TO AKRON!
The Movement Project’s annual SummerWorks 2023 is set to return on July 29th at the Sandefur Theatre at The University of Akron and Rubber City Theatre! The program will feature new works by The Movement Project and special guest performances by our 2023 summer intensive artists.
Since April, TMP has been working on the creation of a new work “void” choreographed by associate director Elyse Morckel and a reworking of a past work “air, light, humidity, touch,” choreographed by company member Liz Conway.
Morckel’s new work “void” , is a brand new work featuring seasonal company members Cristina LaRocca and Lisa Horton, as well as Morckel. The overarching theme of the piece touches on the concept of space: both outer space and the current space that we occupy. The piece explores space's ability to expand, whether we see it or not. Morckel has drawn inspiration from the novel “Pale Blue Dot: A Vision of the Human Future in Space” by Carl Sagan, which heavily influenced the rehearsal and creative process. Collaborators on the work include original costumes by Kelly Hulderman and sound by composer Michael Wall. Hulderman is the founder of FOXGLOVE Fine Goods, handcrafted artisan goods, which is opening a new storefront in Lakewood Ohio this fall. This is Hulderman’s second collaboration with the company. Composer Michael Wall has created an original sound scape for this work, marking this his first commission with the company. Wall is the founder of Sound for Movement, a platform of sound designed for working dance artists and teachers. Wall has established a reputation as one of the most innovative and impactful voices in the world of music and dance, writing around 200 commissions for artists world wide.
“Morckel started the rehearsal process with four movement phrases. From there, the entire piece was crafted from the manipulation of those original four phrases through the use of number systems, patterns and editing. Each dancer contributed additional phrase work, which was used as a framework throughout the dance. The process feels very unique to me, as I have never collaborated and generated so much material in this way before. At first feeling intricate, it has soon become easy to sink into and feel the concept of space take over.”
Conway’s work “air, light, humidity, touch,” was originally choreographed in 2022 for an intimate gallery space and has been reworked for a more traditional stage for SummerWorks 2023. The initial idea for the work stems from the sculptural art of mobiles and how these mobiles interact with and respond to their environment. Visually shaped through the dancer’s interactions with one another and their environment, the work pulls audiences into its intimate and cyclical pulse.
“I created it during a time when I was looking for peace and calm and I think the sound score, Volley by L.M. Brenner, helps to evoke a sense of wonder, calm, and discovery throughout the work. It has been a pleasure to set the work on new dancers and dive into the process again. As a choreographer, I have been able to reassess my intentions for the work and make sure that the presentation of these themes and motifs are understood by the dancers and eventually the audience.”
Rehearsal for “air, light, humidity, touch,”
Summer Intensive Guest Artists 2022
A unique feature of SummerWorks involves our annual Pre-Professional Summer Intensive dancers ages 12-18. The week leading up to SummerWork, dancers from all over Ohio join The Movement Project company for a week-long dance intensive focused on furthering themselves as creative artists. This year’s intensive is to be held at the Akron based Martell School of Dance. Student’s spend the week deepening their technical and performance knowledge with a rigorous daily schedule in professional training, creative practice and rehearsals taught by TMP artistic directors, company members, as well as notable guest artists in the dance community.
During the week, students will create a dance work choreographed as a group in the composition class. TMP choreographers work with the student’s to develop, edit and craft a completed group piece made entirely by the students. This piece is then presented and performed by the student’s at the SummerWorks concert. In addition, TMP will also set a group dance for the student’s to perform as well.
Summer Intensive Guest Artists 2022
“The opportunity for students to create dance works in the “dance concert” form and present it in one week’s time on a professional stage with a professional company is extremely rare. This is a unique experience for students to engage with professional dancers, lighting designers and sound technicians to produce a professional concert. These are often skills you receive in college and beyond, which is why it’s exciting that these young artists get to flex those skills at such an early stage in their creative practices.”
If you’re new to concert dance or have been around, SummerWorks is the perfect event where you can expect new and engaging dance works for people of all ages. There will be two chances to see this year’s July 29th concert with a 5:30 pm and a 7:30 pm performance time. So grab a friend and get your tickets today!