September 2011 events

 

September 7, Wednesday (through December 11)

 

How Did I Get Here?

Middlebury College Museum of Art, Overbrook Gallery

During the spring 2011 semester, students taking the course Art Museums: Theory and Practice were invited to select a recent acquisition from the museum’s permanent collection and to research the object’s importance and how it came to enter the Middlebury collection. Just as each student who matriculates at Middlebury has a story to tell about the journey to campus, every object that enters the museum’s collection comes with a history. In addition to displaying the objects, this exhibition discusses the context from which they come and the significance of their addition to the collection. Free

 

September 9-10, Friday-Saturday

Pre-semester workshop with Jeanine Durning

10:00 AM-5:00 PM with lunch break. Mahaney Center for the Arts, Dance Theatre
A two-day workshop including technique, artistic process, and choreography presented through the perspective of NYC-based artist Jeanine Durning. Technique: Performing Presence in Daily Practice, and Choreography: What We Do When We Do the Thing We Do Before We Know What We Are Doing.

 

September 12, Monday

Box Office Opening Day for Middlebury College ID Card Holders

8:30 AM, Mahaney Center for the Arts and McCullough Student Center

Performing Arts Series tickets go on sale to all Middlebury College students, faculty, staff, alumni, emeriti, and other ID card holders. Tickets go on sale to the general public on Monday, September 19. Go to the Box Office>>

 

Starting September 12, Monday

Dance/Movement Classes Begin!

A variety of dance and movement classes are offered to the college community. PE credit is available for Middlebury College students with attendance at a minimum of eight classes. Register at the first class. 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, (802) 443-5245.

These movement classes start the FIRST week of the semester:

Advanced Beginning Dance (DANC 0260/0261) with Tiffany Rhynard
TTh 9:30-10:45 AM, Mahaney Center for the Arts, Dance Theatre*

Beginning Dance (DANC 0160) with Andrea Olsen
TTh 3:00-4:15 PM, Mahaney Center for the Arts, Dance Theatre*

From Africa to the Americas (DANC 0163) with Christal Brown
TTh 11:00 AM-12:15 PM, Mahaney Center for the Arts, Dance Theatre*

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

 

September 15, Thursday

Painted Metaphors: Pottery and Politics of the Ancient Maya

4:30 PM, Mahaney Center for the Arts, Room 221

Elin Danien, consulting scholar, American Section, University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology and curator of the exhibition Painted Metaphors, explores the fascinating story of the ancient Maya at a time when traditional highland villages were altered by people intruding from the lowlands. This illustrated lecture describes how modern science and technology enable archaeologists to interpret and contextualize artifacts created by the Maya of the eighth century. Sponsored by the Middlebury College Museum of Art and the Friends of the Art Museum. Free

 

September 15, Thursday

Musical Theatre Auditions: Hairspray

6:00-10:00 PM, Mahaney Center for the Arts, Room 221

Seeking students of color, male and/or female in any voice range. Also seeking 3-5 male singers, tenor or baritone - any ethnicity. Please prepare a song - it can be any song! This is a fun show with lots of singing and dancing. Our production is a winter term course, which can be taken for credit, or audited, if your winter term class meets in the morning. There will be fall term vocal rehearsals.

 

September 15–17, Thursday-Saturday

PTP/NYC: Territories

8:00 PM Thursday and Saturday, Mahaney Center for the Arts, Seeler Studio Theatre

The off-Broadway company PTP/NYC is a theatre powerhouse affiliated with Middlebury College, under the direction of founders Cheryl Faraone, Jim Petosa, and Richard Romagnoli. In celebration of its 25th anniversary, PTP/NYC comes to Middlebury to present two of this year’s offerings. Territories—a double bill of short plays by Steven Dykes—serves up The Spoils, the tale of an army official whose idealism is sorely tested by the women he is tasked with interrogating, and a light gathering of dust, an erotic, darkly humorous study of the damage inflicted on lovers by a state that successfully institutionalized personal betrayal. Directed by Cheryl Faraone. Post-performance discussion with the artists Thursday; 25th anniversary celebration Saturday. Sponsored by the Performing Arts Series and the Theatre Program. Tickets: $25/20/6. Go to the Box Office>>

 

September 16, Friday

Dance Auditions

4:30 PM, Mahaney Center for the Arts, Dance Theatre

Auditions for the Fall Dance Concert, scheduled for December 2 and 3, including the annual Newcomers’ Piece, directed by Christal Brown, plus choreography by members of the intermediate/advanced dance course. Dancers must take two technique classes per week to perform in the concert. The Newcomer’s Piece is open to anyone who has not yet performed in a dance program-sponsored concert. All are welcome; come dressed to move.

September 16–17, Friday–Saturday

PTP/NYC: Spatter Pattern: or How I Got Away with It

8:00 PM Friday and 2:00 PM Saturday, Mahaney Center for the Arts, Seeler Studio Theatre

In celebration of its 25th anniversary, PTP/NYC comes to Middlebury to present two of this year’s offerings in repertory. The second program of the weekend, Neal Bell’s Spatter Pattern follows a screenwriter who becomes entangled in the life of a university professor under investigation for a grisly murder. Directed by Jim Petosa. Stay afterward for a post-performance discussion with the artists. Sponsored by the Performing Arts Series and the Theatre Program. Tickets: $25/20/6. Go to the Box Office>>

 

September 16, Friday (through December 11)

Painted Metaphors: Pottery and Politics of the Ancient Maya

Middlebury College Museum of Art, Christian A. Johnson Memorial Gallery

This exhibit portrays a time of political change in a troubled outpost of the Maya world and a human story of power and intrigue among people who lived more than 1,300 years ago. Nineteen Chamá polychrome ceramics are accompanied by more than 100 objects illustrating Maya daily life, religious ritual, and shifts in rulership. This exhibition was organized by the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. The installation at Middlebury is supported by the Christian A. Johnson Memorial Fund. Free

 

September 17, Saturday

Restrepo

3:00 and 8:00 PM, Dana Auditorium

Nominated for best documentary feature at the Oscars, Sebastian Junger and Tim Hetherington’s film was compiled after spending a year dug in with the Second Platoon in one of Afghanistan’s most strategically crucial valleys. The film reveals extraordinary insight into the surreal combination of backbreaking labor, deadly firefights, and camaraderie as the soldiers painfully push back the Taliban. Hetherington was killed in April 2011 while covering the political uprising in Libya. Sponsored by the Hirschfield International Film Series. Free

 

September 19, Monday

Box Office Opening Day for the General Public

8:30 AM, Mahaney Center for the Arts and McCullough Student Center

Performing Arts Series tickets go on sale to the general public. get the best seats for pianists Paul Lewis and Alexander Melnikov, mezzo-soprano Christianne Stotijn, and more. Go to the Box Office>>

 

Starting September 19, Monday

Dance/Movement Classes Begin!

A variety of dance and movement classes are offered to the college community. PE credit is available for Middlebury College students with attendance at a minimum of eight classes. Register at the first class. 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, (802) 443-5245.

These movement classes start the second week of the semester:

Yoga with Andrea Olsen
M 12:30-1:20 PM, MCFA 110

Yoga with Nikhil Ramburn
F 12:30-1:20 PM, Mahaney Center for the Arts, Room 109
$60 for one class per week for 10 weeks, register at the box office starting Sept. 12

Yoga for Faculty and Staff with Joanna Colwell
September 7-October 28
W 12:30-1:30 PM, Mahaney Center for the Arts, Room 109
sponsored by the Optimal Health Initiative

Pilates with Nina Vila
TTh 12:30-1:20 PM, Mahaney Center for the Arts, Room 109
College community only, $60 for one class per week for 10 weeks, register at the box office starting Sept. 12

Ballet (Intermediate/Advanced) with Emma Siskin
W 4:45p.m.-6:15 PM., MCFA 109

RIDDIM with members of RIDDIM World Dance Troupe
This class will cover a variety of styles featured in RIDDIM shows, including hip-hop, jazz, jazz funk, lyrical, bollywood, salsa, and more!
W 6:30-8:00 PM, Mahaney Center for the Arts, Room 109

Capoeira with Jeremy Cline
Su 3:00-4:30 PM, Mahaney Center for the Arts, Room 109

 

September 19, Monday

Identity Shifts in Tarkovsky’s Nostalghia

4:30 PM, Robert A. Jones ’59 House, Conference Room

Lecture by P. Adams Sitney, professor of visual arts and continuing lecturer in the Council of Humanities at
 Princeton University and cofounder of Anthology Film Archives. His publications include Visionary Cinema, Modernist Montage, and most recently, Eyes Upside Down: Visionary Filmmakers and the Heritage of Emerson. Cosponsored by the Departments of Film and Media Culture and Russian, and the Rohatyn Center for International Affairs. Free

 

September 20, Tuesday

Book Talk by Leger Grindon

5:15 PM, 51 Main at the Bridge

Join 51 Main and the Vermont Book Shop for an evening with Leger Grindon, Professor of Film Studies at Middlebury College. He talks about Fighters, Lovers and the Movies in his recent books Hollywood Romantic Comedy: Conventions, History, Controversies, a comprehensive study of romantic comedies from the coming of sound films to the present, and Knockout: The Boxer and Boxing in American Cinema. Edward Buscombe, author of BFI Guide to the Western, calls Grindon's latter work, "The definitive work on the boxing film." He will read from his new books, answer questions, and talk about movies. Free

 

September 24, Saturday

Musical Theatre Auditions: Hairspray

11:00 AM-1:00 PM, Mahaney Center for the Arts, Room 221

Second round of auditions: Seeking students of color, male and/or female in any voice range. Also seeking 3-5 male singers, tenor or baritone - any ethnicity. Please prepare a song - it can be any song! This is a fun show with lots of singing and dancing. Our production is a winter term course, which can be taken for credit, or audited, if your winter term class meets in the morning. There will be fall term vocal rehearsals.

 

September 24, Saturday

Moving Planet: a 350.org event

11:00 AM-Noon, Mahaney Center for the Arts, Dance Theatre
Watch for Moving Planet—a world-wide rally to demand solutions to the climate crisis. We’ll rally together on bikes, on skateboards, and with dancing on campus and in the community. Start your day with yoga, 11:00 AM-noon in the Mahaney Center for the Arts Dance Theatre and join in from there. Free

 

September 24, Saturday

Incendies

3:00 and 8:00 PM, Dana Auditorium

A mother’s last wish sends twins Simon and Jeanne on a journey to the Middle East in search of their roots. Adapted from Wajdi Mouawad’s acclaimed play, this film tells the powerful tale of two young adults’ voyage to the core of ingrained hatred, never-ending wars, and enduring love. Nominated for a 2011 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. In French and Arabic with English subtitles. Sponsored by the Hirschfield International Film Series. Free

September 26, Monday

Documentary Film Screening: Renewal

7:00 PM, McCardell Bicentennial Hall, Room 220

This documentary tells the story of the many Americans who are answering the spiritual call to confront the enormous challenges of environmental degradation. From within their Christian, Jewish, Buddhist and Muslim tradition, these men and women are finding ways to become caretakers of the earth. Producers Marty Ostrow and Terry Kay Rockefeller will join us for the screening and will be on hand after the film for discussion. Sponsored by the Chaplain's Office and the Religious Life Council, with generous support from the Dept. of Religion, Dept. of Film and Media Culture, and the Program in Environmental Studies. Free

 

September 27, Tuesday

Dance Master Classes with Teena Marie Custer

Intermediate Technique Level class: 9:30-10:45 AM, Mahaney Center for the Arts, Dance Theatre

Beginning Technique Level class:3:00-4:15 PM, Mahaney Center for the Arts, Dance Theatre

A b-girl and hip-hop dance artist based in Pittsburgh, PA, Teena Marie battles and performs internationally with her crew Venus Fly Trap, an all female street dance crew, as well as her local Pittsburgh crew, Get Down Gang. In addition to creating theatrical works, she has won underground freestyle dance battles such as Underground Movement 5, Enter the Cypha I, and was also seen on an episode of MTV’s MADE. She holds a BA in Dance from Slippery Rock University and an MFA in Dance Performance from The Ohio State University. Teena Marie joins us this week to set a new piece on the Dance Company of Middlebury and to teach two of our regularly scheduled technique classes. Open to the public on a space available basis. Call to pre-register: 802.443.5245.

 

September 29, Thursday

Theatre Auditions

6:30-9:00 PM, Mahaney Center for the Arts, Room 125

For Middlebury College students: auditions for spring 2012 faculty-directed theatre productions:The Imaginary Invalid by Moliere (6 men, 5 women), performance dates April 12-14, 2012 in Wright Theatre, directed by Jay Dunn ’00; and Serious Money by Caryl Churchill (8-9 men, 7-8 women), performance dates May 3-5, 2012 in the Seeler Studio Theatre, directed by Cheryl Faraone. Read more>>

September 30, Friday

Off the Wall: Informal Discussions about Art

12:15 PM, Middlebury College Museum of Art

“Site/Sight: Dan Graham’s Two-Way Mirror Curved Hedge Zig-Zag Labyrinth.” Assistant Professor of Art History Eddie Vazquez discusses one of Middlebury’s finest public sculptures, located on the Mahaney Center for the Arts plaza. Enjoy further conversation over a light lunch in the lobby. Sponsored by the Department of History of Art and Architecture, the Middlebury College Museum of Art, and the Committee on the Arts. Lunch is provided. Free to College ID card holders; community donations accepted.

 

September 30, Friday

Cross-cultural Commonalities: Women Working Collaboratively to Create Art that Speaks to Multiple Identities

12:15 PM, Chellis House

Lunchtime talk by Anne Babson (University of Mississippi), librettist for the upcoming opera Lotus Lives. Free

 

September 30 & October 2, Friday & Sunday

Lotus Lives

8:00 PM Friday and 3:00 PM Sunday, Mahaney Center for the Arts, Concert Hall

An original chamber opera by Su Lian Tan and Anne Babson, featuring Brenda Patterson, soprano; Miriam Gordon Stewart, soprano; Meridian Arts Ensemble; and a video set created by Tim Bartlett ’98. Lotus Lives challenges the artifice forced on Chinese-American women and offers hope to those who would overcome stereotypes. With elements of rap, Chinese folk music, and dance-club music incorporated into its high-art classical melodies, Lotus Lives offers seemingly contradictory elements blended into a delicious and exuberant romp. See associated events on September 20, October 1, and October 2. Sponsored by the Department of Music, the Arts Council, the Committee on the Arts, and the Director of the Arts. Free

Read the press release>>

 

go to October events>>