Photographer: Patricia's Photography
Arts Ballet Theatre of Florida is one of seven companies performing in The Daniel Lewis Dance Sampler.
It's a chance to see the range of South Florida dance companies all in one space. And for those who want to get an introduction to everything the region offers "The Daniel Lewis Dance Sampler" offers that opportunity.
Returning for its 16th edition on Saturday, Oct. 17, the annual showcase brings seven companies and ensembles to downtown Miami’s New World Dance Theater.
Pioneer Winter Collective, Birds of Paradise, with dancers Jessica Gilmore and Clarence Brooks (Photo by Simon Soong)
“The idea is to excite audiences about Miami dance companies and inspire them to attend performances throughout the season,” says Daniel Lewis, the Sampler’s founder and founding dean of dance at New World School of the Arts, in the event announcement.
This year’s participants are Arts Ballet Theatre of Florida, Dance NOW! Miami, Dimensions Dance Theatre of Miami, Karen Peterson & Dancers, New World Dance Ensemble, Pioneer Winter Collective and Syncopate Collective.
Sharing a program gives audiences a chance to encounter companies they may not have seen before, alongside those they already follow.
“South Florida’s dance scene has grown and deepened over the years, and the Sampler really holds a mirror up to this creative ferment,” says Hannah Baumgarten, co-artistic director of Dance NOW! Miami, in the announcement.
Two participating companies approach ballet through their own repertory and artistic leadership. Founded in 1997 under artistic director Vladimir Issaev, Arts Ballet Theatre of Florida performs classical works alongside choreography by Issaev and contemporary guest artists. Dimensions Dance Theatre of Miami, which debuted in 2016, focuses on contemporary ballet.
Dance NOW! Miami, founded in 2000 by Baumgarten and Diego Salterini, creates original choreography and reconstructs historic ballet and modern dance works through its Masterpiece in Motion series. Its projects also take dance into museums, galleries and architectural spaces.
Other participants expand the range of bodies and experiences represented onstage. Karen Peterson & Dancers creates physically integrated dance, bringing dancers with and without disabilities into a shared choreographic practice. Founded in 1990, the company also produces the Forward Motion Inclusive Dance Festival.
Syncopate Collective, "Damned Punk," (Photo by Simon Soong)
Pioneer Winter Collective is an intergenerational, physically integrated dance-theater company whose work draws on queer experience, collaboration and the lives of its performers. Its projects extend across theaters, museums, public spaces and film.
Syncopate Collective describes its role as an experimental contemporary dance incubator, providing opportunities for artists to develop work through collaboration, workshops and performances.
The New World Dance Ensemble connects the showcase to its host institution. Comprising advanced dancers and professional alumni of New World School of the Arts, the ensemble performs repertory by professional choreographers.
Produced by Miami Dance Futures in collaboration with Dance NOW! Miami and New World School of the Arts, the Sampler gathers these different approaches into one evening with an introduction to the companies, which then offers an invitation to follow their work throughout the season.
IF YOU GO
What: 16th annual Daniel Lewis Dance Sampler
When: 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17
Where: New World Dance Theater, New World School of the Arts, 25 NE Second St., eighth floor, Miami
Tickets: $25 general admission; $15 students. Available online and at the theater the evening of the performance.
Information: dancenowmiami.org or 305-975-8489.
