Internationally-acclaimed dancer and choreographer Bill Evans will return to Fort Worden to teach a workshop for professional dance educators, August 10 through 17, and to present an informal concert of contemporary dance on August 15, 2008.
The dance performance will take place at 7:00 p.m. in the Fort Worden Chapel, just inside the gate on the left. Tickets will be available only at the door, beginning at 6:30 p.m. on the day of the performance. To reserve a seat, one can email Bill Evans at billevansdance@hotmail.com. Admission will be $10 general and $5 students.
Mr. Evans, who has taught and performed at Fort Worden on more than a dozen occasions since 1980, will perform himself in the west coast premiere of THREE PRELUDES FOR LILA (2007), a fusion of rhythm tap dance and Evans’ unique style of contemporary dance which he choreographed to music by George Gershwin.
“Evans’ dynamic control captivated the audience as his feet took on impressive runs, which looked effortless….Evans’ style simultaneously brought smiles and tears to the audience as he dance for the joy of dance…His brilliant efforts were rewarded with a standing ovation at the end of the evening.”—Scott Iwasaki, Deseret News, Salt Lake City, July 4, 2008
Don Halquist and Heather Roffe, members of the Bill Evans Dance Company, now based in western New York, will perform one of Evans signature contemporary works, ALTERNATING CURRENT, which was choreographed at Fort Worden during an Evans company residency. Music is by David Sannella and Simon Jeffes.
Other artists include: Debra Wright Knapp, former Evans company member who now directs the dance program at New Mexico State University, in Las Cruces; Kerry Kreiman, artistic director of Contemporary Dance Fort Worth, Texas; Deborah Birrane, solo dance artist based in Seattle; Cathy Davalos, director of the dance department at St. Mary’s College in northern California; Robbyn Scott, free-lance artist from Salt Spring Island, British Columbia, and Lori Haman, free-lance artist from Victoria, BC.
The evening will include brief informal talks with the audience by some of the artists and will include a variety of contemporary dance styles and music.