Perfectly timed for the full bloom of spring, dancer-illusionists MOMIX premieres Botanica at the Annenberg Center
April 14, 2010DANCE CELEBRATION PRESENTS PHILADELPHIA DEBUT OF MOMIX’ BOTANICA, A FULL-LENGTH MULTIMEDIA SPECTACULAR
MAY 20-23, 2010
EXTRA SUNDAY MATINEE ADDED BY POPULAR DEMAND
Philadelphia, PA — Perfectly timed for the full bloom of spring, MOMIX, the company of dancer-illusionists whose work is known worldwide for its extraordinary inventiveness and beauty, premieres Botanica, a visual tour-de-force, May 20-23, bringing to a close Dance Celebration’s 2009-10 season at the Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, 3680 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA. Due to demand for tickets, a special 2pm matinee has been added on Sunday, May 23.
Known for conjuring worlds of surrealistic images and unfathomable beauty using props, light, shadow, humor and the human body, MOMIX has become a sought-after collaborative partner in commercial ventures such as car ads (Fiat, BMW, Mercedes-Benz), MAC cosmetics and Hanes underwear commercials, as well as Kohler fixture ads to promote water conservation. Ironically, it was during these ventures where the concept for the otherworldly Botanica took root.
Conceived and directed by Moses Pendleton, the full-length work features ten dancer-illusionists; Michael Curry’s (of The Lion King fame) large-scale puppet design, Pendleton’s eye-catching video projections; outlandish constructed costumes; sensual and expressive choreography; and an eclectic soundtrack ranging from bird song to Vivaldi, new age to techno. Noted The Daily Gazette in a review, “All in all, it’s easy to see why MOMIX is such a favorite. MOMIX equals magic.”
Botanica is a deepening of Pendleton’s 30-year fascination with nature through its seasonal changes and transformations evoking beauty, fear, humor, and excitement. The four-part work opens in winter featuring a fantasy tree, a river of fluttering ice-blue silk and otherworldly snow creatures moving to Tuu’s “Frozen Land.” Sections show man and nature inhabiting a dreamlike cosmos where dinosaurs roam, boulders swallow humans, centaurs battle, bulbs bloom, snakes crawl, birds fly and tiny organisms mate and multiply. Phoebe Katzin’s flamboyant costume designs—a dancer spinning with strings of beads, giant yellow and orange feathers resembling fans and sunflowers, fiery red feather tutu-like skirts and a gigantic parachute fan—add grandeur while conveying a message of ecological connection and evolution. Pendleton states, “You have got to use your imagination, and in our shows we try and create what I call ‘optical confusion’ designed to excite brain cells and stimulate creativity.”
In a related twist, Moses Pendleton will be presented with an Honorary Doctorate degree from the University of the Arts in conjunction with their commencement ceremonies on May 20 at the Academy of Music. One of America's most innovative and widely performed choreographers and directors, Pendleton, a
founding member of the ground-breaking Pilobolus Dance Theater in 1971, established MOMIX in the early 80’s. He has worked extensively in film, TV and opera and as a choreographer for ballet companies and special events.
A recipient of the Connecticut Commission on the Arts Governor's Award in 1998, Pendleton received the Positano Choreographic Award in 1999 and was a Guggenheim Fellow in 1977. He received the 2002 American Choreography Award for his contributions to choreography for film and television.
Under the artistic direction of Randy Swartz, the Dance Celebration series, presented by Dance Affiliates and the Annenberg Center’s Penn Presents, maintains the tradition of bringing to Philadelphia the world’s best contemporary touring dance companies. This season’s The Magic of Movement pays tribute to American dance and showcases its diversity of styles, from tap to Broadway, jazz, contemporary, hip-hop, multimedia and dance theater.
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