LAMOINE — Video, spoken words, and movement make for a thought provoking show by Lamoine Community Arts’ 2023 Dance Residency in Lamoine — Connecting: Thoughts, Words, Movement. Join Chicago-based experimental dance company, dropshift dance for an informal showing of excerpts from their choreographed works, bloom & dwell, at 7 p.m. on Aug. 3 at the Lamoine Grange.
The performances have been in development/production since 2021 and are part of artistic director, Andrea Cerniglia’s, Sense Project that looks at sensed memories and personal experiences of movers as inspiration. The Sense Project is partially supported by funding from a generous The MacArthur Funds for Culture, Equity, and the Arts at the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, the Illinois Arts Council Agency, and the Chicago Moving Company’s STAIR project. dropshift was founded in 2009 as a movement project dedicated to a collaborative studio practice and pushing the boundaries of performance art. dropshift dance pieces engage the audience’s senses through the use of film, visual art, and musical composition.
dropshift’s performance is one of two presented by the dance residency. Dancing Words Talking on Monday, Aug. 7 at 7 p.m. offers an unusual experience as words morph with dance in choreography by Elizabeth Keen, a 5-time LCA resident artist. Claire Porter will leave audiences laughing out loud with her funny and poignant character sketches, and Tomomi Imai and Tracy Pattison, round out these solos artists’ pieces with choreography that pushes conventional dance constructs.
Artist residencies like LCA’s Dance Residency in Lamoine, provides artists with the luxury of concentrated studio time that is not fragmented by teaching or bodywork clients that typically will make up a dancer’s everyday life. LCA is proud to offer these artists space to create and in return the community is treated to world-class performance art in a small environment that supports a closer connection between the performers and the audience.
Join the artists for workshops designed to increase your creativity on Aug. 5 at 10 a.m. with residency artist Andrea Cerniglia who leads a 90 minutes workshop based on moving within a space and empowering individuals to move organically and instinctively. Warm-up is followed by improvisations and exercises. On Tuesday, Aug. 8 at 4:30 p.m., Elizabeth Keen offers a workshop for artist to explore ways to enhance their roles with gestures and focused moves to reveal meaning behind the text. Both workshops are designed for all levels of movement enthusiasts and stage performers. Please register for the workshops at vtn2.com/dance or get more information by calling 207-667-6775.
All events are free and held at the Lamoine Grange Hall (7 Lamoine Beach Road). Donations to defray expenses are appreciated. Check the Lamoine Community Arts website for all the LCA events Lamoinearts.org.