Offering what artistic director Leeanne M. G-Bowley calls “a diverse mix of works that will excite audiences,” In-Sight Dance Company will produce the second annual Suite Summer Festival at the Secret Theatre in Long Island City July 28-31.
According to G-Bowley, the pieces, which will feature In-Sight dancers and nearly a dozen guest companies and choreographers, “are not only diverse in style, but also in concept. What binds all of the works together is that they all have a conceptual base.
“This reflects In-Sight’s emphasis on work where steps do not exist in a vacuum, but rather the movement gives insight into the meaning or motivation behind the piece,” she said.
In-Sight will perform an original piece by Donna Manganello, the company’s assistant director, as well as “Echo Suite,” a preview of a newly reimagined story ballet called “An Extraordinary Echo,” which will premiere in September, and “This Is ... A Suite,” a selection of pieces from the company’s newest full-length work, “This Is ... Next Stop,” which premiered in April. Members of In-Sight will also dance a piece by guest choreographer Jordan Fife Hunt
“We’re dedicated to bringing dance to Queens,” said G-Bowley. “We’re really excited to have a second festival.”
Altogether, G-Bowley said, she received over 90 applications from dance groups interested in being involved.
“We’ve whittled it down to the top 10,” she said. “I think it will be a really exciting performance.”
Sunnyside resident Shauna Sorensen, a dancer with In-Sight since January, will bring in a troupe of dancers to perform her new creation, “Service Bell,” which she describes as “a modern contemporary piece, kind of dark and sexy, about trying to strive for more in life and becoming complacent.”
For Sorensen, choreography is “a three-part process” in which “I hear a piece of music. I let it sit. I come into the studio and formulate ideas.”
Among the guest artists set to be represented in the festival is Joe Celej of Elisa Monte Dance, who has choreographed “What More?” a dance for two. The piece is an exploration of sensuality and the inherent dynamics of a romantic relationship. It examines various contradictory emotions, such as control and surrender and trust and instability, as well as the meaning of passion. The dance promises to create an intimate mood that is amplified by moments of stillness, closeness and sensitivity.
Also on the bill is the DeMa Dance Company, a contemporary group that will present “Bolero Stravaganza,” a dance for eight choreographed by Yesid Lopez. The piece is described as an introspection of Picasso’s masterful artwork, “Guernica,” and its representation of war and humanity.
Taiwanese Liu I-Ling will perform her own one-woman piece, “Factor,” inspired by the morning exercises that all elementary-age students were required to do each morning in her native country.
Members of Anahata Dance, a company founded in 2009 “for dancers with open hearts and courageous minds,” will perform a duet, “Pigeon City Part 3: Apres Moi,” which reflects on the economic crash of 2008 and its devastating effects on the artists of New York City. Choreography is by Lauren Rosenstein and Natalie Teichmann.
“Some of these people are really established. We’re looking outside ourselves. It’s a free opportunity for dance groups to get new audiences. Serving the arts community is vital to our mission,” G-Bowley said.
In-Sight Dance’s Suite Summer Festival
When: July 28-30, 8 p.m.; July 31, 2 p.m.
Where: The Secret Theatre, 44-02 23 St., LIC
Tickets: $15 advance; $18 at the door
(718) 392-0722
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