Touring
Island Moving Co. tours two to four weeks every season, bringing original dance and education programs to theaters across the country. IMC is very proud of our past touring successes and we eagerly look forward to future booking endeavors.
We have traded residency for performances with STAYCEE PEARL dance project, Surfscape Contemporary Dance Theatre, Pasadena Dance Theater, Missouri Contemporary Ballet and Houston Metropolitan Dance Co. In 2015 we hosted Samruk, Kazakhstan’s contemporary ballet company, and traveled to Almaty in April 2016, where we were part of the celebration of 25 years of US/Kazakhstan relations. The Touring Project is meant to create new opportunities for touring by small and midsize companies; we have already seen the network grow and have performed in 11 new cities. We’re a pick for the summer from the Boston Globe!
The Festival features mixed bills of IMC and guest artists. Dancers take class together; directors teach master classes; a commissioned choreographer creates a piece for all Festival dancers. Each night, a Festival choreographer opens the program with an Etude, a work that has been created that day on dancers who elect to participate. Besides the Etudes, at least a dozen new works have been created, as companies take advantage of the focused time together, away from the distractions of other jobs and obligations. Audiences are invited to talk backs after each show, they post their impressions on our “Post-It Wall” in the lobby, they have opportunities to connect with the artists. Artistic Director Miki Ohlsen invites diverse companies doing excellent work from around the country, using a network of “great friends” — previous residency partners, choreographers and presenters. Since 2010, we have presented 28 companies from New York, Texas, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Missouri, Virginia, California and Almaty, Kazakhstan.
The Touring Project has generated capacity audiences and critical attention. Ballet Examiner said at our launch in NYC “a group of motivated dancers, choreographers and arts administrators has the unique opportunity to expand their audiences and hone their creative abilities. This is an example to small dance companies all over the world. Working together will make dance stronger and more accessible.” In 2016, NPR said, “Island Moving’s idea to trade locations with other companies is such a good thing. It allows a small but efficient troupe to not only travel the nation but brings dancers, choreographers and administrators together in what can sometimes be a kind of singular business. And it means Island Moving will be, ahh, moving once again to other venues, new audiences.”
The Touring Project also received the national imprimatur of a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts in 2015 and 2018.
Upcoming & Recent Tours:
pearlPRESENTS Dance Festival, Pittsburgh, PA June 6, 7, & 8, 2019
IMC performed at the nationally recognized pearlPRESENTS Dance Festival and had an amazing time working and spending time with the Staycee Pearl Dance Project and their dancers.
Missouri Contemporary Ballet, Columbia MO Mar 16 & 17, 2018
IMC travels to Columbia MO to perform with Missouri Contemporary Ballet at the Missouri Theatre Center for the Arts. MCB was the resident company at IMC’s Great Friends Dance Festival 2012 and IMC welcomed them back for the 2017 Festival.
Owen/Cox Dance Group, Kansas City, MO, April 6, 2017
Island Moving Company’s 6th resident company was Owen/Cox Dance Group, from Kansas City, MO. Owen/Cox Dance Group is a contemporary ballet company located in Kansas City, MO whose mission is to create new music and dance collaborations, to present high-quality contemporary dance performances with live music, and to engage as wide an audience as possible through affordable live performance, education and outreach programs.
Samruk Dance, Almaty, Shymkent and Astana, Kazakhstan April 24 – May 9, 2016
Island Moving Co.’s first international tour, under the sponsorship of the US Consulate in Almaty, Kazakhstan. We have the honor of being able to help celebrate the 25th Anniversary of US/Kazakhstan relations, with performances in three cities over a two week period. We’re looking forward to seeing our friends in Samruk Dance, who were at the Great Friends Dance Festival in July of 2015. We will perform together throughout, with our own repertoires and a work for both companies, Plague, choreographed by John-Mark Owen. Help us cover our travel costs by participating in our Generosity campaign!
Surfscape Contemporary Dance Theatre, New Smyrna Beach FL May 7-9 2015
In the fourth cycle of its Great Friends Touring Project, IMC traveled to Florida to perform with Surfscape at the Atlantic Center for the Arts in New Smyrna Beach. Surfscape was the resident company for IMC’s Great Friends Dance Festival 2014.
Amaranth Contemporary Dance, Richmond VA Sept 11-13 2014
Following IMC’s guest appearance in October 2013 as part of Amaranth’s annual residency at the Denver School of the Arts, Island Moving Co. was invited to perform with Amaranth at their home venue in Richmond in the fall of 2014.
METdance, Houston TX April 11 & 12 2014
Island Moving Co. completed the third cycle of its Great Friends Touring Project with a tour to Houston to perform with The Houston Metropolitan Dance Company’s #womenfordance, two nights featuring six female choreographers at the Cullen Theatre, Wortham Center. METdance was the resident company at IMC’s Great Friends Dance Festival 2013.
Denver School of the Arts with Amaranth Contemporary Dance, Denver CO Oct 18 & 19 2013
Amaranth hosted Island Moving Co. as part of their annual residency at the Denver School of the Arts. In July 2013, Amaranth took part in IMC’s Great Friends Dance Festival.
Missouri Contemporary Ballet, Columbia MO Mar 8 & 9 2013
For the second cycle of its Great Friends Touring Project, IMC traveled to Columbia MO to perform with Missouri Contemporary Ballet at the Missouri Theatre Center for the Arts. MCB was the resident company at IMC’s Great Friends Dance Festival 2012.
Pasadena Dance Theatre, Pasadena CA Apr 21 & 22, 2012
Island Moving Co. launched its Great Friends Touring Project with a tour to Pasadena to perform with Pasadena Dance Theatre. PDT was IMC’s first resident company, hosted at its Great Friends Dance Festival in 2011.
The Great Friends Touring Project
Each July, IMC’s Great Friends Dance Festival welcomes guest companies from around the country to Newport for two weeks of shared performance, talk backs with choreographers, master classes and more. Island Moving Co. then travels to the home venue of the resident exchange company for a collaborative performance. The exchange uses a trade of resources between small and mid-size ballet companies around the country to increase audiences and visibility for this overlooked constituency. Learn more.
Interested in booking Island Moving Co.?
Please contact Island Moving Co.’s Business Manager, Charles Kehres, for more information: charles@islandmovingco.org or 401.847.4470