WV Dance Company will bring its touring program, featuring seven professional dancers, to Greenbrier Valley Theatre (GVT) in Lewisburg on Feb. 17. This beautiful evening of dance will offer something for everyone that aims to unify audience members of any age. The company will also offer a dance workshop earlier in the day to anyone who is interested in participating.
Founded in 1977, WV Dance Company has been serving public venues, schools, colleges and universities with entertaining and thought provoking performances and workshops through the language of dance. Recognized for both artistic achievementand excellence in arts education, WVDC has toured throughout West Virginia, as well as 14 other states, reaching tens of thousands of people each year.
The evening starts with a work by Gerri Houlihan, world-renowned dance artist. Houlihan’s dance “4×4” has been set in various locations throughout the world and is now on tour with WV Dance Company! Following will be a work by Donald Laney, “Anne”, danced by Lauren McBarron to continue to tell the story of Anne Frank. “Residual Holocausts” a work by Toneta Akers-Toler and danced by Donald Laney will continue to share the stage with Anne Frank to remind all of us of a history that should never be repeated. This work will be dedicated to the people of Ukraine. It was created to honor Toneta’s father, a soldier in Patton’s Army who released people from the concentration camps. Although a dark subject, Donald Laney has the dance and acting abilities to make each moment speak in a viscerally powerful movement language.
“Active Inference” choreographed by Donald Laney is movement delight at its bestwhile offering a deep reflection of an individual’s internal model of the world. The performance will end with “Suite West Virginia in Six Stories” by Toneta Akers-Toler. The music is composed by all native born West Virginians including Dr. Richard Grimes and Holden Akers-Toler. Storyteller and Composer Adam Booth offers his talents to give us history of women coal miners. Dancers Nash Dawson, Katie Jo Fulks, Donald Laney, Jax RF McAtee, Lauren McBarron, Dane Toney and Sarah Walker beautifully capture the many different styles of dance during the evening. Troy Snyder, lighting design artist, will add his talents to bring the evening to a magical experience for all.
The show will begin at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 for general admission and seniors, and $15 for students. For tickets and more information please visit www.gvtheate.org or call the theatre’s box office at 304-645-3838. To sign up for the WV Dance Company workshop, please call the box office.