Kanopy Dance Company
ConFluence: A Prelude
Friday, April 19 - Sunday, April 21
Reception following Friday night performance
Promenade Hall
Age Recommendation
All ages
Running Time
90 minutes
Tickets (reserved seating): $40
Groups of 4 or more: $35
Ages 18 & under: $20
Students: $20
A world premiere collaboration for three seasons, set to Regeneration: A Pentalogy, a new symphony by Madison composer Michael Bell.
ConFluence: A Prelude is the launch of a world premiere and a multi-phased, creative collaboration between Kanopy Dance and Madison composer Michael Bell (Bell) that is designed to evolve over the course of several seasons. For the initial phase of this “master work in progress," Kanopy’s co-artistic directors, Robert E. Cleary and Lisa Thurrell, will choreograph original dances (solos, duets, group ensembles) for three principal movements in Bell’s new symphony, Regeneration: A Pentalogy.
In "Regeneration: A Pentalogy," a dialogue of existence --- Bell musically recounts five movements of life across the “spiral" of time: birth, youth, career, crisis and realization. He celebrates the regenerative power of connecting to our ecosphere, particularly in the face of environmental upheavals like climate change. Bell also integrates Klezmer (traditional Jewish secular music) in his work, poignantly honoring the memory of his cherished father-in-law.
The choreography for "Regeneration: A Pentalogy," will artfully move dancers through the “spiral of time" and the rhythmic journey towards achieving equanimity in attuning to and respecting nature’s essence.
This is Cleary and Thurrell’s third collaboration with Bell. The first two were staged at Wisconsin’s celebrated Fermentation Festival and Art DTour to his eclectic blend of acoustic folk, bluegrass and jazz.
Bring a Group! Purchase 4 or more standard price tickets and get a discount. Discount automatically applied when you check out.
Meet the Guest Artist
Composerc
Michael Bell
By day, Michael Bell (Bell) is the Philip David Lowe Professor of Community and Environmental Sociology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. But by night, he is a composer and performer. His music ranges from classical to grassroots traditions, bringing them into dialogue. Bell’s classical composition includes dozens of works for chamber ensembles, symphony, choir, voice, and solo piano. In 2010, he co-founded the award-winning quintet Graminy, whose four albums bring grassroots and classical music together in a style the group calls “class-grass.” Bell is also a prolific songwriter, focusing on social and environmental themes, often with a klezmer vibe. As part of Elm Duo, his duet with his daughter, Eleanor Mayerfeld, Bell previously co-composed two “folk ballets” for Kanopy Dance.
Thank you to our sponsors
Sponsored by DaneARTS, The Evjue Foundation, SHALL (Soil Health and Agroecological Living Lab, University of Wisconsin-Madison) and other generous support.
Upcoming Kanopy Dance Events
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December 4 - December 7
Dance, Family Friendly, Kanopy Dance Winter Fantasia: Reimagined
Promenade Hall
Kanopy lights up the stage for the holidays with “Winter Fantasia: Reimagined,” a dazzling dance celebration showcasing a mosaic of cultural traditions.
Multiple Showtimes -
February 27
Friday
Classical Music, Kanopy Dance, Music, Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra Masterworks III - Regeneration with Kanopy Dance Company
Capitol Theater
Universal rhythms explored through music and movement—weaving together themes of transformation and the endless cycle of renewal.
7:30 PM -
April 16 - April 19
Dance, Family Friendly, Kanopy Dance Divine Mythologies
Promenade Hall
Sokolow Theatre/Dance Ensemble and Kanopy Dance collaborate on a rare remarkable performance of Anna Sokolow’s epic “Odes," a luminous, searing vision of humanity, unsparing in its demands for intense physical concentration and dramatic depth.
Multiple Showtimes -
May 16
Saturday
Dance, Family Friendly, Kanopy Dance The Next Generation of Dance
Promenade Hall
Watch the next generation of dancers and choreographers in Kanopy’s pre-professional training program, Kanopy 2 and the Kanopy Academy, ignite the stage with new ideas, new expressions and even original choreography and costuming developed and built by the dancers themselves.
Multiple Showtimes