Mahaney Arts Center Dance Theatre

All folklore is an expression of resilience. For this work in progress showing choreographer Miguel Alejandro Castillo and musician Daniella Barbarito imagine a fictional folkloric festivity inspired by the vibrancy of Venezuelan Afro-Caribbean traditions and celebrate the ongoing construction of the Venezuelan diaspora.

“Freedom Dreaming: Envisioning an Antiracist Middlebury” is a research and theatre piece examining the academic experience of BIPOC students at Middlebury College. The project has roots and wings in student voice via the core question: “What would an antiracist Middlebury look like, sound like, feel like in an academic setting?” We were interested in holding space for struggle while saving room for possibility. To do so we conducted over 60 interviews with mostly BIPOC students on our campus. We then transcribed and coded those interviews and used them as the basis of this theatre piece.

Undercurrent is a multimedia art installation exploring spiritual practice through artistic process. This intimate showing will hold poetry, visual art, and live performances in dance and music.

Join emerging choreographers from Christal Brown’s 360 Intermediate Advanced Class and New Performers work by Meshi Chavez to the Dance Theatre for an evening of investigation and embodiment.

Join emerging choreographers from Christal Brown’s 360 Intermediate Advanced Class and New Performers work by Meshi Chavez to the Dance Theatre for an evening of investigation and embodiment.

Join Guest Choreographer Subashini Ganesan-Forbes as she shares her expertise in Bharatanatyam Indian classical dance. She will speak on its history, her own artistic career, and how this form moves alongside contemporary dance. Subashini is a curator, choreographer, and former Creative Laureate of Portland (2018 – June 2021).

Freedom Dreaming: Envisioning an Antiracist Middlebury, is a theatre project that begain with a question: “What would an antiracist Middlebury look like, sound like, feel like in an academic setting?”

From there, a team of student researchers led by Charice Lawrence ‘23 conducted interviews with (primarily) BIPOC students across the campus. The play is based on these interviews. We offer the production today as an act of love. We hope to push everyone to dream and work for a world that could be but is not yet.

Freedom Dreaming: Envisioning an Antiracist Middlebury, is a theatre project that begain with a question: “What would an antiracist Middlebury look like, sound like, feel like in an academic setting?”

From there, a team of student researchers led by Charice Lawrence ‘23 conducted interviews with (primarily) BIPOC students across the campus. The play is based on these interviews. We offer the production today as an act of love. We hope to push everyone to dream and work for a world that could be but is not yet.

The departments of Dance and Theatre invite you to join them in celebration of our friend, colleague, mentor, and teacher Peter Schmitz. A reception in the Lower Lobby will follow. Open to Middlebury College students, faculty, staff, and alumni.

This event will be streamed (click here).

Same But Different is a dance-theater performance created and performed by Christal Brown and Lida Winfield. The scholar-artists explore their similarities and differences in a cultural commentary on race, age, and gender. The performance is a reflection of their lived values, artistic practice and communal existence. The artists will dive deeper into the performance for a meaningful discussion.