Dance to the Depression

If dance can cure all ills — including these recession doldrums, natch —the sixth annual Miami Dance Festival is the ultimate monthlong panacea. It seems like artists in all fields are responding to the economic debacle in one way or another, and nimble-bodied dancers are no exception. To wit, check out the Momentum Dance Company tonight at the Manuel Artime Theater, where the fest’s host organization will present a diverse program of new and historic works, among them the premiere of a satirical piece portraying troupe artistic director Delma Iles’s current crisis.

The highlights of this year’s festival are manifold, including a sultry Bollywood film night featuring a movie screening and a performance by Indian dancer and teacher Geeta Dias; “Dreaming Amazonia,” a spirited Brazz Dance Theater piece reflecting on the state of the Amazon rain forest in Brazil; and an improvisational, site-specific outdoor work by the Dance Now! ensemble. Performances will take place through May 10 in Miami and Miami Beach at venues such as the Miami Beach Cinematheque, the Colony Theatre, the Byron Carlyle Theater, and the Performing Arts Network.
Sat., April 4, 2009