Santa Monica College’s widely praised contemporary dance ensemble Synapse Dance Theater will present its spring 2019 performance of new, cutting-edge works created by professional guest artists, award-winning faculty artists, and up-and-coming student choreographers.
The dance performance features contemporary modern, postmodern, and jazz, as well as hip hop, fusion, and more.
Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 24, and at 4 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 25, in The Broad Stage at the SMC Performing Arts Center, located at 1310 11th Street (at Santa Monica Boulevard).
Founded more than three decades ago, Synapse is under the artistic direction of Jae Lee and Mark Tomasic. The two SMC dance professors teach Ballet, Contemporary Modern Dance, choreography, and dance history, and both will present new works.
Faculty choreographers are Seda Aybay, Angela Jordan, Karen McDonald, Vanessa Van Wormer, and Roberta Wolin-Tupas.
The guest artist is contemporary choreographer Jay Carlon, whose highly physical work is focused in experimental, site-sensitive dance theater.
SMC dance students audition to choreograph pieces for Synapse. This spring the student choreographers creating new works for the performance are Julisa Figueroa, Erik Fine, Jade James, and Aya Nakaguchi.
Synapse, a dance troupe with a longstanding reputation for artistic excellence and innovation, has performed throughout the nation, including the Electric Lodge in Venice; the Cast Theater in Hollywood; the Getty Center in Los Angeles; and the American College Dance Association Conference in Arizona, California, Georgia, New Jersey, New Mexico, and Utah.
Tickets, which sell out quickly, are $20, plus a service charge, and can be purchased in advance by going to smc.edu/eventsinfo or by calling the SMC Events Box Office at (310) 434-3005 Monday through Friday (limited hours). Tickets are $3 higher at the door before performances. Parking is free.
More information is available at smc.edu/dance or by calling the SMC Dance Department at 310-434-3467.
Submitted by Grace Smith, SMC Public Information Officer