Dance Currents History

In Brief

 

To preserve the role of historical work in the dance lexicon:

  • Dance Currents Inc. finished a movie, "To Feel the Earth and Touch the Sky, Living the Legacy of American Modern Dance" .  Papers on permissions and copyright in process.

  • June, 2019. Li-Ann Lim in "Limon Etude" with Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra at Scandinavian Living Center and Integrarte.

  • December, 2019.  Meredith Wells in "Parsons Etude", Holiday Hope fundraiser in Norwood.

  • November 16 and 17, 2017.  Performance of 100 Years of Modern Dance with Panel.

  • May, 2017.  Performances of "Narcissus", "Three Brahms Waltzes", and "Parsons Etude" for Newton Festival of the Arts. 

  • March 2016.  Workshop on "The Early Moderns" at Integrarte. 

  • January 31, 2015. performance of Donald McKayle's "Rainbow Etude" by Dondre Taylor-Stewart at Green Street Studios.

  • September 28, 2013. Dance Currents Inc. presented "100 Years of Modern Dance" to The Dance Inn, Arlington, MA.    

  • March 17, 2013, Dance Currents had its first screening of "Living the Legacy of Modern Dance" 

  • January 2011 we developed a program shown twice at the Cambridge YMCA, One Hundred Years of Modern Dance.    

  • Dance Currents has presented three concerts in the past three years that included historical work:  Flowering Vine, March, 2011 (“Battle Etude”); Myths, Memories and Shadows of Morning, March 2010 (“Limon Etude”) and Dayspring, March 2009 (“Limon Etude”).

  • December, 2006.  Currents of Contemporary Dance at Cambridge Multicultural Center:  "Parsons Etude", David Parsons,  " The Pond, The Cage"  Anna Sokolow, "Rainbow Etude", Donald McKayle.

  •  Ms. Hassinger has taught workshops to students during Dance for World Community, at The Dance Complex, Dancing Arts Studio, the Deborah Mason studio and the Ballet Space on Isadora Duncan, Ruth St. Denis, Charles Weidman, Donald McKayle, Anna Sokolow and David Parsons. 


To present the art of dance as vital to the health and culture of a thriving community:

  • Kathy Hassinger received a grant from NEFA to develop a business plan for Dance Currents Inc.

  • January 2016- Present.  Kathy Hassinger is serving on the Newton Cultural Council, appointed by Mayor Ruth Ann Fuller.  She has participated as producer and committee member for the Newton Festival of the Arts since its inception (2015).

  • 5  by 5. First performance of Newton Choreographers collaborative, May 2019 at Newton city Hall grounds with Helena Froehlich, Joanie Block, Julie Leavitt and Karen Bray.

  • November 16 and 17, 2017.  "One Hundred Years of Modern Dance" a performance of historical work and a panel discussion with writers, critics, choreographers and dancers on the current state of Modern Dance and its future. 

  • May 2015, May 2016, May 2017 Dance Currents Inc. co-produced with SELMADANSE three Newton City Dance Concerts with professional dance companies in Newton:   CreationDance, Thillai Fine Arts Academy, SELMADANSE and Dance Currents Inc.

  • Fall of 2015  Dance Currents Inc. received a grant from the Festival  to continue the Newton Dance Concert with the same groups.

  • March, 2017.  Dance Currents Inc. has forged new relationships with Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra of Boston, the City of Newton, and Integrarte in Jamaica Plain by collaborating on two performances in March, 2014 (Spring Celestials) and two performances in March, 2017 (Gathering Light).

  • May 31, June 2, and June 3, 2012.  "Braiding" is an intergenerational piece including seniors, teens and our own professionals from the community of Boston/Cambridge.  This piece was commissioned by Across the Ages Dance and will be performed in their concert, and in a concert of DCI's at Green Street Studio. 

  • March 17, 2012 - "Chaos or Connection" a free/donation only performance which presented a "rough draft" of a movie on the legacy of Modern Dance and panel discussion on the same.   

  • June, 2013  Dance For World Community.  ( Fifth performance).  Sponsored by JMBT at their studios in Cambridge.

To collaborate with artists of diverse disciplines in order to expand the boundaries of art and appeal to the broader community.  

  • June, 2019.  "Our Children's Legacy" Music and Dances of Loss and Hope with Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra at Scandinavian Living Center and Integrarte.

  • March 9 /11, 2018.  "Gathering Light" a collaboration with Boston Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra and Dance Currents Inc.  (See above under second heading).

  • January 31, 2015.  "Drawn In".  Collaboration with visual artists Robert Murrell and Dean Capper, as well as poet, Stanley Plumly.

  • 2012 and 2013 have included Peter Zay, cellist, Yuji Kano, flutist, Mason Morton, harpist, Victoria Tzotzkova, pianist, Yohanan Chendler, violin as well as La Vazza Chamber Orchestra.

  • March 16 and 17, 2012.  “The Haiku Project.”  This was a benefit performance held at The Dance Complex, March 16 and 17, 2012 to raise funds for the victims of The Great Earthquake of Eastern Japan. Mr. Kano and Ms. Hassinger have collaborated on the music, the choreography and the program including photography and poetry by Barbara Kennard. 

To participate in fundraising events for the benefit of the larger, non-profit community.

  • December, 2019,  Holiday Hope.  Meredith Wells performed Parsons Etude for a fundraiser benefiting a child with cancer.

  • January 26, 2014.  "Next Steps" was produced and organized by Dance Currents Inc. with the help of many Boston choreographers on to raise funds for Green Street Studios.   

  • March 16/17, 2012.  “The Haiku Project,” mentioned earlier is a fundraiser for the Earthquake and Tsunami fund of the Japan Red Cross.

  • In October, 2006 we produced with Liz Cannon and Margo Morado “Bridging the Gulf” an event held at the Somerville Theater to raise money for victims of Katrina through TCCI (Turkey Creek Community Initiatives), a community development organization in Mississippi.  Ms. Hassinger was an organizer of the event, and Dance Currents dancers consulted in the initial planning period and performed for the fundraiser.