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Last modified: Wednesday, February 13, 2008

ArtsWeek: Woodburn Hall, Monroe County Courthouse, enhanced by dance

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Feb. 13, 2008

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Indiana University Bloomington's Woodburn 100 lecture hall and the Monroe County Courthouse atrium will be transformed this month by dance to reflect history and the fundamental architecture of justice, freedom and access to civic rights.

ArtsWeek Contemporary Dance

A dancer from the School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation rehearses in the Monroe County Courthouse atrium.

Print-Quality Photo

The IU Contemporary Dance Program in the School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation presents "The Body Politic: Dance Performances in Sites that Shape Our Lives," as part of ArtsWeek, the annual Indiana University Bloomington community winter arts festival.

"This project explores history, architecture and the democratic process in a very visual way," said Laura Poole, visiting guest lecturer in HPER's Department of Kinesiology. "The whole process of creating the piece has been a revelation."

Admission to the performances is free and on a first come basis.

  • Woodburn Hall 100, 1100 E. Seventh St., Feb. 23 (Saturday), three performances in 30-minute cycles at 5 p.m., 5:30 p.m. and 6 pm. Each performance can accommodate 50 people.
  • Monroe County Courthouse atrium, Bloomington town square, Feb. 26 (Tuesday), three performances in 30-minute cycles at 11:30 a.m, 12 p.m. and 12:30 pm. Each performance can accommodate 35 people.

"The Body Politic" is a site-specific collaboration of dance, live music and original visual design. The dances focus on the history, architecture and every day use of the spaces. In Woodburn Hall the dancers explore themes rooted in the controversial Thomas Hart Benton Indiana murals. The Monroe County Courthouse performances coordinate with the centennial celebration of the building and integrate themes of justice, politics and architectural beauty.

The project is directed by Poole; Selene Carter, modern dance historian in the Department of Kinesiology; Joe Galvin, accompanist and adjunct lecturer of music in the Department of Kinesiology; and Amy Burrell, community visual designer. The project was supported with funding from ArtsWeek and Indiana University's Fran Snygg Grant for Artistic Collaboration.

For more information, contact Carter at 812-855-9509 or sbcarter@indiana.edu.

To learn about more ArtsWeek activities, visit https://artsweek.indiana.edu/.