Island Moving Company, Newport’s contemporary ballet company, opens its 36th season at Rosecliff, Newport’s most romantic mansion, March 2 – 4, 2018. The weekend includes two 90 minute shows for audiences to choose from. A Collection of Attitudes will feature the debut of a world premiere created specifically for Newport audiences by nationally renowned choreographer Kevin Jenkins. Newport’s annual family favorite Mother Goose, returns for its 6th year at the mansion.
Featured choreographer Kevin Jenkins comes to Newport from Boston following engagements with State Street Ballet, St. Louis Ballet, and Columbia Ballet Collaborative among others. He brings accolades from Dance Magazine which praised his work as “riveting”. Jenkins choreographic credits include showings at the famed Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, and the West Wave Dance Festival in San Francisco.
In addition to the debut of Jenkins new piece, A Collection of Attitudes will feature the premier of a new pieces by Island Moving Company’s recently appointed Associate Artistic Director Danielle Genest, and Rodney Rivera, Artistic Director of Ballet Brio, based in Bayamon, Puerto Rico. The evening’s three premiers will be complemented by performances of Artistic Director, Miki Ohlsen’s, beautiful Of Beauty and Light, Spencer Gavin Hering’s Breathing Spaces, Shane Farrell’s Pavo Cristatus and a remake of Ghosts and Grapevines: Thoughts on the family histories of Newport by Thom Dancy.
Artistic Director Miki Ohlsen calls the this program, “A vibrant evening of innovative work by nationally known choregraphers of note.” When asked about the impact of the ballet on the community, Executive Director, Edward McPherson responded, “This performance is just another feather in Newport’s cultural cap. Island Moving Company takes seriously our role as a part of the economic engine that the arts and culture provide in our local economy. Once created, the ballet pieces that IMC commissions can travel around the world building upon Newport’s sterling reputation as a superb destination for sailing, historical preservation, natural beauty, and art.”
A Collection of Attitudes will be performed two nights only Friday March 2, 7:00pm and Saturday March 3, 7:00pm. The Saturday performance will include a catered intermission with an open bar by Russell Morin Caterers. Tickets to A Collection of Attitudes are available online www.islandmovingco.org, starting at $45 with sponsorship levels available.
For family audiences, Island Moving Company presents Mother Goose at Rosecliff, a lively retelling of the familiar nursery rhymes using movement and live music. Audience members will be led by the effervescent Mother Goose herself through the spectacular rooms of Rosecliff for an interactive and entertaining performance event for children as young as three. IMC dancers will perform vignettes of Humpty Dumpty, Jack and Jill, Little Miss Muffet, and more. The Company is joined by minstrel accompanist Alicia Ruggiero with Newport actress and educator Lisa Reimer directing the action and reciting the familiar rhymes as Mother Goose. Performances are 4:30pm on Friday, March 2; 3pm on Saturday, March 3; 1pm & 3pm on March 4. Tickets are $30 for adults and $20 for children and are available on the Island Moving Company site as well as at www.newportmansions.org.
Under the leadership of Artistic Director Miki Ohlsen for 36 years, Island moving Company has produced and presented dances by a diverse group of choreographers, working with musicians, poets, and visual artists. IMC is known for its creative use of unusual venues, creating site specific work for Rosecliff, Belcourt Castle, the Tall Ship Oliver Hazard Perry, and other Newport sites.
IMC also works extensively in the schools, interacting with students K-12 in curriculum based movement residencies throughout R.I. and Massachusetts with over 5000 children annually. Additionally, IMC operates the Newport Academy of Ballet which provides students from Rhode Island with pre-professional afterschool dance training.