Last modified: Thursday, February 18, 2010
IU residency activities announced for Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Feb. 18, 2010
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- The Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company will host a variety of programs as part of its residency while in Bloomington for the Indiana University Auditorium performance of Fondly Do We Hope . . . Fervently Do We Pray.
Photo by Russell Jenkins
The Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company will conduct several residency activities at IU leading up to its Feb. 25 performance at IU Auditorium.
Currently celebrating its 25th anniversary season, The Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company was founded after 11 years of collaboration between Bill T. Jones and Arnie Zane (1948-1988). The two redefined the face of American dance, bringing social commentary to the stage and refining the dance duet. The Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company emerged on the international scene in 1983 with the world premiere of Intuitive Momentum, featuring legendary drummer Max Roach. Since then, the 10-member, Harlem-based company has performed worldwide in more than 200 cities in 30 countries.
The IU residency will feature two master classes led by the company's associate artistic director, Janet Wong. These classes will take place Feb. 24 at 9:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. at the IU School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation for dance majors in the Department of Kinesiology.
Jones will speak with IU's Wells Scholars Feb. 24 at 6 p.m. and will give a post-show talk after the IU Auditorium performance Feb. 25, along with Wong and the company's creative director, Bjorn G. Amelan.
Amelan, a sculptor and set designer for Fondly Do We Hope . . ., has worked on numerous productions with Jones since 1993. Wong, a former dancer with the Berlin Ballet, has been with the company since 1996. The two will share an insider's view of what goes into the production of this type of show and share with students what it's like to dance for such a well-known company.
With Fondly Do We Hope . . . Jones hopes to explore the enduring relevance of Lincoln's work and ideas. "If there is just one event you can attend at the Auditorium this season, this is the one to see," said Doug Booher, director of IU Auditorium. "Jones' work -- from the choreography of Spring Awakening to the direction of his newest Broadway musical, Fela! -- is cutting-edge, energetic and immensely popular. It will be an incredible experience for our students and the community to interact with an artist of his caliber."
In the past few weeks, Bill T. Jones has been featured on numerous television productions, including "NBC Nightly News," PBS, MSNBC and "Bill Moyers Journal."
The Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company is known for its teaching initiatives and student outreach at various universities throughout the world. Jones has created numerous pieces aimed at creating a dialogue about pivotal moments in history. Some famous performances include Last Supper at Uncle Tom's Cabin/ The Promised Land (1990), Still/Here (1994), We Set Out Early, Visibility Was Poor (1996) and most recently, Blind Date (2006). The company has received numerous awards, including New York Dance and Performance Awards for Chapel/Chapter (2006), The Table Project (2001) and D-Man in the Water (1989, 2001).
Tickets to the public performance on Feb. 25 are $13-23 for IU Bloomington students with a valid ID and $25-33 for general public, on sale now. Individual tickets may be purchased online at IUauditorium.com, in person at the IU Auditorium Box Office, as well as through Ticketmaster.com, all Ticketmaster outlets, or charge by phone at 800-745-3000. The IU Auditorium Box Office is open Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
More information and clips from these recent television appearances can be found on the IU Auditorium Web site, IUauditorium.com.
