Challenging political and social moments often lead to creative artistic responses. With the world premiere of Blue Pencil as part of Dance NOW! Miami’s (DNM) upcoming Program II, one of Florida’s leading contemporary ensembles tackles the issues of censorship and repression head-on. Created in collaboration with Portugal’s Dança em Diálogos, the public will have its first chance to see this new work Friday, February 28, at 8 pm at Miami Theater Center in Miami Shores.
The politically charged ballet is based on the story of Portugal’s official “Blue Pencil” censorship under the Portuguese Salazar dictatorship from 1933 to 1974. The original work, choreographed by DNM Co-Artistic Directors Diego Salterini and Hannah Baumgarten, along with Dança em Diálogos’ Artistic Director Solange Melo, will use this historical story to highlight the power of the arts to resist illegitimate authority.
Blue Pencil is a cautionary tale about government interference in the arts, against journalists, and in all aspects of life. This subject is made even more relevant this year after the near zeroing out to Florida arts funding and the current political climate. This performance will feature the DNM portion of the ballet – the company will then travel to Portugal in March for a residency where the full piece will be performed in Cascais by both ensembles in a blended cast. A Sister Cities delegation from Miami Beach will accompany DNM.
“Our multiyear collaboration with Dança em Diálogos has made us much more familiar with the residue of Portugal’s fascist years,” said Baumgarten. “In these harrowing times for artists and whole societies, we have found resonance and insight into our own present day by looking back at the historical stories of Portugal’s suffering and resistance in the 20th century.”
As part of the company’s ongoing 25th anniversary celebration, the Program II evening will also include audience Dance NOW repertory favorites Court Dance, Baumgarten’s Machiavellian “political tribal dance,” and Salterini’s Drawing Circles, a tribute to MiMo architecture.
The City of Miami Beach/Sister Cities Commitee will also host a kickoff event for the Sister Cities diplomatic delegation on Monday, February 17 at 2:00 pm at “The Venue” (formerly the Carl Fisher Clubhouse) at 2100 Washington Avenue, Miami Beach. The afternoon will include presentations from Miami Beach’s Sister Cities Chair Moni Cohen, Miami Beach Commissioners and the Friends of the Sister Cities, as well as an excerpt of Blue Pencil performed by Dance NOW! Miami. The event is free and open to the public.
Tickets are $40 general admission in advance and $45 day of show, and $25 for Miami Shores residents and $20 for students, with valid IDs. Advance tickets and full information are available at www.dancenowmiami.org/events/bluepencil. The Miami Theater Center is fully wheelchair accessible, with adjacent on-street parking. It is located at 9806 NE 2nd Avenue in Miami Shores, FL. To request materials in accessible format, or any disability accommodation, visit www.dancenowmiami.org or contact Dance NOW! at (305) 975-8489 and info@dancenowmiami.org.
Other Dance NOW! Miami 2023/24 season events include: March 24, Palm Sunday in the Garden with the South Beach Chamber Ensemble, Miami Beach Botanical Garden; May 17 & 18, Program III: “Pop” and Other Works, 5/17 Broward Center & 5/18 Aventura Arts & Cultural Center; and June 10-14, World Dance Summer Intensive, Little Haiti Cultural Complex.
Support for Dance NOW! Miami, and its performances, is provided in part by the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Mayor and the Board of County Commissioners; the the City of Miami Beach Cultural Affairs Program, Cultural Arts Council, and the Miami Beach Mayor and City Commissioners; the City of Coral Gables; the Miami Foundation; the Knight Foundation; Funding Arts Broward; the Broward County Cultural Division; Miami Salon Group; the Kirk Foundation; Florida Dance Education Organization; Citizens Interested in Arts; Miami Dance Futures; Foundation for New Education Initiatives; MiamiArtZine; the Samara Fund; the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau; the South Beach Group; KCC Productions; Akerman Law firm; Northern Trust Bank; the City of Miami Parks and Recreation Department and the Little Haiti Cultural Complex; and other donors. Dance NOW! is also funded by The Children’s Trust. The Trust is a dedicated source of revenue established by voter referendum to improve the lives of children and families in Miami-Dade County. Dance NOW! is in a resident company of the Little Haiti Cultural Complex, the Miami Beach Bandshell and Sanctuary of the Arts.
Dance NOW! Miami
Dance NOW! Miami was founded in 2000 by Artistic Directors Hannah Baumgarten and Diego Salterini. Voted “Best Dance Company” by the Miami New Times in 2022, and in residence at the Little Haiti Cultural Complex and the Miami Beach Bandshell, they present several major projects annually, featuring original work from the Artistic Directors, created individually and collaboratively. In addition, the company’s Masterpiece in Motion series honors the rich legacy of dance through the reconstruction of historic works of ballet and modern dance from the 20th and 21st Century. Dance NOW! also presents branded, immersive, site-specific performances that take place in museums, galleries and architectural sites called the Ekphrasis Project. The company has collaborated with over 250 artists and organizations nationally and internationally including New York’s Limón Dance Company, Dança em Diálogos from Portugal, Mexico City Ballet and Opus Ballet, from Florence, Italy.
Dance NOW! Miami also provides leadership for the South Florida dance community with initiatives such as the Daniel Lewis Dance Sampler. The company has been presented in sixteen states and on three continents, from Brazil to Mexico, Honduras to Italy and Portugal. With a strong commitment to education, Dance NOW! has reached over 50,000 children in South Florida alone through its in-school residencies, the World Dance Summer Intensive, the Dance NOW! Youth Ensemble, and performances throughout the community.
