Organization
Project: Motion
Project: Motion is a contemporary dance collective specializing in modern dance-- a uniquely American art form characterized by the spirit of exploration and creativity. Project: Motion presents an innovative repertoire that inspires audiences to experience the joy of movement, and provides a nurturing and safe place for dancers to grow in skill and creativity.
-
At-a-
Glance
-
Current &
Upcoming Events
-
Past
Events
-
Past Events
06/04/10-
06/13/10 |
eMPHasis on BLUE
Evergreen (Formerly Circuit Playhouse)
Presented by Project: Motion
at Evergreen (Formerly Circuit Playhouse)
June 4-June 13, 2010
Bold and new ideas blend smoothly into dance as collaborating artists borrow from the essence of blue. Sky, azure, cobalt, cerulean, indigo…. Whatever the shade, this powerful and mysterious color continues to stir the soul. Seven Project: Motion choreographers will draw inspiration from anything and everything BLUE to produce eMPHasis on BLUE, a collaborative process that will culminate in a unique contemporary dance performance. As part of the process, each choreographer will be...
|
02/26/10-
02/28/10 |
AXIS
TheatreWorks
Presented by Project: Motion
at TheatreWorks
February 26-February 28, 2010
Three distinctly versatile guest dance artists align with Project: Motion and converge in Memphis for an unforgettable performance of contemporary dance. Seattle artists Juliet Waller Pruzan and Stephen Hando's unpredictable and quirky theatrical dance style versus the fiercely dynamic work of Pennsylvania artist Ursula Payne will combine forces to deliver an evening of deeply imaginative and thought provoking art .The performance will feature solo works by the artists, as well as two duets...
|
12/11/09-
12/20/09 |
Pre-Sent/Pres-ent 8: Home for the Holidays
TheatreWorks
Presented by Project: Motion
at TheatreWorks
December 11-December 20, 2009
Original, anticipated and unique to Memphis, this gift-inspired production brims with holiday style, wit, and theatrical magic, making it a favorite alternative to the traditional Christmas fare. Now in it's 8th season, Pre-sent/Pres-ent reunites Project: Motion choreographers and dancers with actors and directors from Voices of the South to create a humorous and touching holiday extravaganza of theatre, dance, and music.
Buy One Get One Free on Dec. 13 and 20th
Pay What You...
|
07/17/09-
06/30/10 |
Project: Motion Community Dance Class
TheatreWorks
Presented by Project: Motion
at TheatreWorks
July 17, 2009-June 30, 2010
Project: Motion's community dance classes are offered weekly at TheatreWorks in a comfortable, relaxed atmosphere and led by an experienced and mindful faculty. Classes incorporate a variety of modern dance techniques that engage the body and mind, tune the senses, and invigorate the kinesthetic spirit while providing a strong training ground for responsive, resonant and expressive dancing. For more information on class schedules, instructors and fees, visit www.projectmotiondance.org
|
05/22/09-
05/31/09 |
Emerge 2: Set in Motion
TheatreWorks
Presented by Project: Motion
at TheatreWorks
May 22-May 31, 2009
Project: Motion continues to deepen the presence of modern dance in Memphis with its latest installment of The Emerge Series. Emerge 2: Set in Motion releases the artistry of seven emerging choreographers in a showcase of new dance and performance works by local artists. Powered by an irrepressible desire to create and present new dance, these fresh and driven dancemakers (also lawyers, therapists, and teachers by profession) configure works from various studies of underlying rhythms,...
|
| 04/24/09 |
Forward Motion: The Dance Stimulus Project
Emerge Memphis
Presented by Project: Motion
at Emerge Memphis
April 24, 2009
Memphis modern dance collective Project: Motion is hosting a fundraiser event on Friday, April 24 from 6:00-9:00 p.m. at EmergeMemphis on 516 Tennessee Street downtown. The event is titled "Forward Motion: The Dance Stimulus Project" and will feature appetizers, cocktails, a silent auction and live music by singer/songwriter Bryan Hartley and the symphonic styles of String Theory. Three local chefs will provide palate-stimulating, budget-friendly appetizers. David House is a...
|
02/20/09-
02/22/09 |
Smithworks Productions:
TheatreWorks
Presented by Project: Motion
at TheatreWorks
February 20-February 22, 2009
In February 2009, Project: Motion focuses its contemporary dance lens on the powerful and sensual interdisciplinary company, SmithWorks Productions, featuring the interactive performance of Wayne M. Smith and special guest artists Jhon R. Stronks, Moira Logan and members of Project: Motion. A native Memphian and long-time favorite among local contemporary dance enthusiasts, Smith ventures out on his own to weave together a full-length performance incorporating his solo investigations into...
|
12/12/08-
12/21/08 |
Pre-sent/Pres-ent by Project: Motion and Voices of the South
TheatreWorks
Presented by Project: Motion
at TheatreWorks
December 12-December 21, 2008
It's comedy, drama, music, and dance. It's a variety show with attitude. This Memphis tradition returns for the seventh, smash-hit year in a row. Pre-sent /Pres-ent IS the holiday theatre event of the year. If you've been an audience member before, you know. There's nothing in Memphis quite like it. This holiday-themed performing arts buffet will give you a taste of exciting new performance from local artists and leave you begging for more.
Craving something sticky and sweet? Don't...
|
05/16/08-
05/25/08 |
Muscle Memory: looking back, moving forward
Presented by Project: Motion
May 16-May 25, 2008
Celebrate Project: Motion's 20th! The performances will showcase choreography and performances from founding members of Project: Motion, as well as new choreography and performances by current collective members inspired by works from Project: Motion's repertoire over the last twenty years. Feature guest artists will include Judith Wombwell, Anne Donahue, Laura Marsh, and Wayne M. Smith. Featured choreographers will include Marianne Bell, Emily Hefley, Louisa Koeppel, Sarah Ledbetter and Jay...
|
-
Video &
Images
-
Video & Image Gallery
Video
|
Images
Images
-
Media
Reviews
-
Member
Reviews
-
Member Reviews
Event Name: eMPHasis on BLUE
"Review by Teresa Bell - ArtsMemphis Rants & Raver"
Comment
posted by:
Teresa Bell - ArtsMemphis Rants & Raver
from Memphis, TN,
Jun 07, 2010
Project: Motion eMPHasis on BLUE opened this weekend, offering audiences a chance to see how a seemingly simple concept- the color blue- can turn into a sundry mix of ideas capable of inspiring unique performances. The collaborating artists blue themes drew from emotions, nature, musical styles, pop culture, and memories to produce a wide range of contemporary pieces. A solo piece titled "turning", choreographed and performed by Ondine Geary, was based on the idea that we are all at the will of the body and at some point we just won't function the same physically ("turning blue"/"blue veins"). The dance explores the pride we take in physical abilities and how we conceal, mourn, and eventually accept the fact one day our bodies could simply turn on us. "Spiraled Tides", choreographed by guest artist Kelly Ferris Lester, took inspiration from the ocean and fully captured the peace and power that are synonymous with the deep blue sea. The dancers brought the tides to life by lending the piece a dynamic yet cyclical quality. "Rhythm is in the Blues" presented the audience with a very different yet straight forward approach to the color blue: Rhythm and Blues. Perhaps it is because Wayne M. Smith chose music by his uncle, Memphis musician Johnny "Ace"Alexander, but the piece has a certain authenticity and honesty to it that can often be downplayed in highly conceptual art. Although the piece is choreographed, it is possible to sense that the performers seem liberated and truly enjoy dancing to the familiar music. It is easy to also sense that the audience truly enjoys watching them perform.
Collapse
All reviews/comments and complete event details
Event Name: eMPHasis on BLUE
"Preview by David Prete - ArtsMemphis Rants & Raver"
Comment
posted by:
David Prete - ArtsMemphis Rants & Raver
from Memphis, TN,
Jun 03, 2010
This Friday, June 4, Project: Motion opens Emphasis on Blue, the final show of their 23rd season. No ruse in the title; the theme for the show is blue. Why blue? Because the company believes something awful has happened to everything and our collective underlying state has become blue…? Not exactly. The show isn’t focused on blue in the melancholic sense. “We picked blue,” says Artistic Director Jay Rapp, “because it’s an abstract enough concept that different kinds of artists can relate to in different ways: color, mood, music… ” Choosing a theme so vulnerable to interpretation helped the company achieve their greater objective for this show: to integrate various art forms into an evening of dance.
Aside of dancers, choreographers, light, sound and costume designers, audiences will experience the work of musicians, a writer, singer, painter, fabric designer, and photographer, (one dancer even worked with a theater director). We could argue that the company is also working with a new architect, considering they are performing in a different theater: this show marks the company’s first move as a resident company to the Evergreen Theater (formerly Circuit Playhouse).
Project: Motion does not collaborate for collaboration’s sake; it’s part of what has kept their energy up for the past 23 seasons, and what has challenged their artists. “Collaborating helps you to see your work through a different lens,” says Rapp. “It pushes you to take a less familiar journey through your creative process and shifts your artistic perspective.” It also offers the audience the opportunity to consider concepts from different perspectives, to gain a more complex understanding of something assumed. And in a time when something awful has happened to everything, perspective is worth more than the price of admission.
Collapse
All reviews/comments and complete event details
Event Name: Pre-Sent/Pres-ent 8: Home for the Holidays
"Review by Bob Arnold - ArtsMemphis Rants & Raver"
Comment
posted by:
Bob Artnold - ArtsMemphis Rants & Raver
from Memphis, TN,
Dec 15, 2009
Seeing as how the same old songs, plays, and TV specials get trotted out at this time every year, you might think that the holidays are creatively bankrupt -- that, artistically, there's just nothing left to say. Not so. Witness Voices of the South and Project Motion's "Pre-sent Pres-ent," an annual melange of original performance pieces that encompasses monologues, music, movement, and more. Developed by the performers in response to hand-built "gifts" (all of which are Memphis-themed this year), the pieces are by turns charming, thrilling, poignant, mysterious, surprising, and hilarious. And yet somehow it all hangs together effortlessly, leaving you with feelings of wonder and joy that other holiday shows try so desperately to evoke. As with any production this varied, you're bound to like some of the pieces more than others, but all of them are worthy additions, and none sticks around long enough to wear out its welcome. The fact that the evening is emceed by Steve Swift's pitch-perfect Sister Myotis is a major bonus. It's a thrill to go from his loose, improvisational style to a tightly choreographed movement piece and back again. What a gift: a holiday-themed show that manages to find some new things to say about the season, and that evokes sentiment without ever being sentimental. So go see it, but be sure to tuck something in your pocket for the Secret Santa Swap. You've been warned.
Collapse
All reviews/comments and complete event details
Event Name: Muscle Memory: looking back, moving forward
"Thanks, Arts Memphis!"
Comment
posted by:
Sarah Ledbetter
from Memphis, TN,
May 13, 2008
Thanks, Arts Memphis, and thanks to this city, for your ongoing support! We are extremely excited about the work we're presenting in Muscle Memory, and hope to see as many of you there as possible. Saturday, May 23rd, there will be a reception following, and the chance to speak with dancers and choreographers. We'd love to hear your thoughts and see your faces.
Collapse
All reviews/comments and complete event details
Sign up for our free weekly arts event email!
Meet the ArtsMemphis Rants & Ravers
Join Bravo! .jpg)
Connect with ArtsMemphis TV
Use your ArtsCard
