When Marks Chowning steps down later this month as executive director of the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center, Baltimore will lose one of its primary advocates for increasing professional dance offerings in the city.

Despite the naysayers who claim that a Baltimore audience will never support professional dance, Chowning believes that the audience here is at least as sophisticated as that in any other mid-sized city -- and he has acted on that belief.

Among other things, it was Chowning who brokered an agreement that will bring the Pittsburgh Ballet's production of "The Nutcracker" to Charm City for five years. (The Christmas classic will be performed here on alternate years, and next in December, 2008.)

Let's hope that Chowning's successor, Stella Benkler, will continue his commitment to help keep Baltimore on its toes.

(Photo of PBT's Corps de Ballet by Rich Evans)

Posted by Mary McCauley at 4:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

Alaina Williams and Kevin Shannon will have an uber-answer this year to the inevitable, "What did you do on your summer vacation?"

Alaina and Kevin, Baltimoreans both, were among students from the Juilliard School's Dance Division who are traveling to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania and Lima, Peru in outreach efforts.

Alaina, who will be a senior in the fall, headed up the donations committee for the Tanzanian effort, called the Dogodogo Project. From May 26 through June 17, students visited orphanages and schools and brought dance to vulnerable and homeless children, many ill with AIDS.

Kevin, who graduated from Juilliard this past May, was instrumental in writing grants for the Public Dance Theater Project, which will return to Lima between Aug. 20 and Sept. 4. Seven students, including Kevin, will create an original dance piece, set it to new music, and perform it in Peru's mountain, jungle and coastal regions. The project is aimed at helping to bridge the cultural gap that exists in non-urban areas.

In both the Tanzania and Peru projects, the students handled for both the administrative and creative responsibilities of the tours.

It's all much more dynamic, worthwhile and impressive than just spending the summer hanging around the local pool. 

Posted by Mary McCauley at 1:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)