2012 Season Preview

Tickets for Summer Season go on sale June 1

Schaeffer Theater, Bates College Join us this season as we celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the Bates Dance Festival. This summer we invite you to enjoy vibrant performances in the comfort of our newly air-conditioned Schaeffer Theatre. Whatever your dance interest, our 2012 series, featuring works by acclaimed choreographers and imaginative newcomers, will entertain, intrigue and inspire you.

Our 2012 season kicks off in high gear with a special April presentation of Marc Bamuthi Joseph/The Living Word's multimedia work "red, black & GREEN: a blues", an exhilarating, interactive performance of dance, text, and visual designed to jumpstart a conversation about environmental justice, social ecology and collective responsibility in the climate change era.

Summer brings a feast of contemporary dance from the urban vibe of hip hop pioneer Rennie Harris Puremovement, to the transformative sensibility of Kyle Abraham/Abraham.in.Motion, to the nuanced and perceptive voice of Kate Weare Company, and the thrilling virtuosity of Keigwin + Company, these artists bring joy, passion and brilliant dancing to our stage.

To mark our 30th year we are highlighting the work of these choreographers whose creative development BDF has supported over time. In 1996 we hosted the first of several residencies by Rennie Harris Puremovement who celebrates their 20th anniversary season with an evening of greatest hits. Kyle Abraham, who participated in our Emerging Choreographers Program in 2009, brings his extraordinary dancers to examines the current state of black male identity in Live, The Realest MC. Kate Weare who performed a stunning program in 2009 delves into the depth of human relationships with the lush and arresting, Garden. Larry Keigwin first attended the Festival as a student over 20 year ago. Since then he has joined us as a dancer with Mark Dendy, an emerging choreographer, a faculty member, and with his own stellar troupe. Keigwin + Company return to BDF to offer a dynamic evening of Maine premieres. Each of these noted dancemakers has contributed important works to lexicon of contemporary dance that are sure to challenge your imaginations and enliven your spirits.

Here at the Festival, we are dedicated to insuring critical support for the artists' creative process by taking an active role as commissioners and producers of new works. To that end, each summer we gather an international community of choreographers, performers, educators and students to study, create and perform. Through this community, the Festival encourages a creative exchange of ideas among artists and offers audiences a wide range of opportunities to experience contemporary dance, thus affirming the essential power of the arts to enrich our lives. Welcome to this vibrant gathering where the spirit of dance continues to thrive.

Laura Faure, Director

Season-at-a-Glance

Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
1 July	2 July	3 July	4 July	5 July	6 July	7 July
	Dance Festival Photo Show (free event)
8 July	9 July	10 July	11 July	12 July	13 July	14 July
		Harris Lec/Dem (free event)			Rennie Harris Puremovement
15 July	16 July	17 July	18 July	19 July	20 July	21 July
		Abraham Lec/Dem (free event)		Kyle Abraham		Kyle Abraham
22 July	23 July	24 July	25 July	26 July	27 July	28 July
		Weare Lec/Dem (free event)			Kate Weare Company
29 July	30 July	31 July	1 August	2 August	3 August	4 August
		Keigwin + Company Lec/Dem (free event)	Musician’s Concert	Keigwin + Company
5 August	6 August	7 August	8 August	9 August	10August	11 August
			Moving in the Movement		Performance in the RAW	Young Choreographers (free event)
			Moving in the Movement		Performance in the RAW	Festival Finale