Momentum Dance Company To Celebrate 35 Years, 4/22-23

Momentum Dance Company will celebrate its 35th Anniversary this year with a weekend of performances on April 22 - 23, 2017. The company's Founder & Artistic Director, Delma Iles, will showcase a total of five works to commemorate the company's prestigious accomplishment. The program includes international dancers with varied performances such as an original work from its opening season in 1982 and the premiere of two original works. This years' performance will touch the hearts of returning audience members and invite new goers to experience Momentum Dance Company as they continue to pave the way for dance in Miami.

"We are both excited and proud to be celebrating our 35th year in the dance community" says Iles. "The audience will join us as we enjoy the classic performances and premiering works that we hold dear to our hearts. The five performances include:

Handel Concerto - a joyful, technically demanding work set to a concerto grosso by Handel. Choreographed by Delma Iles in 1982 and appeared on Momentum's very first concert program, the piece will make a return on its 35th year. Presenting a love of dance and movement in a rationally organized division of three into four - three dancers move in four planes of the stage. Dancers include Ashley Hammond, Lili Granie, Melanie Perez or Martina Tarducci.

Monkeybone - a work of dark humor is set to a blend of Bluegrass, Jazz, and Blues. Expanding from a work premiered last season, the piece features two male characters performed by

Katie Brennan and Barbie Freeman.

Shadows and Accumulations II - a work performed in silence, as two dancers weave together two different dances in layers that accumulate and de-accumulate to striking, and sometimes emotional effect. Iles created it in 1998, and it remains one of the most challenging works in the company's repertory because the dancers have no music to unite them.The piece is performed by Lili Granie and Martina Tarducci or Ashley Hammond & Melanie Perez.

Dido- a major triumphant creation from last season,refers to an episode from Virgil's Aeneid and uses Dido's famous aria from Henry Purcell's opera Dido and Aeneus. The incomparable Barbie Freeman dances under a sheer black veil that covers the whole stage Ashley Hammond, Martina Tarducci, Katie Brennan, Melanie Perez.

Gold Falling through Water - a World Premiere that uses romantic music to juxtapose rich physical vocabulary with chaotic moments and implied violence. Set to French composer, Gabriel Faure's Sonata #1, the violin and piano in A major will be played by Guest Artists: pianist Dr. Alan Ngim and violinist Anne Chicheportiche. This will be Chicheportiche's first time performing with Momentum. The work will showcase the talents of Lili Granie, Martina Tarducci, Katie Brennan, Melanie Perez, Barbie Freeman or Ashley Hammon.

These performances are supported in part with Funding from: The Epstein Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Florida Division of Cultural Affairs, the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs, WLRN Public Media.

Momentum Dance Company's 35th Anniversary celebration will happen on April 22nd at 8:00 p.m. andApril 23rd at 3:00 p.m. at the Sandrell Rivers Theater at 6101 NW 7th Avenue, Miami, FL, 33127. There will be limited free parking at the Sandrell Rivers Theater building. Audience members are invited to arrive early to find parking easily. To purchase tickets, call the box at (305)284-8800 x 872 or click here.

General Admission $30 in advance; $35 at the door; and students, seniors or veterans $12. For groups of 10 or more tickets are $10. As a special Thank You to the community for 35 years of support, Momentum will give free tickets to the first 35 people at the box office when it opens prior to each show. You must be there in person to qualify for the free tickets. For more information about Momentum Dance Company, visit www.MomentumDance.com or follow them on Facebook.

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About Momentum Dance Company

Founded in 1982 by classically trained and respected dancer Delma Iles, Momentum Dance Company is one of the oldest and most established professional contemporary dance companies in the Southeastern U.S. The company exists for the purpose of creating, performing and producing dance works, particularly those by Florida artists, emphasizing the creation of new works, but from a classic and historic viewpoint. The company's purpose is to develop and educate the audience about dance in Florida, the Southeastern region and across the nation with emphasis on modern dance forms. The company also prides itself on its commitment to educating and training students for the purposes of professional careers as well as for personal development and enjoyment. For more information about Delma Iles and Momentum Dance Company, visit www.momentumdance.com.

(Photo Credit: Momentum Dance Facebook)

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