July 17-19 at 8:00 pm
July 20 at 2:00 pm
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE,
WHAT: A Woman's Choice
WHO: The Eclectic Edge Ensemble, featuring the choreography of Karis Sloss and guest choreographer Judith E. James Ries, formerly of JAZZDANCE
WHEN: July 17-19, 2008 at 8:00 pm, July 20 at 2:00 pm
WHERE: The Ritz Theatre, 343 13th St. NE, Minneapolis, MN, 55413
TICKETS: $17 adults/ $15 students and seniors, Call Ticketworks at (612) 436-1129, or visit
www.ticketworks.com
The Eclectic Edge Ensemble presents another multifaceted evening of jazz-infused dance
Minneapolis - The Eclectic Edge Ensemble presents A Woman's Choice, featuring a work of the same name by artistic director Karis Sloss, as well as showcasing the stylings of guest choreographer Judith E. James Ries, formerly of JAZZDANCE, and company choreographer Katrina Schliesman. After a successful run last summer in which "...young, emerging choreographer Karis Sloss presented new works solid in construction, technique and execution," (Camille LeFevre, Star Tribune), the company returns to the Ritz Theater in Northeast Minneapolis. While still touting the bold, jazz-infused edge that is becoming trademark of the company, A Woman's Choice is an evening of unparalleled dance variety, even for this eclectic company.
Reflecting on image: Exploring reality versus fabrication within stereotypes of women
In a society where stereotype is often the ruling element in media, cookie cutter images have become the standard way in which people are represented. There is no question that this idea has particular connotations for women, considering how many specifically-female stereotypes are dependent upon idyllic physical images. Simply jumping-off points into larger issues, these physical images aid in the creation of other expectation-based stereotypes such as ditzy, sex kitten, mother, bitch, innocent, bridezilla, whore. As these representations run rampant through our culture, woman seem forced to categorize themselves to find a place in the world, losing the ground gained through equality efforts.
A Woman's Choice suggests that while this back-treading can be reversed by acknowledging and then rejecting these stereotypes, too many women fall into a trap of letting them become reality and losing the ability to question where truth in image really lies. As the individuality of each dancer is lost and their personal movements reduced to mere snapshots, A Woman's Choice questions the status of reality within roles that women fall into, asking what is true and what is forced in actions, viewpoints and decisions. After performing a sneak preview of the piece at Intermedia Arts last January, the company is excited for the Ritz to be the setting for its premiere.
An evening of danced variety
The first half of A Women's Choice provides a healthy mix company repertoire, new works and guest choreography. The revival of Here Before You, featuring original music by local composer and musician Laura Harley, provides a seductive search into the travels of one's soul, and the remount of latin-inspired Challenge infuses the space with lyricism and energy. The new works on the program feature music by local composers and consistent collaborators Richard Sloss and Warren Park, in their third production working with the company. A founding member of the Minnesota Composers Forum, Richard Sloss makes use of rich musical experience to create Organic Groove, a musical landscape that embodies sense of rhythm as a part of being human. The evening also features a new piece to the music of Warren Park, a graduate of the U of M music composition program and former director of their Jazz Composer Series, founder of the West Bank School of Music, and active composer and pianist for over thirty years. The first half of the program is rounded out with the premiere of new works by company choreographer Katrina Schleisman, and guest choreographer Judith E. James Ries, formerly of JAZZDANCE. The second half of the program features, in its entirety, A Woman's Choice, exploring fabrication versus reality within stereotypes.
Artistic Director Karis Sloss is a full-time teacher and committed choreographer with degrees from the University of Minnesota in both Dance and Theatre Arts. As a local choreographer, she has worked on various productions, as well as consistently with her company, the Eclectic Edge Ensemble. The company got off to a solid start with a place in the Star Tribune's "Top 10 of the 2001 Fringe," and has since performed at venues such as the Ritz Theatre, Intermedia Arts, the Illusion Theatre, Hopkins Center for the Arts and as a part of Danny Buraczeski's Second Sight/ First Look. Regarding Sloss' work, the Twin Cities dance legend states "As a teacher and choreographer, Karis is the ‘real deal,' someone with knowledge of dance, music and theater that honors the forms histories and moves them into the present with skill, passion and insight."
Making a case for Jazz: Communicating ideas through musical movement
A contemporary jazz dance company with a diverse repertoire, the Eclectic Edge Ensemble collaborates with local musicians, choreographers, and other artists to create musically and theatrically inspired work. The company aims to present a fresh perspective on jazz dance in the Twin Cities, creating accessible performance experiences that connect to audiences through the pure joy of movement. EEE operates primarily through the medium of jazz choreography, as artistic director Sloss and company members believe in its value and effectiveness as a way to communicate. However, this medium is held to quite loosely, allowing the aptly-named company to explore the many other forms that can inform and add value to a stage presentation, creating a group from which the only audience expectations are of quality work and execution.
