Women’s Work

A Weekend of Dance by Female Choreographers

On the first weekend of March, Asheville Contemporary Dance Theatre (ACDT) and Kathleen Meyers Leiner will host Women’s Work, a weekend of original dance theatre works by female choreographers, in recognition of Women’s History Month. “In a period of history like now, the female voice is important and expressing it through dance is ideal for a festival of female art,” says ACDT director Susan Collard. “There are many new female faces in our area with a lot to say.”

The weekend will start on Friday, March 2, with a 7:30 p.m. performance of No More Beautiful Dances by Anabella Lenzu, a guest artist from New York City. “Anabella’s type of art is experimental and well researched,” says Collard. “This is the type of experience we want to share with our community.” No More Beautiful Dances is a dynamic piece exploring female identity and concepts of the feminine through dance, spoken word and video projections. Lenzu, who is originally from Argentina, has worked internationally as a dancer, choreographer and teacher for more than 25 years. She is the artistic director at Anabella Lenzu/DanceDrama. Lenzu’s performance is in conjunction with a week-long residency with fi ne arts students at the Asheville School.

The evening will also include a performance of Open Ended by Leiner, chair of the fi ne arts and dance program director at Asheville School. “Open Ended is Part Three, a new work that builds on my exploration of the question of how we connect within a socio-political climate that is full of walls and division,” says Leiner. Part One of Leiner’s series was performed in Pack Square during the International Day of Peace celebration and Part Two was performed as part of the Asheville Fringe Festival. Lenzu and Leiner, who first met in Wilson College’s MFA program, will also be performing their works on Saturday, March 3, at 7:30 p.m.

On Sunday, March 4, at 6 p.m., the Asheville Butoh Collective will perform Dirt, Dreams and Death. Sunday performances will also include new works by Shari Azar, Sharon Cooper, Michele Hower, Elizabeth Huntley, Melissa Wilhoit and Connie Schrader exploring female relationships, beauty and a work inspired by Anne Sexton’s poetry.

Women’s Work performances will be held at the BeBe Theatre at 20 Commerce Street. Single show tickets are $18 for adults and $15 for students, with discount packages available for those who would like to attend workshops and multiple performances. For more information or to purchase tickets, call the BeBe Theatre box office at 828.254.2621.