Patty Smith Returns To THT With THE LAST CAN-CAN 8/26

Town Hall Theater presents Patty Smith with The Last Can-Can. A dancer's life seems to be a charmed one, full of beautiful music and graceful movement.

Dancers, however, know that the seemingly effortless performance on stage doesn't begin to reflect the endless hard work and physical pain that goes into mastering the craft. Patty Smith explores both sides of the coin in her autobiographical The Last Can-Can, which recounts an hilarious day in the life of a dancer.

The evening will also include "biographical solos" of other choreographers, both male and female.

Smith delighted audiences last year with Schmaltz, a solo evening that explored vintage music and dance styles and the way they contributed to her development as an artist. Her choreography is theatrical, funny, and edgy. In the upcoming production she will be pushing the boundaries of the form, to the point of including some partial nudity.

"I think of Patty as some kind of national treasure," says THT executive director Douglas Anderson. "She is unique in every way. She's fearless yet funny, and she's modern yet somehow rooted in the great dance traditions of the past. We're thrilled she's found a home here at Town Hall Theater."

The Last Can-Can will be performed at Middlebury's Town Hall Theater on Friday, August 26, at 8 pm. Tickets are $17, and may be purchased at www.townhalltheater.org, 382-9222, at box office (Mon Sat, noon-5) or at the door.