Miami Dance Festival Presents: An Evening of Water Ballet
May 15, 2014 at 7:00 PM
National Hotel
1677 Collins Ave
Miami Beach, FL 33139
Free Admission

Momentum Dancers will be showcasing the water ballet performance Etude as well as the premiere of an all new water ballet at the National Hotel pool deck.

Miami Dance Festival 2014 celebrates its 11th edition in honor of dance as an art form while encouraging innovation and presenting a diverse palette of dance works in an array of genres and styles. This year, the Festival will consist of eight events and one panel discussion (one of the events to be announced in March) with some of the nation’s most talented industry leaders. Established by the Founder & Artistic Director of Momentum Dance Company, Delma Iles, the Festival is a combined effort of her dance company and other dance companies such as The PGK Dance Project (San Diego, CA). Their combined mission is to move and inspire attendees with newly choreographed performances as well as the classics.

Momentum Dance Company will again perform last year’s hit High Tide, choreographed by Delma Iles. The jazzy, modern work demands high energy and stamina from Momentum’s dancers with fast footwork, unusual jumps and lifts as well as constant changes of direction. It premiered last February at the West Florida Dance Festival and made its Miami premiere on Momentum’s 2013 Spring Season at the Colony Theater.

Soloist Emily Noe is expanding her untitled work from last season to include a larger group of dancers, playing with ideas of ghosts and illusion. The exquisite music by Scriabin will be played by Dr. Alan Ngim, one of Iles’ colleagues at the Miami Dade College Department of Arts and Philosophy.

This year’s historic modern dance work is To the West, by modern dance pioneer Eleanor King. This powerful solo will be performed by Momentum veteran and principal dancer Barbie Freeman. It evokes a mountainous western landscape with high cliffs, and deep rivers. The human being is dwarfed and awed by its grandeur, but persists with a courageous pioneering spirit as she makes her way in this glorious new territory. Freeman is being coached by Dr. Andrea Seidel of FIU, who learned the work directly from its creator. King’s work is currently enjoying a renewed interest from dance writers and historians. The original piano score will also be played by guest artist Dr. Alan Ngim.

“Our goal is to showcase dance as an accessible art form,” Says Miami Dance Festival Founder Delma Iles. “We hope to inspire and move our festival goers through the movement of our incredibly talented dancers and industry heroes.”