DANCE: Biodance "No Dancing Allowed"

By Lillian Dickerson

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BIODANCE, a local contemporary dance company that choreographs with an emphasis on social, political, and environmental issues, will premiere its fifth anniversary season on Friday, November 30. The title piece, "No Dancing Allowed," is a collaboration between BIODANCE and University of Rochester professor and sculptor Allen Topolski. A trip through history back to the 1940's will allow the company to revisit a time when "No Dancing Allowed" signs started going up across the country after the federal government began taxing dancing in nightclubs. Topolski's metal sculptures and period set pieces paired with a mix of popular dances from the 1940's will help the audience experience World War II's effect on American culture.

Additionally, the season opener will reprise "Liebeslieder" ("Love Songs"). The piece, featuring BIODANCE and the Rochester Oratorio Society's small ensemble Resonanz, moves the dance company into a classical and contemporary direction set to compositions by Brahms. A portion of the performance will be "Love at First Waltz," a work first presented during the First Niagara Rochester Fringe Festival.

The performance starts at 8 p.m. at Hochstein Performance Hall (50 N. Plymouth Ave.). Tickets range from $8 to $25 and can be purchased at the door or at [email protected]. For more information visit biodance.org. — BY LILLIAN DICKERSON