May 1, 2018
Arts Roundup: Artist Talk with Sharon Lockhart, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, MFA Dance Concert, and more
This week in the arts, experience a rock-opera-style ballet that pays homage to David Bowie’s iconic and chameleonic spirit, attend a lecture with American artist Sharon Lockhart, see the premiere of six conceptually diverse dance pieces, and more.
Harry Partch Festival
7:30 p.m., May 11 – 13 | Meany Theater
Twentieth century American composer Harry Partch created an original musical world and hand-hewn instruments on which to perform his microtonal compositions, which continue to inspire and influence musicians and composers today. This festival celebrates the music and influence of this unique composer, whose collection of hand-made musical instruments are in long-term residence at the UW under the curatorship of composer and Partch scholar Charles Corey.
The three programs in this series include premiers of new works composed for Partch’s instruments as well as rarely or never-before performed works from the composer’s archives. Other activities, including master classes, demos, and talks, complete this homage to a uniquely American artist.
MFA Dance Concert
MFA Dance Concert
May 16 – 20 | Meany Studio Theater
Six MFA candidates in dance invite you to participate in the premiere of six conceptually and aesthetically diverse works. Drawing from jazz, performance art, improvisational practices and contemporary dance, these new works grapple with time, underwater ecosystems, identity, vulnerability and the body as a biographical canvas. Performed by University of Washington undergraduate dancers.
Artist Talk: Sharon Lockhart
Artist Talk: Sharon Lockhart
7:00 p.m., May 17 | Henry Art Gallery
The Henry is excited to welcome Sharon Lockhart as a Gurvich Contemporary Art Project visiting artist. During her visit, Lockhart will engage with youth, artists, educators, and community members in a series of experimental gatherings to discuss her work and collectively generate new ideas around contemporary art practices. In this talk, Lockhart will share thoughts on her extensive practice and recent projects.
Through film, photography, and installation, American artist Sharon Lockhart works closely with communities around the world on projects that are both socially engaged and visually complex, unfolding over extended periods of time. In 2017, Lockhart represented Poland at the 57th Venice Biennale with her multidisciplinary project “Little Review,” organized with National Gallery of Art, Warsaw, Poland. Created with young women from the Youth Sociotherapy Center in Rudzienko, Lockhart’s project in Venice comprised translations, a film and a series of photographs, as well as educational workshops. “Little Review” draws its inspiration from the work of Janusz Korczak (1878/79–1942), the Polish-Jewish educator, orphanage-director, and children’s rights advocate. Similar to Korczak, Lockhart’s goal is to provide a forum for children’s voices, both past and present.
Complexions Contemporary Ballet
Complexions Contemporary Ballet
8:00 p.m., May 17 – 19 | Meany Theater
Led by former Alvin Ailey virtuosos and So You Think You Can Dance choreographers, Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson, Complexions is sure to dazzle and thrill with Rhoden’s fiercely kinetic choreography and the company’s daredevil dancing. The first work of the evening is STAR DUST, a tribute to the genre-bending innovation of David Bowie. This rock-opera-style ballet pays homage to Bowie’s iconic and chameleonic spirit. The program also includes Ballad Unto, a bold, sprawling abstraction on the intimacy of love set to the music of J.S. Bach.
Burke NiteLife: Offspring Fling
Burke NiteLife: Offspring Fling
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Tag(s): Burke Museum of Natural History & Culture • College of Arts & Sciences • Department of Dance • Harry Partch • Henry Art Gallery • Meany Center for the Performing Arts • MFA Dance Concert • School of Music
