Moving People presentation reflects dance styles practiced in northern New Mexico
Two years ago, a packed house at the Santa Fe Opera watched members of Moving People Dance Santa Fe and other dance companies present pieces that reflect the diversity of movement styles practiced in the northern part of the state. It was so successful, says Moving People’s co-artistic director Curtis Uhlemann, that the Santa Fe-based company decided to present a similar show this year.
Celebrando Nuevo Mexico, which takes place at the Lensic Performing Arts Center on Sunday, features 50 professional and aspiring dancers in seven genres of dance from indigenous and modern to ballet and hiphop. The acts are tied together by short, improvisational interludes created by Rulan Tangen, the founder of Dancing Earth dance company.
“Years ago, I wasn’t as comfortable being spontaneous with my movements (in performance),” said Tangen. “Now, I relish the opportunity. What I will be doing is watching each presentation and creating transitional movements between them. For the first half of the show, I’ll be moving to live violin music. During the second half, I’ll be moving to sounds from different percussion instruments. I am appearing as the spirit of movement.”
The show begins with an Eagle Dance by the Tewa Dancers of the North from Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo. Teens who perform with Los Ninos de Santa Fe Folklorico and El Jarabe Nayarit Folklorico present traditional northern New Mexico dances. Young dancers who study with Flamenco’s Next Generation and Moving People Dance Española also take center stage to demonstrate their talents.
“Our Española branch of Moving People opened last September,” Uhlemann said. “We set up our studio in an old middle school building. We’ve got 300 students dancing with us in our afterschool program. Classes cost $5 each, and some of our students are on scholarship. We offer a variety of dance classes, just like we do in Santa Fe.”
Seven members of Moving People, Too, who range in age from 10 to 14 years old, are featured in a modern dance piece choreographed by Uhlemann. A quartet of dancers from Moving People Dance Santa Fe, the dance center’s professional company, presents a work by Uhlemann that involves four asymmetrical steel chairs created by welder and sculptor Mike Garcia.The chairs are set up in a 24-foot-by-24 foot square.
“The piece has duets, trios and solos within it,” said Uhlemann. “Dancers are up and down on chairs and around them. It’s abstract, but it is about two couples.”
Uhlemann chose to choreograph the dance to a violin concerto by one of his favorite contemporary American composers, Philip Glass.
“I love his minimalist style,” said Uhlemann. “I can feel the sound waves in this music. It’s polyrhythmic, with patterns of four/ four and three/four time. I get a lot of visual images from it.”
Moving People Dance Santa Fe has invited 400 elementary school children to attend the show, with the hope of inspiring some of them to become interested in dance.
If You Go
WHAT: Celebrando Nuevo Mexico presented by Moving People Dance Santa Fe
WHEN: 7 p.m. Sunday
WHERE: Lensic Performing Arts Center, 211W. San Francisco St.
COST: $15-$35; halfprice for students
CONTACT: (505) 988-1234
