The Ririe Woodbury Dance Company is in Wilmington this Thursday for two performances at the Wilson Center. Daniel Charon, Artistic Director, curates all of the dance programs for the ensemble. Sometimes this includes his own works. But on March 17th, Charon said the 80-minute program will contain just two works, both choreographed by women. Choreographer Stefanie Batten Bland’s work is a dance theatre piece called “Look Who’s Coming to Dinner” based on the movie Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, starring Sidney Poitier.
“It’s just a wonderful piece that’s really appropriate right now because it really deals with issues such as having a voice at the table. And being able to be comfortable speaking and being who you are. And I think that’s really relevant conversation right now. So that’s why I felt like it was important to bring that piece into our repertory and to bring it to Wilmington to share it.”
The other piece on the program is by Andrea Miller and is called “I Can See Myself”. Charon explained while Batten Bland’s piece is serious and theatrical, Miller’s is more visceral and playful.
“So it’s a fun and uplifting piece; very quirky and set to the music of Balkan Beat Box. She was inspired, I think, by the 1980s bar Bat Mitvah celebration and how through the night everybody just has a really great time trying to discover who they are.”
The Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company performs this Thursday, March 17th at 4:30 pm and 8 pm in the Wilson Center.
