Twirling Around Diversity

Just once we’d love to see a festival that embraces homogeneousness – something like “The Conformity Collective brings you ‘The Beauty of Being Identical.’” Now that would be different. But the Momentum Dance Company goes the universally embraced diversity route for the fifth annual Miami Beach Dance Festival, which takes place through April 13. Delma Iles, the company and festival director, calls the event “a celebration of our profoundly human, deeply moving, and fantastically diverse art form.” Scheduled to appear are more than 50 hoofers, including Breffni Irish step dancers, BrazzDance Theater’s Afro-Cuban and samba dance performers, Florida Dance Theatre ballet troupe, and New York City-based Ballet Hispanico, which will perform in Miami for the first time.

Besides presenting a variety of dance performances, the festival will also hold diverse master classes taught by visiting company choreographers for those who want to pay $15 in advance or $20 at the door. And forget a last fandango. Tonight at 7:30, Mexico’s Ballet Contemporáneo de Oaxaca performs the first, during a free event that includes audience participation, live music, complimentary hors d'oeuvres, and a cash bar at Miami Beach Botanical Garden. For more information, visit www.momentumdance.com.
April 3-13, 2008