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A seven-month process of workshops, rehearsals, and exploration, involving
members of the Asheville community as well as members of the acclaimed Liz
Lerman Dance Exchange, culminates with two rousing performances of a new
work, "The Hallelujah Project: In Praise of Spirit of Stone," on Saturday, April 13, at 8PM and Sunday, April 14, at 3PM. The performance is part of the Diana Wortham Theatre's Mainstage Dance Series, and features dancers from UNCA's Center for Creative Retirement, several Asheville area dance studios, and community members. Presented in partnership with UNCA's Cultural and Special Events Committee, Asheville's Hallelujah Project is the first of four to be presented in the state. The Asheville performance will be followed by performances in Raleigh (April 20), Boone (April 27), and Greensboro (June 29). Each is a unique work, with stories of human experience specific to residents of the area, created and performed by those residents. Because the performance is based on the sharing and storytelling of a wide range of participants in Asheville, it naturally reflects the experience of life in the mountains by those who live here. Specifically, "In Praise of Spirit and Stone" explores the idea of opposites that emerged in the many workshops. According to Rae Bucher, Director of Outreach at the Diana Wortham Theatre, "There is an amazing abundance of opposites here, symbolized by the peaks and valleys . . .we all seem to be drawn here by some magnetic force in the stone." The project is inclusive, blending the talents of seasoned dancers with those who are performing for the first time. The Liz Lerman Dance Exchange, one of America's pioneers in community-based art and outreach, has conducted the four city residency in North Carolina to explore the question, "What are you in praise of?" The answers - solemn, wacky, universal, and personal - are all part of the performance project. Through a combination of dance, music and storytelling, the performance brings Dance Exchange company members and Asheville community members together to honor all that makes us what we are. Based in Tacoma Park, Maryland, Liz Lerman Dance Exchange has been shaking up ideas about what makes a dance, who gets to dance, and where dance happens since 1976. The company has created more than 50 innovative dance/theatre works, and facilitated thousands of performances and community encounters. The Diana Wortham Theatre at Pack Place is located in the center of downtown Asheville on historic Pack Square. The theatre seats just over 500 and boasts exceptional acoustics and sightlines, making it the premier performance space in all of Western North Carolina. Tickets for "The Hallelujah Project: In Praise of Spirit and Stone" are on sale now: Adults $25; Seniors/Students $23; Children 12 and under $10. Tickets and information for this and other Mainstage Series performances are available from the Diana Wortham Theatre box office at 828-257-4530 or online at www.dwtheatre.com.
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