AU Collective Premieres GOLD&SKIN at 12th Avenue Arts Theater Tonight

Au Collective presents the World Premiere of GOLD&SKIN at 12th Avenue Arts Theater (1620 12th Ave, Seattle, WA 98122), this weekend, September 10-12 at 7:30pm.

Au Collective will present Gold&Skin, a dance concert featuring work by local up-and-coming contemporary choreographers and UW graduates. Proud to be people of color, women, and queer artists, the collective creates dance in celebration of community, family, and alternative artistic upbringings.

Founded by world-class Seattle artists including Cheryl Delostrinos (currently dancing with Pat Graney and Dancers), Fausto Rivera (company member of Spectrum Dance Theater), and Michael O'Neal Jr. (currently dancing in Amy O'Neal's Opposing Forces).

With a vast array of technical strength and stylistic finesse, the group showcases a masterful blend of balletic lines and precision, hip-hop infused isolations and energy, and the artistic unpredictability of modern technique. Gold&Skin features joyously big movement, technical prowess and athletic gusto.

The concert will include Closer, an ensemble work by Artistic Director Cheryl Delostrinos originally presented for the CHIN Project at the 92 Street Y under the direction of the internationally acclaimed choreographer Doug Varone. Closer (the second of a three part piece) is a duet inspired by past relationships that now exists only through memories. Blending dynamic contemporary movement with sharp static gestures, the piece explores how our memories color the past with a different shade of truth.

Tickets: $15 general admission at www.audancecollective.com. Fo rmore about the performance, go to www.hatchfund.org/project/au_collective_presents_gold_skin_1 or follow AU Collective on Facebook at www.facebook.com/audancecollective. For tickets, or more information on the performance, contact Hallie Scott at [email protected]

ABOUT THE ARTISTS:

Cheryl Delostrinos (Artistic Director) is a Filipino American and a Seattle Native. She trained with the Pacific Northwest Ballet, Cornish College of the Arts, and the University of Washington Dance program. Delostrinos spent summers attending dance intensives with the American Ballet Theater, Alonzo King Lines Ballet, the American Dance Festival, Doug Varone and Dancers, and the Alvin Ailey School in New York. In 2013, she graduated with a B.A in Dance from the UW and was awarded the Evelyn H. Green endowed scholarship for artistic merit and promise. In September of 2014, Delostrinos presented her duet Closer at the CHIN Project at the 92 street Y under the direction of Doug Varone. In Seattle, she has been commissioned to choreograph for Relay Dance Company, The Contemporary Jazz Dance Festival, and for Seattle Academy of Arts and Sciences. Delostrinos is the Artistic Director of Au Collective and is currently working with Pat Graney on her premiere of Girl Gods presented by On the Boards.

Michael O'Neal Jr. (Choreographer/Dancer) is a self-taught Hip-Hop influenced dancer from Tacoma, WA. Now a UW graduate, he has also trained in ballet and modern techniques, O'Neal believes that to be the best dancer he can be, he should be versatile and push his own comfort zone. Since being in Seattle, o'Neal has danced for Chamber Dance Company, Jennifer Salk, JÜrg Koch, Bruce McCormick, Erin Cardinal, and is currently dancing for Seattle choreographer Amy O'Neal in her latest work Opposing Forces. Michael O'Neal is a dance instructor at University of Washington's IMA. he will Also be subbing at Amy O'Neal's Street Style class from August through the Fall at Velocity Dance Center. Along with Au, Michael O'Neal is also a member of Chapter1NE and The Beat Hippies dance crews. you can look him up under the moniker Choreomike on Youtube. "Always a student, never a master."

Fausto Rivera (Choreographer/Dancer) is a Chicano dance artist from the NW. He graduated with a BA in Dance and a minor in Anthropology from the University of Washington (UW), where he was awarded the Evelyn H. Green Endowed Scholarship for artistic merit and promise. He grew up training in Mexican Folk Dance with Joyas Mestizas, and discovered ballet and modern dance in college. While at the UW, Rivera danced with the Chamber Dance Company under the direction of Hannah C. Wiley, performing work by Lar Lubovitch, Danny Shapiro/Joanie Smith, Bill T. Jones and Doug Varone. He has also trained at the San Francisco Conservatory of Dance, Northwest Dance Project's Launch: 10, and a semester abroad at the University of Guadalajara in Jalisco, Mexico. Other credits include performing original work by Bennyroyce Royon, creating work with Cheryl Delostrinos, that has been presented in Seattle & New York City, and performing in Seattle Theater Group's 2011 production of Black Nativity and the 5th Avenue Theater/Spectrum Dance Theater's production of Carousel, both with choreography by Donald Byrd. Rivera has also been a company member of Spectrum Dance Theater since January, 2015.