"Dance 911: A Response," a dance program sponsored by the Scripps College Dance Department, will take place on Thursday, April 25, Friday, April 26, and Saturday, April 27, each evening at 8:00 p.m. in the Broad Performance Space on the Pitzer College campus. Following each performance will be a discussion session between audience, choreographers, and dancers. This event is free and open to the public. For more information, please call (909) 607-2934.
"Dance 911: A Response" examines through movement the individual emotional aftermath of the events of September 11, 2001. Through personal stories and narrative, the dance offers a journey through the past seven months and asks the audience to reflect on the future. Sadness, anger, and confusion underlie the emotional tone of the program, while questions are raised regarding civil liberties, anti-immigrant violence, and the course our future is taking.
Leading the choreography for "Dance 911" is the internationally renowned choreographer, performer, dance educator, and activist Suchi Branfman. Known for her daring and challenging choreography that tackles emotional and social issues from a personal perspective, Branfman teaches dancers to create movement that reflects their ideas, feelings and concerns. Branfman’s work is supported by the National Endowment for the Arts, California Arts Council, New York State Council for the Arts, and Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Department. She currently teaches at Scripps College and Art Center College of Design and serves on the Arts Commission for the City of Santa Monica.
In addition to Branfman’s program, the works of three student choreographers will be featured: Scripps College sophomores Saph Hall and Nicole Clarke, and Pitzer College first year student Alaine Handa. Hall’s piece, called "Over Me," is based on natural body movements; Clarke’s "Stoopin’ It" is a lighter-toned solo piece, using elements of modern dance styles; Handa’s piece, "V.I.C.T.I.M.," will explore the issue of rape.