MAD Dance presents “Portal,” Innovative Dance Theatre
May 12-13 at the Y Arts Center in Frederick, MD
MAD Dance presents “Portal,” an innovative dance theatre performance, for two nights only, May 12 and May 13, at 7:30 pm. The performances take place at the intimate Y Arts Center, 115 East Church Street, Frederick, MD. Sliding scale tickets are available via Eventbrite (https://MAD-Dance-Portal.eventbrite.com), and advance purchase is highly recommended.
“Portal” is a pandemic-induced contemplation of people’s connection to body and earth, and a call to reconnect, get grounded, and take meaningful action to address the environmental crises caused by climate change. The pandemic assaulted our minds and bodies and left us scarred and shell-shocked. It made us less connected to nature, fearful and tight, obsessed with cleanliness, and uncertain about how our bodies would cope. “Portal” offers a vision of reclaiming connections to self, others, and earth. Incorporating a poignant and impactful poem by climate justice advocate Neha Misra, a rich and contemplative score by composer Cam Millar, MAD Dance Co-Directors Kitty Clark and Ray Shaw – in signature style – have crafted an immersive environment of vibrant colors, reflective surfaces, and images of forests in which non-linear communication thrives and a subtle, raw, and beautiful intimacy ensues. The development of “Portal” was supported in part by the Maryland State Arts Council (msac.org). This performance is supported in part by the Frederick Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts.
About the Artists
MAD Dance is Kitty Clark and Ray C. Shaw, longtime colleagues who make contemporary work in the modern dance tradition. Drawing on improvisational and somatic practices, the duo manifests deeply intimate work. Whether dancing on the stage, in parks, in parking lots, or in art galleries, they consider dance from the perspective of being older, experienced artists. By highlighting the importance of nuance and sensitivity in expression, Kitty and Ray show audiences another way of being, listening, and communicating. MAD Dance has been honored with an Independent Artist Award, several Creativity Grants from the Maryland State Arts Council, and a CAN grant from the Frederick Arts Council. Ray has an MFA from Arizona State University and is a practicing acupuncturist. Kitty has an MFA from Smith College and is a yoga instructor and independent arts administrator. They thrive in collaboration and love the unexpected happenings that transpire when creative minds play together.
Neha Misra is a poet, contemporary eco-folk artist, and an award-winning climate justice advocate. Neha’s Earth stewardship centered multi-disciplinary studio builds bridges between private, collective, and planetary healing through the power of art. Neha grew up in the heart of India’s capital New Delhi whose soulful vibrancy is a part of her creative DNA. America is her adopted home where she embodies powerful creative reclamations of (re)imagination for transformational worldbuilding. Neha is a Public Voices Fellow on the Climate Crisis — an initiative of the OpEd project and Yale Program on Climate Change Communication to change who writes history. She serves as the inaugural Global Ambassador for non-profit Remote Energy, which is making the global solar energy movement more inclusive for people of color, especially women. Her work has been featured in National Geographic Magazine, Forbes, Ms. Magazine, Miami Art Week Regenaissance, and Mothers of Invention.
Cam Millar, originally from Canada, is a multi-genre musician with an original compositional voice. In addition to his own projects, including the horn-driven ensemble The Weather People, he is a member of the Lana Spence Band and has been commissioned by film and video directors, classical/art music chamber ensembles, modern dance choreographers, jazz artists, ice skating choreographers, equestrian show producers, multi-media artists, rock bands seeking horn arrangements, and many more. As a trombonist, he has performed with a wide variety of musical artists and organizations covering every conceivable style of music from classical to jazz to pop.
For more information, call 301-331-4398 or find MAD Dance on Facebook (www.facebook.com/MAD.Dance.Theatre).
