Madoo: ‘Privat Parts & Blooms’, Jodi Melnick, Choreographer / Perfs Aug 26 & 27th @ 6 PM

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Privet Parts and Blooms

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Madoo Conservancy presents Privet Parts and Blooms, two evenings of dance by acclaimed choreographer, performer, and teacher Jodi Melnick on august 26 and 27. This unique performance brings together an exceptional ensemble of dancers in a work that explores memory, gesture, individuality, and the relationships between dancers, while the natural beauty of Madoo’s gardens provides a setting that complements and enhances the work’s exploration of movement and connection.

Rooted in Melnick’s enduring devotion to dance, Privet Parts and Blooms reimagines fragments of past and present works, layering, interrupting, and transforming them into a new assemblage. The evening features artworks by John Monti and sound design by James Lo, with performances by Jodi Melnick, Sara Mearns, Taylor Stanley, Tamisha Guy, Amanda Kmett’ Pendry, and Colleen Thomas.

Melnick’s distinctive choreographic language is marked by intricate movement, nuanced physicality, and a deep interest in the individuality of the dancing body. Her work has been presented at venues including Brooklyn Academy of Music, The Joyce Theater, New York Live Arts, The Kitchen, the Guggenheim Museum, and Jacob’s Pillow. She has collaborated with artists including Trisha Brown, Twyla Tharp, Sara Rudner, David Neumann, and Rashaun Mitchell, and is the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, Doris Duke Impact Award, Jerome Robbins New Essential Works Grant, Foundation for Contemporary Arts Grant, and two Bessie Awards.

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Performances Schedule:

Wednesday, August 26, 6:00 PM with a reception following

Thursday, August 27, 6:00 PM with a reception following

Tickets are available at madoo.org

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Featured Artists

Sara Mearns is a celebrated dancer and longtime principal of New York City Ballet. A graduate of the School of American Ballet, Mearns joined NYCB in 2004 and became a principal in 2008. Known for her musicality, dramatic depth, and extraordinary physical range, she has performed works by George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins and originated roles for choreographers including Justin Peck, Kyle Abraham, Pam Tanowitz, Christopher Wheeldon, and Bobbi Jene Smith. Her honors include a Bessie Award and the Dance Magazine Award.

Taylor Stanley is an acclaimed dancer whose career bridges classical ballet and contemporary dance. Stanley joined New York City Ballet in 2010, became a soloist in 2013, and was promoted to principal in 2016. In addition to performing leading roles in works by Balanchine and Robbins, Stanley has collaborated with contemporary choreographers including Kyle Abraham, Pam Tanowitz, Andrea Miller, Shamel Pitts, and Jodi Melnick. Stanley received a Bessie Award for Outstanding Performance for their work in Kyle Abraham’s The Runaway.

Mearns and Stanley have both collaborated with Melnick previously, making Privet Parts and Blooms a continuation of an ongoing artistic dialogue between the choreographer and these distinctive performers. With an ensemble spanning contemporary and classical dance traditions, Privet Parts and Blooms offers an intimate and expansive exploration of the possibilities of live performance.

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Privet Parts and Blooms
Choreography: Jodi Melnick
Bloom Sculptures: John Monti
Sound Design: James Lo

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Performers: Jodi Melnick, Sara Mearns, Taylor Stanley, Tamisha Guy, Amanda Kmett’ Pendry, Colleen Thomas

Photograph: Julie Lemberger

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