Falmouth, Maine - - As hoped and envisioned, Maine State Ballet’s second annual Choreographer’s Showcase has attracted more of the region’s emerging dance community in addition to returning artists. New to the event this year are works by McKinley Page of The Ballroom in Harrison, Morita Tapley of Morita’s School of Dance in Hermon, and Jessica Holloway of The Ballet School in Topsham.

Holloway, The Ballet School’s director, is bringing a contemporary piece titled Meromeni Begoo, or Merrymeeting Bay. The piece is inspired by aquatic life in the Bay, one of six places in the world where many rivers share a delta. Holloway challenges her dancers’ versatility, “to push them into a space less comfortable: in parallel, with loose limbs and moving erratically at times, asking them to generate movements, to co-create.” The music was commissioned for the piece by local composer Anthony Serino. 

The energetic Neoteric Dance Collaborative (NDC) returns from the seacoast of New Hampshire with a powerful blend of jazz and modern dance and two new works.  NDC will perform Assistant Artistic Director Jessica Soucy’s excerpt Water from the full-piece Elementals.  Soucy is currently exploring movement inspired by the different behaviors of water.  Water is the first piece in a four-part series that explores the classical elements: water, air, fire and earth.  Soucy notes that “the completed piece will use a compilation of four songs inspired by each element.”  NDC’s second piece will be an excerpt from Spoon River, a dance adaptation of Edgar Lee Masters’ Spoon River Anthology choreographed by NDC Artistic Director Sarah Cost which incorporates dancers speaking segments of Masters’ text with original movement.

Maine State Ballet (MSB) Artistic Director Linda MacArthur Miele is pleased that the Showcase provides an opportunity for her own dancers to stretch their wings as well. MSB company dancers Juliette Lauzier and Katie Farwell are collaborating on a modern dance piece. “Katie and I grew up dancing together. The Showcase allows us to connect as dancers and explore the evolution of our careers.  As we create this piece together, we realize that we are incorporating our favorite steps from our past modern dance teachers, Sara Whale and Larry Lee VanHorne,”Juliette says.
 
Set to rhythmic percussion music, their piece has an earthy feel with dynamic changes in movement. Juliette adds, “I performed a modern piece at the Showcase last year and it was well received, so we are excited to present something new.”  Six other MSB choreographers are presenting new works in differing dance styles. The program features a tap tribute to Gene Kelly, jazz to Michael Jackson’s The Way You Make Me Feel, and classical ballet set to Mendelssohn and Tchaikovsky.
 
Two performances of the Choreographer’s Showcase are scheduled: Thursday, July 15 and Friday, July 16 at 7:00pm at the Maine State Ballet Theater, 348 U.S. Route One, Falmouth. Tickets are priced at $15 and are available by calling 207.781.7672 or online at www.mainestateballet.org. Seating is limited so reservations are suggested