Chop Shop: Bodies Of Work Celebrates 10 Year Anniversary

CHOP SHOP: Bodies of Work, a contemporary dance festival, celebrates its 10th year of forging deep connections between audiences and artists, returning to The Theatre at Meydenbauer in Bellevue, Washington, February 18 - 19, 2017. With extraordinary contemporary dance from Seattle and beyond, alongside master classes and the Experience Dance Program, CHOP SHOP presents its signature mix of performance, education and dialogue.

"We are thrilled to reach this important milestone, marking 10 years of sharing outstanding contemporary dance from leading dance makers, both local and from around the world," says CHOP SHOP Producer Eva Stone. "We look forward to again presenting a festival that opens this art form to the community by presenting creative and accessible work that engages with audiences...and serving up a celebratory slice of cake to all that attend the performances in February!"

CHOP SHOP offers two festival performances, Saturday, February 18 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, February 19 at 3:00 p.m., featuring diverse local, national and International Artists. Curated as a retrospective, the 2017 edition invites audience favorite artists from the festival's history to share their work on the Meydenbauer stage. A full artist line-up will be announced in early November.

The CHOP SHOP Master Class Series once again fills the daytime hours of the festival. Led by the festival's dancers, choreographers and artistic directors, these engaging master classes offer a unique opportunity for intermediate and advanced level dancers to experience a wide array of movement styles and practices. Festival scholarships providing access to the full Master Class Series and a complimentary ticket to one 2017 performance are available to young dancers ages 12 - 21. Scholarship applications are accepted through Saturday, January 28, 2017, with full application instructions available at chopshopdance.org/scholarships.

Also returning this year, the Experience Dance Program travels to a variety of Eastside venues beginning in January 2017, inviting those with little or no previous exposure to experience dance first hand and gain insight into the work presented during the festival. Introductory level modern dance classes, led by Stone, immerse attendees in the art form. Reading Dance, an interactive lecture-demonstration, demystifies the choreographic process, opening a rare window into the creation of a dance work. All Experience Dance Program classes are free-of-charge and all participants receive a reduced price ticket to one CHOP SHOP 2017 performance of their choice.

About CHOP SHOP: Bodies of Work

CHOP SHOP: Bodies of Work launched in 2008, founded on a mission to bring quality contemporary dance to Seattle-area residents. Through the support and presentation of local, national, and International Artists, CHOP SHOP promotes the accessibility of contemporary dance to both new and experienced audiences. Since its inception, CHOP SHOP has presented 53 dance companies, shown 89 dance works, supported over 243 artists, and given festival scholarships to numerous young dancers.

Artists featured in past editions of the festival include Spectrum Dance Theatre (Seattle), Joshua Beamish (Vancouver, B.C.), zoe | juniper (Seattle), Adam Barruch Dance (New York City), Kiyon Gaines (Seattle), Grand Rapids Ballet (Grand Rapids, Michigan), //TECTONIC MARROW SOCIETY (Seattle), Gerard Regot (Portland, Oregon/Spain), Price Suddarth (Seattle), Gabrielle Revlock (Philadelphia/New York City), Whim W'Him (Seattle), Donald Sales (Vancouver, B.C.), Mark Haim (Seattle), and Alex Ketley/The Foundry (San Francisco). For more information visit chopshopdance.org. StoneDance Productions is powered by Shunpike.

To post a comment, you must register and login.