Stefanie Batten Bland: OPEN REHEARSAL

Tuesday, June 4, noon to 1:00 p.m.

Sneak Peek at World Premiere for Zenon Dance Company

Preview Opportunity

What: Meet Paris/New York choreographer Stefanie Batten Bland and preview her new work for Zenon Dance Company during open rehearsal.

When: Tuesday, June 4, noon to 1:00 p.m.

Where: Studio 4A, Hennepin Center for the Arts (The Cowles Center), Minneapolis.

RSVP: by 10:00 a.m., June 4 to: camillelefevre@comcast.net or danielle@zenondance.org.

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTAParis and New York choreographer Stefanie Batten Bland, a 2010/12 Baryshnikov Arts Center/Jerome Robbins Foundation NEW Fellow and former dancer with Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company, combines European subtlety and American ardor to investigate physical notions of community in her work. Zenon Dance Company has commissioned Batten Bland to choreograph a new work for the companys 31^st Season. Youre invited to preview the work on Tuesday, June 4, from noon to 1:00 p.m., in Zenons Studio 4A at The Cowles Center.

Stefanies been working with the dancers on concepts related to water, says founding artistic director Linda Z. Andrews. The rehearsals havent all been serious. Shes had the company playing Marco Polo in the hallways and working with a large net hand-constructed during one of her residencies at Rutgers University.

NewYork Resident magazine wrote that, When it comes to tackling demanding subject matter, there are few choreographers as intellectually ambitious as Stefanie Batten Bland. Of Batten Blands A Place in the Sun, the New York Times wrote: The setup was striking, as are Ms. Blands muscled, diverse performers; if the Matrix franchise had a dance team, this would be it.

Batten Bland studied dance at the Joffrey School and Alvin Ailey American Dance Center in New York. She also attended SUNY Purchase for dance and the New School for Social Research for post-colonial literature studies. In 1998 she became a soloist with the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company. Shes worked with Sean Curran, Pina Bausch Tanz Theater Wüppertal, Compagnie Linga, Pal Frenak, Ivory Coast choreographer Georges Momboye and Angelin Preljocaj. She created her company CSBB (Company Stefanie Batten Bland) in 2008, which creates distinct, multi-disciplinary inspiring dances for stage and film. She lives in Paris and New York.

Become a fan of Zenon Dance Company on Facebook for the most recent updates and information. For more information, or to RSVP to the open rehearsal, please contact Camille LeFevre, camillelefevre@comcast.net.

###