September 25, 2001

Contact:

Sarah Ray

802-443-5794

sray@middlebury.edu

Posted: September 25, 2001

MIDDLEBURY,

VT - A range of emotions, from humor to grief, are the

themes

dancer

Amy Chavasse will explore through dance and theatre in two

unique performances at Middlebury College on Friday and

Saturday, Oct. 5-6. Both shows begin at 8 p.m. in the Center

for the Arts Dance Theatre on South Main Street (Route 30).

Chavasse is

working at Middlebury this year as the College’s dance

artist-in-residence. Her program includes “Death, Beauty and

Flying,” a dance-theatre composition that celebrates the

life and work of Cuban-American artist Juan Gonzaléz

(1942-1993). Performed by her entire company-Chavasse Dance

and Performance-the piece pairs sensual movement and the

spoken word, creating a dancescape or dream world that

reflects the magical realism of Gonzalez’s work and

Chavasse’s interpretations of death and

redemption.

Both

performances will also feature a new duet titled “Spatula

Sound Check” choreographed and performed by Chavasse and her

Middlebury colleague Peter Schmitz, visiting assistant

professor in dance.

Chavasse

formed Chavasse Dance and Performance in 1995 to, in her

words, “create provocative and probing work through

movement, humor and striking visual stage compositions.” She

collaborates with other artists, including her sister

Caroline Chavasse, a writer and actor, to produce her unique

variety of dance-theatre-performance art. Her trademark

style features wit, quirky and intensely physical movement,

and original text and song.

The Richmond

(Va.) Times-Dispatch described Chavasse and her company this

way: “So brilliantly inventive are these performers in their

blend of dance, performance art, music, monologue and

movement, that it is often hard to know when they are

acting, when they are dancing and when they are just moving

in response to an irrepressible urge.”

Before

joining the Middlebury faculty this fall, Chavasse toured

internationally with Laura Dean Dancers and Musicians, and

has worked extensively as a freelance choreographer,

performer and teacher. She has been a visiting instructor at

many schools and universities, including George Washington

University, American University, the School of the

Washington Ballet, the University of Calgary, Duke and

Arizona State University.

Chavasse is

currently teaching an advanced dance course and working with

Middlebury students to produce a December performance. Her

winter-term course in January 2002 will address social

issues in dance.

The Chavasse

company performances are sponsored by the Middlebury College

Performing Arts Series and the dance program.

Tickets for

both performances are $10 for general admission and $8 for

seniors. For tickets, call the College box office at

802-443-6433.