For Immediate Release
August 19, 2015
Media Contact: Dance Affiliates Anne-Marie Mulgrew, Project/Ed. Director
215-636-9000 ext. 110,
Editors: Images are available upon request.
Dance Affiliates launches Inaugural Season
NextMove at the Prince
Featuring EIGHT companies
October 14, 2015 through May 22, 2016
(Philadelphia, PA) Dance Affiliates, Philadelphia’s leading presenter of world-class dance presents “NextMove at the Prince,” featuring eight companies in 54 performances during the 15-16 season.
“The new series affords us the opportunity to offer more performances and outreach activities” states Randy Swartz, Artistic Director. “The Prince’s 450-seat theater is similar in size to New York’s Joyce Theater, and is located on the Avenue of the Arts in Center City where we have the potential to become a powerful player on the cultural landscape, and reach more diverse audiences,” he said. Highly regarded on the international dance scene, Dance Affiliates is one of the few remaining dance only presenters in the United States.
Performances will take place at the renovated Prince Theater, 1412 Chestnut Street. Subscriptions are available on line at www.danceaffiliates.org, by phone 215-636-9000 ext.109 or by mail to Dance Affiliates NextMove Series, 4701 Bath St. #46B, Philadelphia, PA 19137. Single tickets and subscriptions will be available the first week of September at The Prince Theater Box Office, 215-422-4580 or
Complexions Contemporary Ballet (October 14-18), directed by Alvin Ailey virtuosos Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson, (who appeared on “So You Think You Can Dance”), opens the series with its high-octane, mix of ballet, pop and contemporary works. An audience sensation two-years ago, Los Angeles’ BODYTRAFFIC (November 4-8), returns with dances by today’s most talked about choreographers. Making its Philadelphia debut is Dorrance Dance (December 2-6), winner of a 2014 Bessie Award for “blasting open our notions of tap.” Canada’s sleek, sophisticated and hip Les Ballets Jazz de Montréal (January 13-17), brings its latest creations by world-renowned choreographers. Ezralow Dance (February 3-7), directed by Daniel Ezralow of Broadway’s “Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark” and Sochi Winter Olympics makes its East Coast debut. Celebrating its 70th Anniversary, Limón Dance Company (March 9-13), offers the legendary José Limón’s most treasured masterpieces. Seán Curran Company makes a rare appearance (April 6-10.) Mr. Curran is a two-time Bessie award winner, an original member of Stomp, and choreographer for opera and theater. Closing the series is the imaginative and innovative MOMIX (May 11-15 and May 18-22), under the direction of the irrepressible Moses Pendleton with Opus Cactus, a multi-media spectacle based on American Southwest deserts.
Performances take place Wednesday and Thursday at 7:30pm; Friday at 8pm; Saturday at 2pm and 8pm; and Sunday at 3pm. In addition, NextMove companies will be conducting low-cost or free residency activities including a Student Discovery Program for schools and a master class for the dance community, as well as post-performance chats for audiences.
Dance Affiliates’ inaugural NextMove Series is supported by the Friends of Dance (Affiliates), National Dance Project of the New England Foundation for the Arts, Philadelphia Cultural Fund, and the William Penn Foundation. State arts funding is received through a grant from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the National Endowment of the Arts, a federal agency.
Dance Affiliates
Founded in 1979 by artistic director Randy Swartz, Dance Affiliates is one of the nation’s few remaining dance-only presenters. Dance Affiliates was known internationally for its award-winning annual Dance Celebration program co-presented with Annenberg Center which was Philadelphia’s longest-running series of world-class contemporary dance for the past 32-years. Having presented 200 companies in 1,500 performances, Dance Affiliates provides a wealth of opportunities for the Philadelphia–area community to interact with visiting dance artists through master classes, residencies, artistic collaborations, symposiums, film screenings, workshops, special student programs and pre- and post- performance curtain talks. Through more than 600 outreach programs, 30,000 students and aspiring dancers have been served. Visit www.danceaffiliates.org
Randy Swartz began his dance presenting career at the Walnut Street Theatre in 1970 where the dance series had its start. Mr. Swartz founded the Philadelphia Dance Alliance in 1970 as a service organization for dance in the city; was a founding member of the International Ballet Competition, serving as executive director of the first competition in Jackson, Mississippi in 1979; and served as the American judge at the International Ballet Competition in Osaka, Japan in 1983, 1987 and 1995. Mr. Swartz has served in a variety of capacities on boards, panels and university academic staffs; continually travels to various countries to view and critique dancers, choreographers and dance companies; and also acts as a private consultant and mentor to choreographers and dance companies both nationally and in Canada, offering advice and direction about touring in the United States. He is currently celebrating his 45th season as a presenter of world-class dance.
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For More Information: Dance Affiliates, Anne-Marie Mulgrew
215-636-9000 Ext. 110
4701 Bath St. #46B Philadelphia, PA 19137
www.danceaffiliates.org