Regional News

NEFA's Expeditions Program brings trend-setting dance company to Maine


	The New England Foundation for the Arts made it possible for AXIS Dance Company of Oakland, California to perform in rural maine in 2004. The company is comprised of dancers with and without disabilities. Photo by Andy Mogg.

In October of 2004, a unique dance company - based in urban Oakland, California - spent a week in rural Maine, performing, doing educational outreach, conducting classes and workshops.

The AXIS Dance Company, as part of the New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA) Expeditions program, provided an arts experience not often available outside of the southern areas of the state, particularly Portland.

AXIS is comprised of dancers with and without disabilities. The troupe is considered at the forefront of what is termed, "physically integrated dance," a powerful and inclusive form of dance. The company - while based in California'a Bay Area - has toured all over the country, as well as Germany and Siberia.

The funding provided by NEFA's Expeditions program in the form of a Touring Grant allowed the communities of Orono, Old Town, Bangor and other surrounding towns a unique opportunity to experience this empowering and eye-opening form of dance.

The troupe combined strong, contemporary choreography, great costumes as well as solid production elements and values - allowing udiences in and around Orono to see dance as they have never witnessed it before. Beginning with their Thursday performance at the Maine Center for the Arts, audiences had their perceptions challenged regarding dance, movement, disability and ability.

According to the group's website (www.axisdance.org), the company attracts dancers with and without disabilities who are interested in exploring new ways of movement. The nature of the performances allows them to expand the boundaries of traditional dance.

Not only did the group hold a major performance for the public on the University of Maine campus in Orono, but workshops were also provided. These included a master class for the University's dance students and a performance at the Old Town Elementary School.

"This was unique in that it was a week-long residency at the University," said Stephen Wicks, education and outreach coordinator for the school and Maine Arts Commission member. "It allowed students, like the elementary school children in Old Town, opportunities to increase awareness about disability through seeing the performance."

All of this fulfills the guidelines established by NEFA as part of the touring grant that funded this residency. As part of the criteria, NEFA strives to provide the following as part of its Expeditions program:

support New England as a laboratory for the development and successful presentation of arts projects for region-wide touring.
broaden the range of arts projects and activities available to New England communities.
encourage thorough planning and delivery of innovative cross-discipline, cross-sector, and/or cross-cultural projects that provide meaningful community-artist-presenter interaction.
stimulate better collaborative opportunities in arts touring and presentation.

"Programs such as Expeditions give a project like the AXIS Dance Company some community depth - there is community interaction, workshops and other programs that provide more than just a performance," said Adrienne Petrillo, the Expeditions Program Manager. "It also helps us allow outreach into communities that might be under-served by the arts."

This residency by the AXIS Dance Company is just another example of the importance of the arts in expanding awareness as well as access to cultural opportunities for everyone. NEFA continues to foster engaging opportunities and promotes excellence and accessibility for artists, arts organizations and audiences throughout New England.

For more information about the New England Foundation for the Arts, go to www.nefa.org.