Parsons Dance

The international company Parsons Dance is set to open the 2024-2025 dance season at the Teatro Celebrazioni in Bologna. On Thursday, November 7, at 9:00 PM, the New York-based dance troupe will stop in the city with their new Italian tour, Balance of Power, a program that includes beloved classics from their repertoire and new productions presented for the first time in Europe.

Parsons Dance was founded in 1985 by choreographer David Parsons – regarded by New York Magazine as "one of the greatest figures in modern dance" – and the multi-award-winning lighting designer Howell Binkley, who won, among others, a Tony Award for the Broadway musical Hamilton. The company is one of the few that, in addition to having established itself worldwide with renewed success, has managed to leave a mark in contemporary imagination and create choreographies that have become true "cult" classics in global dance. Their performances have been staged in over 445 cities, in 30 countries across five continents, and in the most important international theaters and festivals, including The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, Sydney Opera House, Maison de la Danse in Lyon, Teatro La Fenice in Venice, and Teatro Municipal in Rio de Janeiro.

Two of the choreographic pieces are being performed in Europe for the first time. The first is "Juke," commissioned from Jamar Roberts, a former dancer of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and resident choreographer: an homage to "Spanish Key" from the album Bitches Brew by legendary jazz musician Miles Davis, and to the 1970s, with psychedelic forms that provide a backdrop to highlight the talents of the individual dancers. The second piece, "The Shape of Us," also revolves around music and is the latest creation by David Parsons: a journey from alienation to connection with melodies from the experimental electronic group Son Lux, led by Ryan Lott, who received an Oscar nomination for the soundtrack of the 2023 Oscar-winning film "Everything Everywhere All At Once." The dancers explore, discovering each other's beauty and their community bonds.

Following these are four repertory ballets by Parsons Dance, three of which are choreographed by David Parsons. All of Parsons' creations are marked by extraordinary theatricality and a physicality that transforms into virtuosity and lightness, foremost among them being "Caught" (1982), described by critics as "one of the greatest choreographies of recent times". It is a breathtaking solo set to Robert Fripp's "Let The Power Fall," in which the dancer appears suspended in mid-air thanks to a play of strobe lights. "Balance of Power," which also lends its name to the tour, is a highly successful solo. Created in 2020 during the pandemic and in collaboration with Italian composer and percussionist Giancarlo De Trizio, the piece highlights the intriguing balance of power between musician, dancer, and choreographer. Each movement has its corresponding sound and is perfectly synchronized with a specific percussion sound, from the hushed beginning to the frenetic finale. "Whirlaway," showcasing Parsons' captivating artistic vision, was commissioned in 2014 to celebrate Allen Toussaint, the musical phenomenon of New Orleans. With notes ranging from rock to blues and jazz, the choreography continuously alternates between solos, duets, quartets, sextets, and octets, with couples constantly reshuffling as if having carefree fun in a playful dance. "Takademe" (1996) is a solo created by Robert Battle when he was a dancer with the company and mixes humor and acrobatic movement in a deft deconstruction of rhythms from Indian Kathak dance; clear forms and propulsive leaps mimic the vocalized rhythmic syllables of Sheila Chandra's syncopated score.

Featured performers include Zoey Anderson, Megan Garcia, Téa Pérez, Luke Romanzi, Joseph Cyranski, Justine Delius, Joanne Hwang, Luke Biddinger, and Emerson Earnshaw.

Universally recognized for its energetic, acrobatic, and choral dance, Parsons Dance has always reached a broad audience. The dancers' high level of athletic training, guided by David Parsons’ expertise in bringing technique to life, has been, since its inception, among the company’s distinctive elements.

TICKET PRICES: Full €38.00 – Reduced €35.00 – Under 29 €32.00. Tickets are available for purchase online and at authorized points of sale via the Vivaticket and TicketOne circuits, as well as at the Teatro Celebrazioni box office (https://bit.ly/parsonsdance24WEB).

The Teatro Celebrazioni box office is open from Tuesday to Saturday from 3 PM to 7 PM and on show days starting one hour before the performance begins (Via Saragozza 234, Bologna | Tel: 051.4399123 | E-mail: info@teatrocelebrazioni.it).

The audience can reserve a dinner or an aperitif at the Celebrazioni Bistrot, located in the theater foyer, managed by Ristorante Biagi and the cocktail bar 10 Codivilla, open from an hour and a half before the performance starts. Info and reservations: +39 329 8120861.

Bologna, October 30, 2024

AT THIS LINK, PHOTOS OF THE STARS OF BALANCE OF POWER. Credits: Rachel Neville: https://bit.ly/parsonsdance24stampa

Teatro Celebrazioni di Bologna
Thursday, November 7, 2024, at 9:00 PM
PARSONS DANCE
Artistic Director: David Parsons
Dancers: Zoey Anderson, Megan Garcia, Téa Pérez, Luke Romanzi, Joseph Cyranski, Justine Delius, Joanne Hwang, Luke Biddinger, Emerson Earnshaw

BALANCE OF POWER
Program
JUKE
(2024)
European premiere
Choreography: Jamar Roberts
Lights: Christopher S. Chambers
Music: Miles Davis (Spanish Key)
Costumes: Christine Darch

TAKADEME
(1996)
Choreography: Robert Battle
Lights: Howell Binkley
Music: Sheila Chandra
Original costumes: Missoni
Restored costumes: Barbara Erin Delo

BALANCE OF POWER
(2020)
Choreography: David Parsons
Lights: Christopher S. Chambers
Music: Giancarlo de Trizio (composed and performed)
Costumes: Barbara Erin Delo
Commissioned by Linda Stocknoff

THE SHAPE OF US
(2024)
European premiere
Choreography: David Parsons
Lights: Christopher S. Chambers
Music: Son Lux
Costumes: Christine Darch
Commissioned by Jeff Sidell, Jeff Oakes, and Susan Anne Jeff Campbell

CAUGHT
(1982)
Choreography: David Parsons
Lights: David Parsons and Howell Binkley
Music: Robert Fripp (Let the Power Fall)
Costumes: Judy Wirkula

WHIRLAWAY
(2014)
Choreography: David Parsons
Lights: Howell Binkley
Music: Allen Toussaint and The Allen Toussaint Orchestra
Choreography assistant: Natalie Lomonte
Costumes: Keiko Voltaire
Commissioned by the New Orleans Ballet Association

A production by Art Works Production - Antonio Gnecchi Ruscone
In collaboration with Alveare Produzioni
Distributed in Italy by Sava’ Produzioni Creative