Michael Figueroa: This is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things
7:00 PM
This is why we can’t have nice things is a new original work from Michael Figueroa (Ruckus Dance), developed in collaboration with five Maine-based dancers.
Utilizing the dancers ‘hidden’ talents and source materials including Youtube videos of Merce Cunningham classes, cheerleading competitions, slapstick comedy, videos of clinical LSD trials, and more, Figueroa continues his exploration of authentic interaction, improvisation, and awkwardness through dance.
SPACE, Portland Dance Month, and Ruckus Dance are proud to be commissioning this first-ever, evening- length show, choreographed and developed with local dancers. SPACE is seeking to pilot this work as an annual initiative of bringing an outside choreographer to collaborate locally, creating a paid opportunity for local dancers and performance artists and experimenting with the idea of what a dance “company” can be. The work’s debut will be followed by a Moving Target dance workshop with Figueroa hosted at SPACE with the Living Room Collective.
Auditions were held in August, and the selected performers are:
Lucy Soucek | Jacqui DeFranca | Kristen Stake | Emily Brunick | Shaina Cantino
Funded in part by the New England States Touring program of the New England Foundation for the Arts, made possible with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts Regional Touring Program. Additional support has been provided by Portland Dance Month.