Rhode Island’s newest modern dance company, Aerplaye, presents its premiere performance, Return, at the Rhode Island School of Design Auditorium. Return features the work and dance of Aerplaye founder Heather Ahern. Appearing in concert with Ahern are Aerplaye’s founding dancers: Jamie Arnold, Shura Baryshnikov, Sarah Hopkins, Kathy Gordon Smith and Brittany Lombardi, with a cameo appearance by special guest Michael Bolger.
Return features a total of six dances, including:
“There’s a Groove in My Jam”, featuring a rambunctious, humorous, high-energy dance quartet, accompanied by a randy jazz saxophone composition.
“Voices” which finds the cast donning ornate full-length medieval dresses by designer Linda Milian, and performing to the music of a women’s a cappella group, Zorginia, (featuring talented Providence soprano, Ellen Santaniello). It plumbs the depths of the internal lives of three women, at times seemingly trapped in their mundane roles, at other times empowered by their position in the world.
“Ascend” features the music of Beethoven, masterfully played by the Boston Trio. The dance is an angelic, balletic, fluid, perpetually moving piece, performed by a quintet clad in white silk, with costumes by designer Liz Carpenter.
“Utopia”, Aerplaye’s signature dance, utilizes free-standing, steel, hoop-skirt sculptures, adorned by the dancers.
These events are supported by the Center for Student Involvement at the Rhode Island School of Design.
