On Your Toes

This weekend there are several cool dance events going down, most of them on the cheap. We were going to front-load (dance-load?) Frugal today, but then thought it might be better to devote a little more space to each. Besides, with all this slushiness, wouldn't you rather watch other people move than do so yourself?

If you need a little something tomorrow afternoon to make you forget about said slush, consider heading over to the Gordon Theater at Rutgers Camden Center for the Arts (3rd and Pearl Street, Camden) for a free performance workshop from 1-4PM featuring a collaboration between master “hoofer” (that’s tap dancer for us non-dance folk) Brinae Ali, her jazz band, movement artists Zornitsa Stoyanova and Jill Stifel, and percussionist Toshi Makihara. The event is billed as low key, so you can come and go at will, but it is also described as “intimate,” so they’ll know you’re coming and going. It’s easily accessible via PATCO—if you can figure out the damn paddle things they’ve got going on now that is.

In the evening, Ellen Fisher will speak and perform at the Performance Garage (1515 Brandywine) at 7:30PM; tickets are $10. This is a Philadelphia Dance Project Meet the Artist Event, so you will first, you know, meet the artist. She will talk about her work, in which she seeks to interweave film and live performance and uses props and costumes to foster the idea of “transformation.” She will have video clips demonstrating her own work, as well as footage from her documentation of Sri Lankan trance and healing dances. To cap off the evening, she will perform six short dances, some of which (wait for it) involve puppets. What could be finer?

Also Saturday night is Shut Up and Dance, the annual PA Ballet fundraiser for MANNA that features new works choreographed and danced by company members, at the Forrest Theater at 8PM. MANNA provides nourishment for those living with life-threatening illness in the Delaware Valley. The night will be hosted by XPN’s Michaela Majoun, and tickets include an after party with the dancers at Pure Nightclub. Tickets range from $45-$175; you can reserve at the theater (215-496-2662 x138) or pick up at the box office starting at noon tomorrow.

Sunday morning, if you can drag yourself up and out by 10:30AM, check out the One-Year Wissahickon Park Project with Merian Soto. The performance runs for approximately 45 minutes, and is free. Performing this week in addition to Merian will be Toshi Makihara (who should sound familiar), Shavon Norris, Jumatatu Poe, Olive Prince, and Noemi Segarra. They’ll be at Bluebell Meadow, entrance on Walnut Avenue between Wissahickon and Henry Avenues. Dogs are welcome, and the weather should be welcoming.

At 3:30PM that same day Dancefusion will present an open rehearsal to preview the reconstruction of Jose Limon and Pauline Koner’s Barren Sceptre (1960) at the Gwendolyn Bye Dance Center (3611 Lancaster Ave). The duet is based on Macbeth, specifically the bit about lust for power. Company member Janet Pilla will be joined by former PA Ballet member Meredith Rainey (p.s. he’s dreamy). There will also be a presentation of two excerpts from Limon’s There is a Time by other company dancers. The rehearsal is free, but give them a call to reserve your spot (215-222-7633).