Saturday, August 4th: Forces of Nature & Calvin Wiley Dance Theatre
Founded by Abdel R. Salaam, Olabamidele Husbands and Dyane Harvey in 1981, Forces of Nature has been com
bining contemporary modern dance with West-African styles, ballet, hip-hop and martial arts for over 23 years. Forces of Nature is aptly named, for the ensemble’s performances are often astonishingly powerful, leaving even seasoned critics gasping for breath. The Washington Post’s Alan Kriegman described one such show, noting that the “lighting, costuming, music, pacing, choreography and sizzling performance was nothing short of sensational.” And writing in the Village Voice, Deborah Jowitt has said “ Salaam’s huge undertaking burst with beauty, imagination, and powerful dancing.”
Calvin Wiley started the Calvin Wiley Dance Theatre with a modest goal: “to turn dance inside out.” An internationally renowned fitness instructor, Wiley was inspired to form CWDT by the multiethnic, progressive philosophy of Boston dance troupe The Rainbow Tribe where he was artistic director for six years. CWDT is made up of dancers from different stylistic backgrounds, body types and skill levels. As the New York Sun noted: “Calvin Wiley teaches every kind of dancer … every ethnicity, age, and income level … his typical class looks like an ad for New York diversity.” The CWDT’s new season features works by Mr. Wiley, Germaul Barnes and Albert Evans of the New York City Ballet.
SHOW TIME: 3:00 PM
Posted on August 1, 2007 by D. Bell