Year: 2014-2015
DanceForce Member: Nancy Long
Artists: Brian Brooks Moving Company
Community Partners: Hamilton College, Utica Dance
Audience: 720
County: Oneida

Brian Brooks Moving Company, a NYC-based modern dance company, traveled to the Utica area for three days of performances and master classes with support from the Mohawk Valley Dance Partnership and the New York State DanceForce and Hamilton College where the performances took place. Wellin Hall—on the Hamilton College campus in Clinton, NY—is the ideal venue for presenting dance in the Utica area.

At 10:30 am on Friday, November 7, 2014, the Brian Brooks Moving Company presented an hour-long program for 475 students from surrounding districts in Clinton, Utica and Waterville, NY. Hamilton College generously provided some support for tickets for the students from the inner-city Watson-Williams Elementary School. A small but enthusiastic audience of 200 were treated to a superb performance of repertory works by Brian Brooks: “Descent”, a delightful and deceptively simple dance; “I’m Going to Explode”, a driving solo of virtuoso dancing by Brian Brooks; “Division”, a newly created work with a inventive set; “Motor”, one of Brian’s signature works of precision and endurance; and “Torrent”, which had been created on Juilliard students set to Max Richter’s recomposition of Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons”. The program was as rich in complexity as it was in variety. The audience, mainly composed of local dancers, families, and Hamilton College students required to attend, seemed very appreciative of the dancers’ passion and skill. Master classes taught by Brian Brooks took place at Utica Dance on Thursday, November 6, 2014 for intermediate level dancers and on Friday, November 7th. Brian Brooks taught a master class for college students.

All posters, programs, and media for the event were coordinated by Michelle Reiser-Memmer of Hamilton College’s Performing Arts, the presenter for Brian Brooks. The Mohawk Valley Dance Partnership (Nancy Long and Michelle Reiser-Memmer) met periodically throughout the year to plan this and future collaborations.