For the past 11 years, the Global DanceFest has brought avant-garde international artists to present contemporary dance to residents of New Mexico.
This year’s Global DanceFest, which is co-presented by New Art New Mexico and North Fourth Art Center, features artists from Japan, South Africa and the Democratic Republic of Congo who will perform at the N4th Theater.
Susanna Kearny, the marketing director for the North Fourth Art Center, said a lot of the work presented is similar what you might see in a larger city like Los Angeles or New York.
“It is an eye-opener for some people,” she said.
Even though the event does not typically draw a huge crowd, Kearny said the art center hosts this event every year to expose people to experimental and abstract work.
“Contemporary dance deals with images,” she said. “It’s not always necessarily a story line.”
Performances for the Global DanceFest begin this weekend, with Japanese performers Eiko and Koma, a 40-year contemporary dance partnership that has been heralded by critics all over the country, according to the VSArts website.
This weekend, Eiko and Koma will present their retrospective project, “Regeneration.” It features Taos Pueblo musician and artist Robert Mirabal and consists of older pieces of their work that have been updated, Eiko said.
“What we do is not dance, because it doesn’t look like any recognizable western form of dancing, but it is movement theater without using any words,” Eiko said.
This Saturday the event will feature a fundraiser for the VSA Arts of New Mexico, a school for adults with disabilities.
Desiré Davids, a South African artist performing at the Global DanceFest on Oct. 7 and 8, is teaching workshops to the students at the VSA Arts of New Mexico in the two weeks leading up to her performance.
Her show, “WHO IS THIS … Beneath My Skin?,” incorporates students from the VSA Day Arts Program who are part of the Buen Viaje Dance Company.
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Kearny said even though all artists who perform at the Global Dance Fest hold workshops at the VSA New Mexico, not all of them integrate the students into their work like Davids does.
“During the two weeks, we will find ways of pushing them a little bit out of their boundaries,” Davids said. “The main theme of my work is to break out of the boxes, the preconceived boxes, that we are put in daily. We are all somehow prepackaged.”
Davids’ show is a multimedia work that features pre-recorded work and live projections onto a screen that are photographed and videographed by Pascale Beroujon.
A performance of Congolese dance, pop music and spoken text by Flamme Kapaya and Faustin Linyekula will close the Global DanceFest on Oct. 18. The promotional brochure calls it “a fierce celebration of hope in the face of despair.”
Global Dance Fest Performances
“Regeneration” Sept. 30 & Oct. 1
“WHO IS THIS … Beneath My Skin?” Oct. 7 & 8
“more more more … future” Oct. 18
General Admission $20
Students & Seniors $15
Limited $50 VIP tickets for Oct. 1 fundraiser
All performances at N4th Theater at 8 p.m.
4904 Fourth St. N.W.
vsartnm.org
