In My Body + Post Op

It’s been 4 months since the last Live Arts Festival and Philly Fringe, and it will be 8 months until the next one. But if you’re in the market for some world-class contemporary dance performance, there is plenty to see at the Painted Bride next weekend, Jan 20 – 23.

Painted Bride Art Center
230 North Vine Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106

In My Body Benefit Performance

Saturday January 22, 2011 @ 7PM (buy tickets)
Sunday, January 23, 2011 @ 3PM (buy tickets)

A multi-arts collaborative theatre performance directed and choreographed by Melanie Stewart, scored by Dan Martin, and written by Michael Biello, featuring original dance, song, text, and video, performed by a live ensemble of dancers, singers, and musicians. Featured dancers include Melanie Stewart, Bethany Formica (Decadere, 2010 Live Arts Festival), Megan Mazarick (8 choreographers / 8 new works, 2010 Live Arts Festival) and Shavon Norris (8 choreographers / 8 new works, 2010 Live Arts Festival). The performance will investigate and uncover the emotion of Leah Macdonald’s photographs of female nudes, while the anthem, “In My Body,” expresses the theme and inspiration for the In My Body project.

Ticket sales will benefit the In My Body project (www.inmybody.org) which explores body image and how it affects the physical, emotional and spiritual lives of individuals.

The 2011 Post Op Festival

The mission of The 2011 Post Op Festival is to respond to the nation’s economic retrenchment by providing affordable American dance, performance art, and mixed media dance-theater to the people of Philadelphia. The pay-what-you-think performance festival will take over Old City Philadelphia, January 20-23, 2011 with a series of performances at the Painted Bride Art Center.

It will feature new works by some of Philly’s most daring dance-makers including Melanie Stewart, Megan Mazarick (8 choreographers / 8 new works, 2010 Live Arts Festival) Makoto Hirano, and Jaamil Olawale Kosoko (8 choreographers / 8 new works, 2010 Live Arts Festival).

Makoto Hirano, Boom Bap Tourism
January 20 at 10:30 a.m. & 7:00 p.m. (buy tickets)
January 21 at 1:30p.m. & 7:00 p.m. (buy tickets)

Boom Bap Tourism is a semi-autobiographical, solo performance project about the shedding and regenerating of ideas and identities. Mixing theatrical devices, spoken word, and a highly tuned physicality, Makoto investigates the how we redefine ourselves (or resist doing so) in different cultural contexts and the difficulties in “starting over.” Directed by Sarah Sanford (Pig Iron Theatre Co.), Dramaturgy by Andrew Simonet (Headlong Dance Theatre), Sound Design by Mikaal Sulaiman, and Scenic Design by Jebney Lewis.

Visit ShowtimeAtTheMakoto.org to learn more.

Megan Mazarick, Neon Gothic: Chapter 2
January 20 at 9:00 p.m. (buy tickets)
January 21 at 9:00pm (buy tickets)

Neon Gothic: Chapter 1 premiered at Philadelphia Live Arts Festival 2010. In Neon Gothic: Chapter 2 plots thicken, motives are revealed, and an existing performance structure is autopsied. Inspired by the short stories of Flannery O’Connor, a dance theater piece about burial transforms into a dance about murder.

Visit mazaricknation.com to learn more.

Jaamil Olawale Kosoko, American Chameleons
January 22 at 9 p.m. (buy tickets)
January 23 at 5 p.m. (buy tickets)

Suggested Donation is $20-$25 online or at the door.

“Mr. Kosoko’s own presence is penetrating…” – NYTimes

Hosted by dance & theater artist Christina Zani, American Chameleons will showcase a mixed bill of energized, high quality, post-modern performances. New York based performer Brandin Steffensen will perform the Philadelphia premiere of NEWS commissioned from world renowned dance artist and choreographer Deborah Hay. Bessie Award winning dance artists Michelle Boule and Hilary Clark will premiere two dynamic works. The evening will also showcase the wildly engaging dance theater antics of Drunken Monkey by hip hop dancer/choreographer Vince Johnson. Performance artist iele paloumpis will make their Painted Bride Art Center debut with the dance-film REALNESS as well as a live performance of Give It, Take It; while Kosoko Performance Group will complete the showcase with the Philadelphia full-length premiere of the dance autobiography An Expectation of Violence. Visit www.kosokoperformance.org to learn more.

Post-Op Festival is a completely donation based performance series bringing high quality performance to all people, no matter the depth of their pockets. The goal of the four day festival is to fill the house. We want Philadelphians to support its rich, local, grassroots performance culture.

For complete details click here to visit the Painted Bride’s website.

-Dan Comly