The Catalyst Dance Company will celebrate its 15th anniversary with performances on April 11, 12 and 13 at the Academy of Music in Northampton.
Pioneer Valley Performing Arts Charter Public School will celebrate the Catalyst Dance Company's 15th anniversary on April 11 and 12 at the Academy of Music Theatre in Northampton.
NORTHAMPTON - Join the award-winning and nationally touring Catalyst Dancers' 15th anniversary celebration performance, "Dancing in the Eye of the Storm," at the Academy of Music with productions on April 11 and 12 at 7 pm. and "Dance for Kids" production on April 13 at 9:30 a.m.
Catalyst, the pre professional dance company of the Pioneer Valley Performing Arts Charter Public School, will continue its tradition of innovation, being the first high school dance company given permission to stage "Continuous Replay" by choreographer Bill T. Jones and featuring works by contemporary hip hop choreographer James Morrow, Catalyst founder Jodi Falk, PVPA's Wofa the West African Drum & Dance Company, and featuring many professional alumni who will be performing and creating work on Catalyst.
The Catalyst Dance Company has toured the U.S. to crowd-cheering acclaim.
Catalyst has also contributed greatly to public education by performing in schools with its Viewing and Doing program that teaches history, music and literature through dance.
The company is composed of dancers from the eighth- through 12th-grades who specialize in a variety of styles and come from private dance schools throughout the Pioneer Valley.
Its alumni have gone on to dance with professional companies and productions, received scholarships to dance conservatories and to summer stage programs.
This year programming includes many Catalyst alumni returning to the school to teach master classes, give artist talks and set work on the current company.
Alumnus Stuart Singer, currently touring with "Einstein on the Beach," an opera by Phillip Glass directed by Lucinda Childs, and a freelance performer in New York City, is returning to set Jones' "Continuous Replay" for the company.
Catalyst has received a grant from the Northampton Arts Council for this celebration of dance. It has also received support from the Grinspoon Foundation and a grant from the Surdna Foundation.
Under the direction of Jodi Falk from its beginning, and for the past 10 years with Jennifer Polins, the Catalyst Dance Company has grown from a fledgling modern dance company into a pre-professional national touring group that performs works of all genres from nationally acclaimed artists.
Reservations are recommended and can be made by calling the box office at the Academy of Music at (413) 584-9032, ext. 105, or by emailing boxoffice@academyofmusictheatre.com.