THE SERIES 2017 presents Kilowatt Dance Theater in an evening of dance that breaks through the day-to-day doldrums! Set to the rebellious music of the Blues and Swing era Jazz, the company is excited to get down and frisky in this new work that has had audiences dancing down in the ailses with glee. Kilowatt Dance Theater performs The Lowdown and Dance Me On And On at The Hudson Guild Theatre on Wednesday, June 8th, 2017 at 8 PM in a contrasting Split Bill concert with Michael Mao Dance.
The concert features two energizing works using choreographer, Jaime Shannon's unique blend of concert dance and social dancing to tell a timeless story through the magic of blues & jazz!
The Lowdown focuses on the blues music coming out of the post swing era. Featuring music by Sonny Boy Williamson and John Lee Hooker, this piece explores the diverse rhythms which add to the emotional complexity of the music. The dancers in this piece explore their own journeys through anguish, assertiveness, rebellion, and relief, which are so richly embedded in the jazz/blues scene of this time.
“Dance Me On and On” explores internal desire and longing. The dancers act as characters seeing the world through the images they create in their daydreams. The daydreams are then juxtaposed with reality and leave the characters wondering which is more essential. This piece utilizes a combination of swing era jazz music like that of Duke Ellington, with contemporary jazz singers like Madeleine Peyroux.
The dancers of Kilowatt Dance Theater include: Jaime Shannon, Kevin Clark, Elena Valencia, Elyse Sparks, Tim Abrahamson, Richard Kurtzer, & Sarah Panayiotou.
Kilowatt Dance Theater
Kilowatt Dance Theater is a jazz dance company based in New York City. Since its inception in 2014, they have created works that specialize in the early roots of Jazz dance such as Swing, Lindy hop, Shag, Charleston, and Blues. These early styles of jazz are uniquely woven in with more contemporary dance techniques of today. The blend of movement along with the powerfully expressive themes they generate, creates a truly original experience for the audience. The electric energy and intensity of the dancers has quickly been gathering attention at some of the countries most prominent dance festivals. Kilowatt Dance Theater has performed the past three summers at Jacob's Pillow's Inside Out Series, as well as the Battery Dance Festival, Lincoln Center's Midsummer Night's Swing, and The NY Jazz Choreography Project.