PHILADELPHIA – The dance-driven artist fueled nEW Festival produced by Melanie Stewart Dance Theatre celebrates its 6^th season with a series of dance performances and community classes at the The University of the Arts (UArts) School of Dance, from June 1 – 19, 2009. Throughout the year, nEW serves as an incubator for new work and offers some of Philadelphia’s most innovative dance artists a unique opportunity to engage in original choreographic research and development in a collaborative environment.

From June 3 – 7 at the University of the Arts Dance Theater at the Drake (1512 Spruce Street), the Festival will showcase a week of premiere dance performances by nEW Artists Charles Anderson / dance theatre X, Eun Jung Choi-Gonzalez (Da•Da•Dance Project), Jeffrey Gunshol, Jaamil Kosoko (KOSOKO/perFORMance), Olive Prince Dance, Gabrielle Revlock and Melanie Stewart Dance Theatre. The nEW Festival will also feature daily community classes and workshops taught by nEW Artists from June 1 – 19 at the UArts School of Dance, Terra Building (211 South Broad Street).

Tickets to all performances are $10-15. Seniors, Students and Dance USA/Philadelphia Dance Pass Holders receive a $5 discount. A variety of ticket packages are available including an Unlimited Series Pass, $50; Admission to 2 Shows/Events, $20; 3 Shows/Events, $30; and 4 Shows/Events, $40. Additional workshops and events range from free to $20. Tickets will be available beginning May 1, 2009 online at www.tix.com or by calling (215) 359-7775. Additional information is available at www.newfestival.net.

In addition to performances by nEW Artists, the Festival will present the premiere of the innovative Blood on the Table: Four Solo Adaptations of Deborah Hay’s I’ll Crane For You. In August of 2008, New York based dancers Deborah Black and Davina Cohen, Marielle Hocdet of France and Philadelphia’s Melanie Stewart, producer of the nEW Festival, participated in renowned choreographer Deborah Hay’s Solo Performance Commissioning Project. Alongside dancers from around the world, the artists commissioned the same solo dance from Hay, and as part of the rigorous process, each artist translated her choreography individually into movement in his/her unique way. With Blood on the Table, nEW presents four artists respective adaptations of Hay’s solo dance.

The ongoing nEW Festival will also feature a preview of Melanie Stewart Dance Theatre’s 2009 Philadelphia Live Arts Festival premiere Kill Me Now, a cultural satire inspired by popular dance reality shows. The DanceHouse program will showcase incoming nEW Artists Sarah Gladwin Camp, Nora Gibson, Jen McGinn, Dina-Verley Sabb-Mills, Guillermo Ortega Tanus and Abigail Zbikowski, who will preview excerpts from their work in progress, which will be presented in 2010. Audiences are also invited to get a behind-the-scenes look at the ongoing creative process in an intimate and informal setting, through a free Meet the Artists preview. 

Since 2003, the nEW Festival has emerged as a distinct creative laboratory for dance-theater in Philadelphia. The nEW Festival encourages risk-taking and embraces the idea of cooperative and collaborative art-making, establishing a forum for creative exchange between artists and audiences. In residence at the University of the Arts School of Dance, nEW provides opportunities for choreographic research, professional development, peer mentorship and audience response in a variety of programs including master classes, studio showings and performances.

nEW Festival 2009
Dates: Premiere Performances, June 3 – 7;
Community Classes & Workshops, June 1 – 19
Official Website: www.newfestival.net
Box Office: Performances – All performances are $15. DanceHouse and Kill Me Now are $10. Seniors, Students and Dance USA/Philadelphia Dance Pass Holders receive a $5 discount. Ticket packages include: Unlimited Series Pass, $50; Admission to 2 Shows/Events, $20; 3 Shows/Events, $30; and 4 Shows/Events, $40.
Community Classes & Workshops – Community Classes are $10 and Workshops are $20 (or what you can pay). Advance Registration for workshops & classes: (215) 359-7775
box office online (tickets on sale May 15): www.tix.com
box office phone: (215) 359-7775

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