Paul-Andre Fortier Performs 30-minute Dance For 30 Days in NYC Plaza, Begins 7/16

As part of the River To River Festival, acclaimed choreographer Paul-André Fortier will brave the vagaries of New York's summer weather to perform a 30-minute dance for 30 consecutive days at One New York Plaza starting next month.

Come rain or shine, Fortier, one of the leading figures in Canadian contemporary dance, will present Solo 30x30 each day at noon at the outdoor downtown plaza from July 16 through August 14.

With more than 125 music, dance, and cultural events, the River To River Festival is New York's largest free summer arts festival. Named "one of the city's most compelling summer series" by The New York Times, the Festival draws hundreds of thousands of people each year to venues throughout Lower Manhattan.

Co-presented by The Joyce Theater and Arts Brookfield Properties, the production marks the twelfth staging of Fortier's groundbreaking series of site-specific outdoor solo dances, which has been presented in 11 cities throughout the world. The last performance of the New York run will mark Fortier's 360th day performing the piece since its creation in 2006.

Since founding his Canada-based dance company Fortier Danse-Création in 1981, Fortier has created more than forty different dance pieces, establishing a reputation for innovative staging and adventurous collaborations with artists from other media. He was recently named a Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters, one of France's highest cultural honors.

Audiences will be able to follow and discuss each new day's performance at the Solo 30x30 blog at
http://fortierdanse.blogspot.com.

"After seeing Paul-Andre perform his remarkable solo in Lyon, I was affected by how he became a neighborhood fixture, and I was eager to bring the work to New York," says Linda Shelton, Executive Director of The Joyce Theater. "The significance of this piece is realized in its repetition over thirty days, and I encourage audiences in the neighborhood and elsewhere to experience it multiple times. We are happy to present this work downtown, close to the site of our future home."

"One of our goals is to bring outdoor spaces to life in new and interesting ways," said Debra Simon, artistic director of Arts Brookfield Properties. "Paul-Andre's Solo 30 X 30 is certain to be one of most exciting and fascinating public art events of the summer."

For more information and a complete schedule of River To River Festival programming, please visit
http://t.ymlp40.com/uyumadammwapaejhyakaemjb/click.php>.

About Paul-André Fortier
His talents as a creator, performer and teacher have made Paul-André Fortier one of the leading figures in contemporary dance in Quebec and the rest of Canada. He first made a name for himself as a performer with Groupe Nouvelle Aire, then founded Fortier Danse-Création in 1981. He joined the faculty of Université du Québec à Montréal in 1989, where he taught in the dance department for ten years. Ever passionate about the crossover between generations and different art forms, he often invites artists from diverse media to join him in his work. His desire for renewal and his need to exceed his own expectations shape his work, which enjoys an international reputation. Winner of the Jean A. Chalmers Award and the Dora Mavor Moore Award, he was honoured to be named choreographer in residence at the Cinquième Salle of Place des Arts in Montreal. Over the course of his career, Paul-André Fortier has created more than 40 choreographies, which have been performed in more than 10 countries.

About The Joyce Theater Foundation, Inc.,
The Joyce Theater Foundation, a non-profit organization, has proudly served the dance community and its audiences since 1982. The founders, Cora Cahan and Eliot Feld, acquired and renovated the Elgin Theater in Chelsea, which opened as The Joyce Theater in 1982. The Joyce is named
in honor of Joyce Mertz, beloved daughter of LuEsther T. Mertz. It was LuEsther's clear, undaunted vision and abundant generosity that made it imaginable and ultimately possible to establish the theater. One of the only theaters built by dancers for dance, The Joyce Theater has provided an intimate and elegant New York home for more than 290 domestic and international companies. The Joyce has also commissioned more than 130 new dances since 1992. In 1996, The Joyce created Joyce SoHo, a dance center providing highly subsidized rehearsal and performance space to hundreds of dance artists. New York City public school students and teachers annually benefit from The Joyce's Dance Education Program, and adult audiences get closer to dance through pre-engagement Dance Talks and post-performance Humanities discussions. The Joyce Theater now features an annual season of approximately 48 weeks with over 340 performances for audiences in
excess of 135,000.

About Arts Brookfield Properties
Brookfield Properties brings life to its public spaces through an internationally acclaimed visual and performing arts program. Brookfield Properties supports local, regional and international artists and organizations by commissioning original works and presenting art forms in new and unusual spaces.

About River to River Festival
The River To River Festival is presented by a collaboration of Lower Manhattan's major cultural event producers including the Alliance for Downtown New York, Arts World Financial Center, Battery Park City Authority, Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and The Seaport. Co-presenters for the 2010 season are The Joyce Theater and IMG Artists. All partners are firmly committed to using the arts as a tool for economic revitalization and the development of new audiences for the arts.

Free admission to River To River® events is underwritten by a wide range of funders led by the Festival's Founding Sponsor, American Express.

Major support is provided by the Festival's Producing Partners, including NBC Local Media New York and WNYC New York Public Radio. Vital support comes from our Supporting Funders, including Century 21 Department Stores, EmblemHealth, JetBlue Airways, New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, Target, and The Village Voice. Participating Funders are CB Richard Ellis, The Moody's Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, New York Marriott Downtown, New York State Council on the Arts, New York Stock Exchange Foundation, Pace University, and TKTS Seaport.