The University of Texas at Austin Department of Theatre and Dance Presents ROOTS AND WINGS, 4/19-21

The University of Texas at Austin Department of Theatre and Dance presents Roots and Wings, a collection of compelling dance works by nationally and internationally renowned choreographers, April 19-21 at the B. Iden Payne Theatre.

Following the critically praised concert Catalyst, UT's celebrated dance company, Dance Repertory Theatre, returns to the stage to take flight in Roots and Wings. A melding of modern and classic dance, Roots and Wings is a collection of powerful works by acclaimed choreographers Paul Taylor, David Justin, Yacov Sharir, and Charles O. Anderson.

A highlight of the performance includes The Uncommitted, a new work by Paul Taylor, one of the foremost American choreographers of the 20th century and leading modern dance artists. His 134th choreographed work, The Uncommitted's movements reflection of yearning and disconnection are underscored by Arvo Pärt's evocative music.

The University of Texas at Austin is pleased to be the first company, other than the Paul Taylor Company, to perform Taylor's masterpiece. Following its world premiere in 2011 at the American Dance Festival, The New York Times critic Gia Kourlas called The Uncommitted "a haunting work with so many moments of beauty."

David Justin, co-artistic director of Roots and Wings shares, "As our dancers work to embody the choreographic voice of Paul Taylor, they are exploring, firsthand, intangible essences that get passed from master to apprentice, choreographer to dancer and discovering that they have the opportunity to viscerally understand this artistic lineage and actively be a part of this rich heritage."

Other work in Roots and Wings includes David Justin's Solemn Opus: The Journey of Lost and Found. This critically acclaimed work has been performed at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., at the Ballet Builders Choreographers' Showcase in New York and in Greece at the 20th World Congress of Dance. Justin is an associate professor at The University of Texas at Austin and serves as the artistic director of American Repertory Ensemble. He is a former principal dancer for the Birmingham Royal Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, and Boston Ballet.

Choreographer Yacov Shair's new work 3D [Embodied] layers the physical and virtual worlds, as a virtual space becomes a habitable architectural space where physical humans seamlessly appear and disappear. Sharir is the founder of American Deaf Dance Company and Sharir Dance Company. He currently serves as a professor of dance at The University of Texas at Austin.

For more information on Roots and Wings, please visit www.JoinTheDrama.org.

The B. Iden Payne Theatre (300 E. 23rd St., Austin, Texas 78712) is located in the F. Loren Winship Drama Building (WIN) at the intersection of 23rd Street and SAN JACINTO on the University of Texas campus. For a map of the campus, please visit texasperformingarts.org/visit/maps_directions

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