Luna Negra Summer Dance Intensive at the College of Saint Benedict

07/03/2007

Fine Arts Programming at the College of Saint Benedict announces its first summer dance intensive for pre-professional and professional dancers, Aug. 6-10 and Aug. 13-17 in the Benedicta Arts Center of the College of Saint Benedict with Luna Negra Dance Theater, Chicago’s premiere Latino contemporary dance company.

The summer dance intensive program presents a unique opportunity for local and regional dancers to study different dance styles and broaden their repertory experience in an exciting and challenging two-week program of all day classes taught by the artistic director and dancers of Luna Negra Dance Theater. Participants can choose to take one or both weeks of intensive training.  Following the intensive, Luna Negra Dance Theater will hold a company audition for male and female dancers at 11 a.m. Friday, Aug. 17, followed by a showing of the repertory learned during the intensive.

Classes are from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, with the studio opening at 9:30 a.m. The daily class schedule is as follows:

• Pilates/Core Strengthening 10 a.m. -10:45 a.m.
• Ballet Class 11 a.m.- 12:30 p.m.
• Repertory 12:30 p.m.-1:45 p.m.
• Lunch 1:45 p.m.-2:30 p.m.
• Repertory 2:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m.

Repertory for week one will be Sugar in the Raw, choreographed by Michelle Manzanales.  Repertory for week two will be Flabbergast, choreographed by Gustavo Ramirez Sansano.

To download the registration form, visit the Fine Arts Web site.  To request the dance intensive brochure, contact the Box Office at 320-363-5777. The cost for the entire two week intensive is $400; the cost for one week is $250.

Luna Negra Dance Theater first performed at CSB in January 2007, featuring a passionate repertory performance and energetic residency activities, including a public master class instructed by Luna Negra choreographer, Eduardo Vilaro. Luna Negra Dance Theater creates, performs and teaches contemporary dance by Latino choreographers. The company's distinctive style artfully blends ballet and contemporary dance movements strongly flavored by Latin and Afro-Caribbean dance forms. Luna Negra's repertory includes original works by Cuban-born founder and artistic director Eduardo Vilaro as well as by acclaimed Latino choreographers Ron DeJesus, Vicente Nebrada, Gustavo Ramirez Sansano, Pedro Ruiz and others. Luna Negra also collaborates with Latino artists of other disciplines, including visual, media artists, musicians and composers which fosters cross disciplinary explorations and results in richly textured and highly original, contemporary dance theater.