Benita Bike’s DanceArt Company

UMBRELLAS, choreography by Benita Bike, Benita Bike's DanceArt, photo by Dean Wallraff, dancers (l to r) Carmel Cheney, Kerri Underwood, Tracey White, Robin Kish. Benita Bike collection.

For over 31 seasons Benita Bike’s DanceArt has performed near and far – from the California coast to New England and abroad – bringing both concert dance and interactive outreach performances to audiences large and small. This 5-member company, with its unique blend of the modern and the historical, was born in Massachusetts in 1980 and moved to Los Angeles in 1990. In Los Angeles, the DanceArt Company has provided 21 seasons of concert dance programs and dance outreach programs in community sites. The dance work of choreographer Benita Bike stands at the crossroads of past and present, blending the music and sensibilities of the past with evocative contemporary movement.

BLOOMERS, choreography by Benita Bike, Benita Bike's DanceArt, photo by Dean Wallraff, dancers (l to r) Carmel Cheney, Tara Mosier, Hilary Thomas, Carlene Lai, Elizabeth Oppermann. Benita Bike collection.

An important element of DanceArt’s work is the sharing of dance with people in their communities through its interactive outreach performances. The Company has presented these programs at various colleges, art centers, community centers, and libraries. The performances include a talk on the modern dance approach to movement, a performance of 2-3 dances, and opportunities throughout for artists and audience members to talk about dance performance, dance making, and the lives of dancers. The Company’s goal is to awaken people to the spiritual, emotional, and intellectual value of dance.

Website: www.DanceArt.org; Contact: Benita@danceart.org

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Categorized under: Contemporary, Dance Company, Modern, ORGANIZATION