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| David Parsons, Courtesy of Parsons Dance |
A lot of dancing takes place on
the main stage at the Thrasher-Horne Center. Some of our most popular events in
the past year have revolved around dance. And in our upcoming season, the Thrasher-Horne
Center is welcoming an exciting new partnership with Parsons Dance, a modern
dance company based in New York City. The company was founded in 1985 by
artistic director David Parsons and Tony Award-winning lighting designer Howell
Binkley. Parsons Dance is well known for its high energy performances of
contemporary American dance. The company performs residency/community
outreach activities across the country and around the world every
year. They have conducted extensive statewide residencies and outreach in
Florida, Wisconsin, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, and Kansas City among others.
The Thrasher-Horne Center is
working with Parsons Dance on an outreach program which will include Student Matinee Performances (shortened performances with incorporated audience
participation for students K-12 to attend during the school day), Lecture
Demonstrations (featuring
excerpts from Parsons’ Dance diverse repertory, such as The Envelope, Sleep
Study, Class Act, Caught,
and Nascimento, while explaining various aspects of production),
and Masterclasses (taught by company artists and Artistic Director
David Parsons).
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| Courtesy of Parsons Dance |
Mr. Parsons received an MFA from
Jacksonville University as the first Howard Gilman Fellow. He has created works
through commissions from Alvin Ailey
American Dance Theater, American
Ballet Theatre, the American Dance
Festival, New York City Ballet,
and many other well-known organizations. His works have also been
performed by Batsheva Dance Company
of Israel, English National Ballet, Feld Ballets/NY, Paris Opera Ballet, and many others. He choreographed and
directed the dance elements for Times Square 2000, the 24-hour festivities in
Times Square celebrating the turn of the Millennium. New York Magazine has
called Mr. Parsons “one of modern dance’s great living dance-makers.”
The
Parsons Dance residency at the Thrasher-Horne Center will continue to build on
a foundation of rich and groundbreaking dance programming being offered to our
Northeast Florida community. Last January, Thodos Dance Chicago presented
a touring production of A Light in the Dark: The Story of Helen Keller and
Anne Sullivan. Thodos Dance Chicago was founded in 1992 by
the renowned Melissa Thodos. The company’s mission of inspiring expression
through dance has established TDC as an original force in modern dance.
Reaching young minds through dance education is vital to the TDC mission.
A Light in the Dark is an inspiring story ballet, which explores
how a caring teacher helped guide a blind and deaf girl into a career as an
internationally acclaimed writer and political activist. In February, the Moscow Festival Ballet
presented The Sleeping Beauty. Marius Petipa is widely
regarded as the most influential ballet master and choreographer in ballet
history. The Sleeping Beauty was the crowning jewel of his career. It is
considered by many to be the finest achievement of the classical ballet. The
Moscow Festival Ballet was founded in 1989 by Sergei Radchenko, the legendary
principal dancer of the Bolshoi Ballet. The performance of The Sleeping
Beauty at the Thrasher-Horne Center was both enchanting and magical. Dance
is also an integral element in Broadway productions, including those that have
graced the main stage at the Thrasher-Horne Center. This past season, touring
productions of four superb musicals (Ragtime, Annie, Saturday Night Fever, and
Once) all featured unique and inspired dance elements.
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| Courtesy of Parsons Dance |
Dance Education
“In the age of standardized
testing, arts environments can provide the safe havens where mistakes are
treated as discoveries and expression is celebrated. Higher order thinking is a
natural part of the performance and students exit the stage smarter and more
prepared for whatever life has in store for them. Dancers have an edge.” Heather Vaughan
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| Courtesy of Parsons Dance |
Dance education and dance as a
performing art provide several benefits to students. Dance plays a very
important part in the education of thousands of young people throughout
Northeast Florida. Both LaVilla School of the Arts and Douglas Anderson School
of the Arts has excellent dance programs. St. Johns River State College,
Florida State College in Jacksonville, and many private schools have dance
programs as well. Research shows that students of dance are highly motivated,
disciplined and focused in their everyday lives. They are also creative,
imaginative, and have above average communication skills.
“Education in the art of dance
develops the knowledge and skills required to create, perform, and understand
movement as a means of artistic communication. Exposure to dance history and
cultures, kinesiology and anatomy, and movement theories further enriches the
dance educational experience.” National Dance Education Organization
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Tickets for concerts and other events and others are on sale now
on the Thrasher-Horne Center’s website.
The Thrasher-Horne Center is one of the nicest venues of its type
in Northeast Florida. From concerts by renowned artists, to live theater, to
dance, to magic and other fantastic shows, you can see it all at the Thrasher
Horne-Center! Spread the word about one of Northeast Florida’s best kept
secrets!
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comment about this article, please leave it in the comments section below.
There's a lot to be learned through dance. Glad to see a place like Thrasher-Horne putting it out there.
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