Join us this Sunday at The Jack Guidone Theater for YC2. YC2 (pronounced YC Squared) is the launch of Mich-Mash Production’s Young Choreographers Collective, a training program for emerging choreographers. The evening length concert features premieres by founding members Elizabeth O’dell and Matina Phillips as well as Artistic Director Micheline Heal (featured in the below video).
Tell us more about the Young Choreographers Collective. Why did you decide to start this initiative?
The Young Choreographers Collective is a supportive environment for young contemporary dance choreographers to make work and learn about the business aspects of the dance world. I decided to start this initiative based on my personal experience navigating the professional dance realm after graduating from college. No one taught me how to apply for a grant, or write a budget, or how to audition for a company at school. These were skills I had to learn by asking people who were older and wiser than me. I also found that dance-making was a lonely process out in the “real world.” My hope is that each year the choreographers selected for YC2 will not only be well-equipped to run their own companies but also have a support network that they can rely upon to keep them motivated and continue making work.
What can audience members expect from YC2? What do you hope they’ll take away from the performance?
The YC2 Concert is going to be in showcase format: an ideal form for those not familiar with dance to experience a concert. All of our choreography is physically intense and technically heavy but that’s where the similarities stop. Matina’s choreography is sharp and syncopated, strongly influenced by her jazz background. She’s also doing a tap solo where she plays with the tonality – and atonality – in a way that might be more appropriate for an avante garde classical music concert. Liz’s choreography is beautifully musical and features characters and theatrical interpretation, giving nods to her strong ballet background. My choreography is very fluid and I often incorporate traditional Chinese props and costumes from my childhood (in fact my first set of fans from when I was ten is in the show!). I hope the audience enjoys the wide spectrum and comes away with a broader understanding of what contemporary modern dance can be.
What’s next for Mich-Mash Productions?
Our next project will be the completion of an evening length work titled “Perchance to Dream” that I have been working on in collaboration with composer Wytold Lebing. Inspired by water’s transmutable ability to transform from chaotic frenzy to harmonious peace and back again, the piece incorporates traditional Chinese water sleeves to tell a story about finding hope to overcome internal struggles. The premiere will be in mid-July. Check our website for the dates soon!
Mich-Mash Productions presents YC2 at The Jack Guidone Theater at Joy of Motion Dance Center Friendship Heights on Sunday, February 26th at 8:00 p.m. Tickets are $12 in advance, $20 at the door. Click here to purchase yours today!
