September 2009

September 4, Friday
Pre-semester workshop with Susan Sgorbati: Emergent Improvisation
10:00 A.M.-12:30 P.M. solo practice, 2:00-4:30 P.M. ensemble forms. Mahaney CFA Dance Theatre
Emergent Improvisation links the creative work of art-making to the emergent processes evident in nature. It provides a basis for a rich and textured inquiry into how systems come together, transform, and reassemble to create powerful instruments of communication, meaning and exchange. Susan Sgorbati has been seriously investigating improvisation as a method for teaching and performance for more than twenty years. For the last five years, in collaboration with scientists, she has been exploring the relationship between dance and music improvisation and complex systems. Her work has led her to three residencies at The Neurosciences Institute in La Jolla, California under the tutelage of Dr. Gerald Edelman. She has toured nationally with her “Emergent Improvisation Project.” Susan has been on the Dance Faculty at Bennington College since 1983. She currently holds The Barbara and Lewis Jones Chair for Social Activism. Pre-registration required, contact dance@middlebury/edu .



September 5-8, Saturday-Tuesday
Auditions: Middlebury College Choir
times shown below; Mahaney CFA 215
For Middlebury College Students.  Make an appointment by contacting Director Jeff Buettner at buettner@middlebury.edu or sign-up sheets outside MCFA 307. Students should be prepared to sing a piece or excerpt 1 - 2 minutes in length.
Saturday, September 5: noon - 5:00 pm
Sunday, September 6, 1:00 - 3:00 pm
Monday, September 7, 1:00 - 8:00 pm
Tuesday, september 8, 9:00 am - noon
For more information, click here.



September 7, Monday
Opening Day at the Box Office: for Middlebury ID Card Holders
10:00 A.M., Mahaney Center for the Arts Box Office and McCullough Box Office
For Middlebury students, faculty, staff, emeriti, and alumni (all those entitled to a Middlebury College ID card): get your ticket order in early for the 2009-2010 season.  Tickets go on sale to the general public September 14.



September 7-8, Monday-Tuesday
Auditions: Middlebury College Orchestra
Andrew Massey, conductor
11:00 A.M.-2:00 P.M. and 3:00-7:00 P.M. each day, Mahaney CFA, Room 216. Sign up outside Room 307; walk-ins fine if slots are still available.
For Middlebury College Students. The goal is to include all students who play an orchestral instrument and wish to participate. Therefore auditions are for information, discovery, and placement rather than selection, and are for both returning members and new members. Please be prepared to play a piece of your own choice. Orchestral excerpts or chamber music are fine since this is not a virtuosity competition. You may be asked to play some short sight-reading. Conductor Andrew Massey would be pleased to hear from students ahead of time at amassey@middlebury.edu so that he may get to know all musicians swiftly. To that end, photos are a great idea.



September 7-10, Monday-Thursday
Auditions: The Sound Investment Jazz Ensemble
2:30-5:00 P.M., Mahaney CFA, Room 217. Please sign up for a specific time on the bulletin board near the Music Department office, CFA 307.
For Middlebury College Students.  The Sound Investment Jazz Ensemble is the department’s big band. It plays the best of contemporary jazz arrangements in addition to celebrating the classic charts of the swing and jazz repertoires. Appointments outside these hours can be arranged: Forman@middlebury.edu

September 7, Monday (through January 29)
From East to West and Back Again: Playing Cards of India and Japan
Main Library, Atrium
Drawn from the Middlebury College Museum of Art’s collection, this exhibition explores Indian and Japanese card games using exquisite examples of hand-crafted playing cards. Free




Starting September 8, Tuesday
Fall Dance & Movement PE Classes
These classes are open to the college community; register at the first class.  For Middlebury College students: PE credit is available with attendance at a minimum of eight classes. If you are interested in taking a dance technique and choreography course for academic credit, see listings in Banner. Contact the Dance Office for further information: dance@middlebury.edu , www.middlebury.edu/dance , or 802.443.5245



These movement classes start the FIRST week of the semester!

• Advanced Beginning Dance (DANC 0260) with Tiffany Rhynard; TTh 9:30-10:45 A.M., MCFA 110*
• From Africa to America: Moving From our Core, Beginning Dance (DANC 0163) with Christal Brown; TTh 11:00 A.M.-12:15 P.M., MCFA 110*
• Beginning Dance (DANC 0160) with Andrea Olsen; TTh 3:00-4:15 P.M., MCFA 110*

These movement classes start the SECOND week of the semester!

• Yoga with Andrea Olsen; M 12:30-1:20 P.M., MCFA 110*
• Ballet, Intermediate/Advanced with Barbara Doyle-Wilch; T 4:30-6:00 P.M., MCFA 109
• Pilates with Nina Vila; TTh 12:30-1:20 P.M., MCFA 109 (College community only, $60 for one class per week for 10 weeks; $120 for two classes per week for 10 weeks; register starting Sept 7 at www.middlebury.edu/arts/tickets)
• Yoga with Martha Newman; W 12:30-1:20 P.M., MCFA 110
• Latin with Christian Morel; W 7:00-8:30 P.M., MCFA 109
• Jazz with Kelly Bennion and Nathalie Michiels; Th 4:30-6:00 P.M., MCFA 109
• Contact Improvisation with Tiffany Rhynard; F 11:15 A.M.-12:30 P.M., MCFA 110
• Yoga with Allie Shanholt; F 12:30-1:20 P.M., MCFA 110
• Capoeira with Oliver Weisser; Su 3:00-4:30 P.M., MCFA 109

*open on a space available basis, confirm with instructor at first meeting



September 9, Wednesday
Auditions: Proyecto República Dominicana
4:30 P.M., Mahaney CFA, Dance Theatre
For the 2009-2010 season the Dance Company of Middlebury (DCM), directed by Penny Campbell, will create an evening of dances with themes and music that link US and Caribbean cultures. Following an informal showing on December 4 and the premiere in Middlebury on January 22 and 23, the company will tour to the Dominican Republic. Auditions are open to Middlebury College sophomores through seniors. Come ready to dance!

September 11-12, Friday-Saturday
Auditions: The Wild Party
4:00-7:00 P.M. Friday; 4:00-8:00 P.M. Saturday; Mahaney CFA, Room 221
For Middlebury College Students: audition for the annual musical, a J-term co-production by the Department of Music and Town Hall Theater. Book, music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa; directed by Douglas Anderson; musical direction by Carol Christensen; jazz band under the direction of Dick Forman; choreography by Schuyler Beeman. A delicious tale of sex and greed at the end of the roaring 20's, with a hot and sophisticated jazz score. THE WILD PARTY will rehearse occasionally during the fall term (to learn the music) and intensively during J-term, with performances at Middlebury's Town Hall Theater on January 22-26, 2010. May be taken as a J-term course. Four large leading roles (2m, 2f), five other roles with solos, and a large and active chorus. All roles require excellent singing and dancing abilities. AUDITIONS: Sign up for an audition time (30 minute slots) on the bulletin board outside of the Music Dept. office, 3rd floor, Center for the Arts. Prepare a song from a Broadway musical. You may sing a cappella, to recorded accompaniment, or may bring an accompanist with you. Callbacks will be held Sunday, September 13 from 1:00-5:00 P.M.  ORCHESTRA: Seeking piano, drums, guitar, trumpet, bass and reed players. ALL MUST SWING. May be taken for J-term course credit. If interested, email Dick Forman at forman@middlebury.edu. STAFF: Seeking stage manager, costumers, set designer. May be taken for J-term course credit. If interested, email Doug Anderson at danders@middlebury.edu. To hear selections from the show, go to:
http://eres.middlebury.edu/eres/coursepage.aspx?cid=1854
Password is 3023da



September 11, Friday
Middlebury ArtsWalk
5:00-7:00 P.M., Mahaney Center for the Arts, and locations throughout Middlebury
Enjoy art exhibitions and displays on a walking tour throughout Middlebury. Stores will stay open late, and restaurants will offer specials to Arts Walk participants. View student artworks and public art exhibitions on display throughout the lobbies of the Mahaney Center for the Arts, and around the pond. The Middlebury College Museum of Art offers free exhibitions of ancient Mediterranean and early European art, European and American art, and Asian art. Sponsored by ArtsConnect, the Arts Walk will take place every second Friday of the month. See a full map of Arts Walk locations here.  Free




September 11, Friday
Big Action Performance Ensemble at the ArtsWalk
5:00-8:00 P.M., 51 Main at the Bridge
Artist in Residence Tiffany Rhynard’s company, Big Action Performance Ensemble, will perform at 51 Main as part of the Middlebury Arts Walk. Yi Na Ng ’09, Ellen Smith ’05, Simon Thomas-Train ’09, and Rhynard will perform excerpts from their production "Disposable Goods," including AWAY, a new piece with Boston composer Juliet Case. Free

September 14, Monday
Opening Day at the Box Office: for the General Public
10:00 A.M., Mahaney Center for the Arts Box Office and McCullough Box Office
Get your ticket order in early for the 2009-2010 season.  Tickets are on sale to Middlebury College ID card holders September 7.





Starting September 14, Monday
Fall Dance & Movement PE Classes
These classes are open to the college community; register at the first class.  For Middlebury College students: PE credit is available with attendance at a minimum of eight classes. If you are interested in taking a dance technique and choreography course for academic credit, see listings in Banner. Contact the Dance Office for further information: dance@middlebury.edu , www.middlebury.edu/dance , or 802.443.5245

These movement classes start the SECOND week of the semester!

• Yoga with Andrea Olsen; M 12:30-1:20 P.M., MCFA 110*
• Ballet, Intermediate/Advanced with Barbara Doyle-Wilch; T 4:30-6:00 P.M., MCFA 109
• Pilates with Nina Vila; TTh 12:30-1:20 P.M., MCFA 109 (College community only, $60 for one class per week for 10 weeks; $120 for two classes per week for 10 weeks; register starting Sept 7 at www.middlebury.edu/arts/tickets)
• Yoga with Martha Newman; W 12:30-1:20 P.M., MCFA 110
• Latin with Christian Morel; W 7:00-8:30 P.M., MCFA 109
• Jazz with Kelly Bennion and Nathalie Michiels; Th 4:30-6:00 P.M., MCFA 109
• Contact Improvisation with Tiffany Rhynard; F 11:15 A.M.-12:30 P.M., MCFA 110
• Yoga with Allie Shanholt; F 12:30-1:20 P.M., MCFA 110
• Capoeira with Oliver Weisser; Su 3:00-4:30 P.M., MCFA 109

*open on a space available basis, confirm with instructor at first meeting



September 15, Tuesday
Fall Dance Concert Auditions
7:00 P.M., Mahaney CFA, Dance Theatre
Advanced student choreographers audition dancers for our November 20, 21 concert. Simon Thomas-Train ’09 will seek dancers for the annual Newcomer’s Piece, which is open to anyone who has not yet performed in a dance program sponsored event. Dancers must be attending a minimum of two approved technique classes each week to be eligible to perform. All are welcome.

September 17, Thursday
Paul Asbell, guitar
8:00 P.M., Mahaney Center for the Arts, Concert Hall
From his early years, playing blues on Chicago's South Side, to his present multi-faceted career based out of northern Vermont, Asbell has earned an underground reputation as a true "musician's musician". He has played and recorded with a diverse group of music legends and stars such as  Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, Bobby McFerrin, and Trey Anastasio, among others. Asbell is also an Affiliate Artist at Middlebury College's Department of Music. Free



September 18, Friday (through December 13)
Prints and Prejudice: Woodcuts and Artifacts of the American Civil War
Middlebury College Museum of Art, Overbrook Gallery
Organized by students in Professor Christopher Wilson’s seminar on Winslow Homer, this exhibition traces the American Civil War through contemporary woodcuts and artifacts. By focusing on slaves, soldiers, the battlefield, and the enemy, the exhibition views the conflict from a variety of critical perspectives. Free



September 18, Friday (through December 13)
The Art of Devotion: Panel Painting in Early Renaissance Italy
Middlebury College Museum of Art, Christian A. Johnson Memorial Gallery
This exhibit brings together paintings from 10 different collections to explore how these works (all products of collaboration that depended upon a close relationship between patrons, painters, woodworkers, and gilders) were made and how they served both as a focus for devotion and as an emphatic statement about wealth and status. This exhibition was organized by the Middlebury College Museum of Art and guest curated by Katherine Smith Abbott, Assistant Professor of History of Art and Architecture and Associate Dean of the College. It is made possible in part through grants from the Robert Lehman Foundation and the Samuel H. Kress Foundation. At Middlebury, it is supported by the Christian A. Johnson Memorial Fund, the Kireker Family Museum of Art Exhibition Fund, and a generous grant from the Middlebury College Arts Council. Free



September 18, Friday
Aaron Diehl Trio
8:00 P.M., Mahaney Center for the Arts, Concert Hall
Hailed by the Chicago Tribune as “the most promising discovery that Wynton Marsalis has made since Eric Reed,” Juilliard grad Aaron Diehl’s distinctive piano interpretations of the music of Art Tatum, Duke Ellington, and other jazz masters pay homage to the tradition while establishing his own original voice. Sponsored by the Middlebury College Performing Arts Series. Reserved Seating. Tickets: $24/18/6




September 19, Saturday
Happy-Go-Lucky
3:00 and 8:00 P.M., Dana Auditorium
Poppy (Sally Hawkins) is an exuberant, 30-year-old elementary school teacher in London, whose persistent, carefree optimism grinds on her serious driving instructor Scott (Eddie Marsan). This slice-of-life film follows Poppy as she takes flamenco dance lessons and sorts out the aggressive behavior of one of her students. Written and directed by Mike Leigh, the acclaimed creator of Secrets & Lies (1996). Sponsored by the Hirschfield International Film Series. (UK, 2008, 118 minutes) Free


September 19, Saturday
Mark Lavoie, harmonica
8:00 P.M., Mahaney Center for the Arts Concert Hall
Mark Lavoie has been performing for more than 30 years. His passion for and commitment to music, particularly blues harmonica, is admired by the many musicians who have played with him. He has performed with artists such as Sonny Terry, Big Joe Burrell, John Gailmor, and Bill Sims Jr., and is half of the popular duo, Cooper and Lavoie. He is also an Affiliate Artist with the Middlebury College Department of Music. Free

September 21 & 23,  Monday & Wednesday
Residency: Marcela Giesche and Bruno Caverna
2:45-4:15 P.M. each day, Mahaney CFA, Dance Theatre
Marcela and Bruno will focus their workshops on rediscovering and investigating the original impulses that lead one to dance. Passing through a variety of elements including floor work techniques, partnering, capoeira, and improvisation/imagery work, they will open ways of exploring the mystery of existence through the body. Guided through a state of dynamic “stillness,” students can learn to listen to the ever-changing rhythms and impulses that move us through life. Pre-registration is required, contact dance@middlebury.edu .

September 22, Tuesday
Opening Reception"
“Portraits of Home” by Dane Verret ’12
4:30 P.M., McCullough, Center Gallery
In this series of nine black and white photographs, Middlebury College sophomore Dane Verret explores his home city of New Orleans in a photo-documentary style. Through photographs as varied as an intimate family scene in a kitchen, streetscapes of the city’s iconic Bourbon Street, and images of grave sites taken one year after Katrina, Verret frames his own view of New Orleans’ beauty, and expresses what home means to him. The photos are accompanied by original poetry. Sponsored by the Office of the Dean of the College. Refreshments will be served. Free
This event takes place in conjunction with the Classical Theatre of Harlem’s “Waiting for Godot,” Tuesday and Wednesday nights at 7:30 P.M. at Wright Theatre. Tickets: xMIDD or http://go.middlebury.edu/tickets. Continue with a conversation about art and activism with the CTH company on Wednesday at 1:30 at Wright Theatre. See below for details.



September 22–23, Tuesday–Wednesday
Classical Theatre of Harlem:
Waiting for Godot
7:30 P.M., Wright Memorial Theatre
The Classical Theatre of Harlem reinvents Samuel Beckett’s seminal work with an imaginative production set in a post-Hurricane-Katrina landscape. After a highly acclaimed 2006 run in New York City, the production travelled to New Orleans’ Ninth Ward for a series of free outdoor performances that spurred nationwide dialogue on race, class, and the agony of waiting. Directed by Christopher McElroen. Sponsored by the Middlebury College Performing Arts Series, the Department of Theatre and Dance, and the Office for Institutional Planning and Diversity. See associated events on September 22 and 23. Tickets: $24/18/6
Additional information here.
Press release available.


Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Waiting for Godot ... After Katrina: A Conversation about Art and Activism with The Classical Theatre of Harlem
1:30 P.M., Wright Memorial Theatre
Members of the Classical Theatre of Harlem will lead a discussion about site-specific and political theatre, and share images from their post--Hurricane Katrina run of Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot, performed outdoors in the devastated Lower 9th Ward of New Orleans. Sponsored by the Performing Arts Series. See associated events on September 22 and 23. Free

September 23, Wednesday
Faculty Lecture Series: Kevin Moss
4:30 P.M., Hillcrest 103
Kevin Moss, Department of Russian, "Queering Ethnicity in the First Gay Films from ex-Yugoslavia."  Free

September 23, Wednesday
After Darwin
7:30 P.M., McCullough Social Space
A staged reading of "After Darwin," by Timberlake Wertenbaker, directed by Cheryl Faraone, with Alex Draper, Mat Nakitare and Michaela Lieberman. Advance event for the Clifford Symposium "Celebrating Darwin’s Legacy." Free







September 24, Thursday
View from the Galapagos
12:15 P.M., McCullough Social Space
In this opening event for the 2009 Nicholas R. Clifford Symposium, “Celebrating Darwin’s Legacy,” biology professor Helen Young offers an introduction to Darwin, his contributions to evolutionary biology, and the role of the Galapagos Islands in his thinking. Andrea Olsen, dance professor and the Kathleen and William F. Truscott ’83 Professor in Environmental Studies, performs an excerpt from On Close Observation, a dance inspired by a Mellon-funded trip to the islands in 2008. Cosponsored by the Howard E. Woodin Environmental Studies Colloquium. Free




September 24, Thursday
Vermont Symphony Orchestra
8:00 P.M., Mahaney Center for the Arts, Concert Hall
Autumn in Vermont signals the return of gorgeous foliage and also gorgeous music, as the Vermont Symphony Orchestra’s Made in Vermont Music Festival tour visits all corners of the state. Enjoy a Mozart string quartet; Bizet’s charming Jeux d’enfants (Childrens’ Games); and Haydn’s marvelous Symphony No. 82 (The Bear). This year’s world premiere commission is Odzihozo and the Lake by Derrik Jordan of Brattleboro, who pays tribute to the Lake Champlain Quadricentennial with a piece based on an Abenaki creation story. Tickets: $23 adults, $19 seniors 65 and older, $13 students, $6 Middlebury College students



September 26, Saturday
Man on Wire
3:00 and 8:00 P.M., Dana Auditorium
In August 1974, French performer Philippe Petit strung a wire between the two World Trade Center Towers in New York City and balanced on it for nearly an hour. Director James Marsh uses archival footage, contemporary interviews, and recreations to explore Petit’s career, detail the clandestine logistics of setting up the Trade Center wire, and reflect upon the profound effects the walk’s success had upon Petit and those close to him. In French with English subtitles. Sponsored by the Hirschfield International Film Series. (UK/USA, 2008, 94 minutes) Free




September 26, Saturday
On Close Observation: Andrea Olsen
4:30 P.M., Mahaney Center for the Arts, Dance Theatre
Professor Olsen performs a full version of her new dance solo inspired by a Mellon-funded trip to the Galapagos Islands in the summer of 2008. A video edited by Nikhil Ramburn ’10, which includes photographs by Dr. Helen Young, accompanies the presentation. Part of the 2009 Clifford Symposium. Free

go to October events