The "Here and Now" series
Performances of Dance and Music Improvisation in Urbana-Champaign
Performers: Kirstie Simson, Christian Burns, Philip Johnston and invited guests
Music: John Toenjes, Jason Finkelman and invited guests
Kirstie has invited her collaborator Christian Burns from Holyoke, Massachusetts, and Philip Johnston who teaches in the U of I dance department to perform with her in this event, along with other invited guests.
The event will take place over an hour and a half within different galleries in the museum, and the audience will be invited to walk through the spaces enjoying the dance and music improvisations taking place.
At the beginning and the end of the performance there will be a showing of a short trailer film about Improvisation, which Kirstie is making with filmmaker Katrina McPherson (Scotland) and editor Simon Fildes (Scotland).
The Boneyard Art Festival 2007 [link]
Now: Moving Encounters (or) Improvised Dance and Music Event #2
Saturday April 21st, 3 - 4:30pm
At the Krannert Art Museum
Performers: Kirstie Simson, Todd Presson, Janet Charleston, Kinsey McCartor, Amy Swanson, Megan Dye, Hsin-Yi Hsiang, Rebecca Crystal, Janis Dingels, Chun-Chen Cheng, Kuan-Yu Chen, Ellen Deutsch
Musicians: Jason Finkelman and invited guests
This event is a sharing of the practice that Kirstie and a number of students from the Dance Department of the University of Illinois have been doing together throughout this semester. The performance will take place in numerous spaces in the gallery and audience members will be free to roam through the event and experience its unfolding in their own time.
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Throughout the spring semester Kirstie has been working in collaboration with musicians John Toenjes and Jason Finkelman, leading workshops for community members from Urbana-Champaign and surrounding areas, as well as students from the University of Illinois.
This performance will be a sharing of the work they have been doing together involving participants from the workshops who are interested in performing.
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Curated by Jason Finkelman for the Boneyard Festival.
The Boneyard Arts Festival late night spACE is an immersive arts event featuring live interactive visual environments, light and sound installations, art exhibitions, performance pieces, dance, live music, as well as special surprise guest artists. Jason Finkelman, Artistic Director.
Kirstie Simson (UK) is a visiting lecturer in the dance department at the University of Illinois. She is sharing her passionate interest and years of research of Dance Improvisation with students in the dance department at the University and members of the community of Urbana/Champaign. This work has culminated in a series of performances in February, March and April (at the
Boneyard Art Festival)
Kirstie has been collaborating with musicians John Toenjes and
Jason Finkelman throughout her stay at the University.
