Quad City Arts Visiting Artists Eisenhower Dance Detroit at the Figge Art Museum -- March 22.
Wednesday, March 22, 6 p.m.
Figge Art Museum, 225 West Second Street, Davenport IA
The latest gifted guests in Quad City Arts' Visiting Artists series will deliver a special, one-night-only public performance when March 22 brings with it a Figge Art Museum evening with Eisenhower Dance Detroit, the professional repertory company that, through its outstanding performances and educational services, strives to deepen the understanding and appreciation of contemporary dance regionally, nationally, and internationally, and to reflect on and explore issues of social significance.
Moving into its 32nd season, Eisenhower Dance Detroit gives life to the work of nationally and internationally known choreographers along with that of its founding artistic director Laurie Eisenhower and current artistic director Stephanie Pizzo. This year, Pizzo leads EDD into its sixth season under her artistic guidance following Eisenhower's retirement in 2017. The company continues its artistic mission through collaborations with artists across genres including film directors, composers, visual designers, and musicians, and recent collaborators have included film creative Zachariah Hagy and electro-pop violin band Nuclassica. EDD also engages in collaborations with arts organizations including the Detroit Chamber Winds & Strings; the Rackham Symphony Choir; the Immigrant Suns; Michigan Opera Theatre; the Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts; The Toledo Opera; and the Detroit Institute of Arts. Since its inception, Eisenhower Dance Detroit has grown from a small pick-up company into an 11-dancer roster employing seven professional company dancers and four apprentices. These artists have joined the EDD family from regions across the country, and Pizzo continues to expand the company’s innovative style and artistic vision while still honoring the legacy of Eisenhower Dance Detroit’s founder.
Considered one of the finest contemporary dance companies in the Midwest, EDD has been hailed for its artistry from sources including the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, Hour Magazine, and the Detroit Free Press. The company presents an annual Detroit Metro performance series and tours nationally and internationally, and from 2015 to 2018, EDD was featured at the Ladek Zdroj International Dance Festival in Poland and Tel Aviv, Israel. Over the years, the ensemble has performed works by choreographers Norbert De La Cruz III, Maleek Washington, James Grieg and Rauf Yasif, Micaela Taylor, Nicolo Fonte, Edgar Zendejas, Lar Lubovitch, Ron de Jesus, Darrell Grand Moultrie, and Joshua Peugh, and this season, welcomes Hope Boykin, Marc Brew, and Tamisha Guy for choreographic residencies with the company.
EDD has also produced several evening-length touring productions including ARC, a dramatic and highly visual look at labeling and stereotyping; The Rite of Spring set to Igor Stravinsky’s iconic score; and The Light Show, which pairs four choreographers with four lighting designers for a visually stunning evening of dance. During the pandemic, EDD pivoted to offering virtual dance experiences highlighted by a major dance for film collaboration with the Detroit Institute of Art and Zazu Productions. The Five Tangos, an original production first conceived for the stage, was scheduled to premiere at the DIA in November 2020, but the collaborators reimagined the project for film and utilized four iconic metro Detroit locations for the setting of each tango.
The local PASS performance with the Visiting Artists of Eisenhower Dance Detroit will take place at Davenport's Figge Art Museum on March 22, admission to the 6 p.m. event is $50, and more information and tickets are available by calling (309)793-1213 and visiting QuadCityArts.com.
