Quirky Works Covered by Brangwen

Choreographer Michele Brangwen took the lean state of dance writing in Houston into her own hands. Mind you, it’s me saying it’s lean, not Brangwen. There are four dance writers in the fourth largest city in the US, which results in a lot of dance not being covered. Brangwen’s concern that the recent collaboration between Fly, Chrysalis, and The Houston Met went uncovered resulted in her own report on Quirky Works. "It's important for artists in the dance community to have a forum where they can write about performances they have seen; sometimes I see some really good work by colleagues that didn't get a review. Perhaps it was reviewed, but I have a different angle I'd like to express. If we take an interest in and support each other, that will spread to greater audience development and a more comprehensive dialogue between the community as a whole," states Brangwen. You can read Brangwen’s review of Quirky Works at http://www.houstondance.com/.

Brangwen is the Artistic Director of the Michele Brangwen Dance Ensemble and has written theater reviews for the Tomball Sun. Brangwen’s review opens the field for the idea of peer review. Amazon.com has been doing it for years, why not DANCE! Not all dance reviewers have dance backgrounds. Many do, and it’s a unique perspective-to have actually walked the walk so to speak.

When Brangwen is not writing dance reviews she is busy working on her next performance at Barnevelder. The Michele Brangwen Dance Ensemble presents a special concert program inspired by FOTOFEST's recent 10th Anniversary Biennial Exhibition and Forum dedicated to the theme of water.

Her new work, Black Rain, with live music by composer Thomas Helton, explores the dark poetry of rain by looking back to the fallout at two Ground Zeros -- Hiroshima, and Lower Manhattan after the 9/11 attacks -- and with a cautionary look into the future under radioactive world leadership.

Performances are at Barnevelder Movement Arts Complex January 29 & 30, 2005, at 8:00 p.m. Saturday and 4:00 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $15 General Admission and $10 Student and Senior and can be purchased at the door. Call 713 5333-9515 or go to www.brangwendance.org. Let’s hope another dancer/writer steps up to the plate to cover this event.