Santa Monica College’s Synapse Dance Theater, the innovative and widely praised contemporary dance ensemble, will present a program of new repertory this weekend by professional guest artists, award-winning faculty artists, and up-and-coming student choreographers.
Performances are at 4 pm and 7:30 pm Saturday, Nov. 2, and 7:30 pm Sunday, Nov. 3, at the Broad Stage, located at the SMC Performing Arts Center on Santa Monica Boulevard at 11th Street.
The concert features contemporary modern dance, contemporary ballet, hip-hop, house, wacking, jazz funk, and more.
The program will feature works by Synapse co-artistic directors Jae Lee and Roberta Wolin-Tupas; guest artists Jackelyn Lopez and Andrew Pearson; and faculty choreographers Seda Aybay, Meri Bender, Angela Jordan, and Mark Tomasic. Also creating new dance works for the performance are student choreographers Alex Ayon, Alberta Keyes, Leah Hamel, and Kardale Holland.
Jae Lee, co-director of Synapse, professional dancer, and a full-time professor at SMC, is originally from South Korea. Her contemporary ballet “Interwoven” creates a collage of physical images threaded together.
Roberta Wolin-Tupas, co-director of Synapse and a critically acclaimed choreographer and director, teaches dance at SMC. In her modern dance work “Remembering,” memories linger and continue to live on.
Guest choreographer Andrew Pearson is a member of the Los Angeles Contemporary Dance Company and choreographer for Belasco Theatre Company. His contemporary piece “Wanna Just” explores the connection between technical training and the joy of moving.
Mark Tomasic is a full-time faculty member at SMC who has worked with a variety of renowned dance companies. His modern dance “The Invention of Perspective: Part 1” is an examination of individuals at turning points in their lives.
Leah Hamel is an SMC dance student who has studied at the Juilliard School. Her choreography “Road Rage” addresses following your own instincts, wants, and secret desires.
Anastasia Sinitsyna is a featured Synapse dancer who has performed with the Vienna Opera Ballet and is pursuing an Associate degree at SMC.
Synapse has earned a reputation for artistic excellence and innovation since it was founded more than three decades ago.
The student troupe has performed at venues throughout the nation, including the Electric Lodge in Venice; the Cast Theater in Hollywood; the Getty Center in Los Angeles; and American College Dance festivals in Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, California, and New Jersey.
Tickets range from $15 to $18. Parking is free.
For tickets, go to www.smc.edu/eventsinfo or call 310.434.3005. For more information, see www.smc.edu/dance or call 310.434.3467.
