Department of Theatre and Dance Presents "Hand, Heart, Head"

March 3 performance features work by guest choreographer Tai Jimenez

February 29, 2012 --The Department of Theatre and Dance is pleased to present "Hand, Heart, Head," a performance by the Andover Dance Group, featuring a work by renowned dancer and guest choreographer Tai Jimenez. Directed by Judith Wombwell, the student ensemble will showcase a series of pieces that focus on the physical, emotional, and intellectual aspects of dance, ranging from classical ballet to modern and ritualistic styles. The performance will take place in Tang Theatre on Saturday, March 3, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $5 and may be reserved through the box office (978-749-4433).

"Hand, Heart, Head" will include dancers performing sections of the "Grande Pas Classique" from the ballet Paquita, first performed by the Imperial Bolshoi Theatre in 1882. The students will be dancing to the original choreography , which utilizes the Ludwig Minkus score. The ballet Paquita, set in Spain, follows the story of a young girl stolen by gypsies who discover her noble birth during the course of the ballet. The "Grande Pas Classique" is a celebration of Paquita’s marriage to Lucien and the choreography retains the Spanish flare of the original.

"Inverted Particles," choreographed by department chair Erin E. Strong, is a piece that explores the idea of opposition and lines through an athletic execution of dance. Costumes for this piece have been designed by students and echo the idea of oppositions and inversions through contrasting textures and color.

The highlight of "Hand, Heart, Head" is a piece choreographed by Jimenez exclusively for the Andover Dance Group. Jimenez has an extensive background in dance, having served as a principal in the Dance Theatre of Harlem and the Boston Ballet, appearing on Broadway and television and working as a choreographic assistant on feature films. She currently teaches dance at Harvard University, Boston Conservatory, and the Boston Arts Academy. Jiminez’s work for Andover Dance Group, titled "The Memory Bones," features drummer Wole Alade and is choreographed in ritualistic style, exploring the healing properties of dance. The theme for this dance centers upon West African writer Malidoma Some’s belief that “Nothing is new. Everything is remembered.”

Andover Dance Group’s final piece was originally choreographed for and performed in the Addison Gallery of American Art. Reworked for the Tang Theatre stage, "Grey Matter" is based on the artwork of Carol Walker and the photographs of Paul Fusko. The dance is a collage of images, movement and sounds designed to explore the complexities of history and grief while engaging the audience in thought.

“It is an honor to work with such dedicated and versatile dancers,” says Wombwell. “Whether working on classical ballet in Paquita or with the deeply emotional themes they have been exploring with the guest artist, these students are an energetic and committed group. It is going to be a very interesting concert that will prove thought provoking and dynamic.