Spoleto Festival USA releases 2014 lineup

Dorrance Dance coming to 2014 Spoleto FestivalSpoleto Festival USA, traditionally held in late May and June every year in Charleston, SC, is predominately a music and theatre festival, but as of the last few years the festival has also been bringing in top-notch dance artists and companies.

 

Announced on Friday, November 29, the 2014 festival will bring back contemporary powerhouse Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. It will also bring many first-time performers, such as New York-based Keigwin + Company, tap troupe Dorrance Dance and dancer Gregory Maqoma.

 

According to early news reports, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago will perform William Forsythe’s Quintett and Jĭrí Kylián’s Falling Angels. Keigwin + Company, which just celebrated its 10th anniversary at The Joyce Theater in New York City, will showcase its eclectic and electric style, which often fuses the New York fashion scene with pop culture references.

 

New York City-based tap troupe Dorrance Dance, led by award-winning Artistic Director Michelle Dorrance, will bring exceptional tap dance, one of America’s oldest indigenous jazz vernaculars, to the Charleston stage. The company aims to honor tap dance’s unique history in a dynamically compelling context by pushing it rhythmically, aesthetically and conceptually.

 

Then, South African choreographer and dancer Gregory Maqoma will present his choreography, which is often influenced by his ancestral past. Blending theater and dance, he often utilizes live music and poignant storytelling to relay his message.

 

Outside of dance, many other music and theater performances will be offered at Spoleto Festival USA. Coming back in 2014 are festival regulars Laurie Anderson, a composer and multi-instrumentalist, and the touring company of Dublin’s The Gate Theatre. Several groups or works will get North American, U.S. or Spoleto premieres, including acrobatic companies from Finland and Australia.

 

The 38th season of Spoleto Festival USA is set to take place May 23-June 8, 2014 in various locations throughout Charleston. For more information, go to spoletousa.org. Tickets go on sale Monday, December 9 at 10 a.m. 

 

Photo: Dorrance Dance in The Waltz. Photo by Ian Douglas.