Program II will also include a premiere, and will be presented at the Aventura Cultural Arts Center on March 15.
“We decided last year it was time to bring the whole thing back, said co-artistic director Hannah Baumgarten, who choreographed the work with co-artistic director Diego Salterini. “‘Bridges NOT Walls’ is a very passionate experience for the audience and reminds us that we can overcome. It is a 40-minute ballet that takes the audience on a beautiful journey. The piece was really powerful in 2017 and again in 2021 and we had hoped to put it to bed. But unfortunately, the times require that we revisit these themes of tribalism and aggression towards immigrants.”
(Photo: Simon Soong)
Jose Brooks and Jenny Hegarty in Dance NOW Miami's "Bridges NOT Walls"
As the name intentionally implies, the thought when creating “Bridges NOT Walls” was to focus on how immigration was being used as a pawn.
“The dance addresses the men of war, the women of war, the families suffering, the refugee and then the forbidden things, the hatred of people mixing with those they shouldn’t,” said Baumgarten. “Then we found this poem, ‘Home’ by British writer Warsan Shire, and it became the crown jewel of the piece.”
With the poem as the centerpiece, the dance progresses to include moments of unity and tragedy.
(Photo: Jenny Abreu)
Justin Dinkins, Cristiane Silva, Jason Williams, Megan Holsinger in Dance Now MIami's "Forest Dreams"
“The dance brings us back to the idea of hope and unity,” Baumgarten said. “Additonally, it features a video that touches on many powerful moments in history from civil rights to the Holocaust and foreign wars and eventually ends on a positive note and what brings us together as human beings.”
After the Miami premiere in 2017, the piece evolved through residencies in Mexico with the Mexico City Ballet/Compañia de Danza Clásica Quintana Roo, and in Italy with Opus Ballet.
“In its first iteration, the dance was performed both in the United States and in collaboration with the two companies in Mexico,” said Baumgarten. “The work had sections created by both organizations making the collaboration more meaningful and impactful.”
(Photo: Simon Soong)
Dance NOW Miami will present "Bridges NOT Walls" on March 15 at the Aventura Arts &Culture Center
Then in 2021, when the refugee crisis hit Italy, where co-executive director Diego Salterini is from, DNM took “Bridges NOT Walls” there and performed it with Opus Ballet in Florence.
“In Florence the crowd was standing room only, as they were grappling with their own refugee crisis,” said Baumgarten.
After 2021, they thought they were done presenting “Bridges NOT Walls.”
“We realized at the end of our 25th anniversary season, we needed to bring it back, so we presented just the solo and the finale as a reminder to people that we need to stay vigilant and focus on our shared humanity,” said Baumgarten.
“Masterpiece in Motion,” also part of the March 15 program, was created by Baumgarten and Salterini to highlight their love for historic works of dance. It honors famous choreographers, including Isadora Duncan, Jose Limon, Gerald Arpino and Edward Steeirle, by reconstructing their works, providing audiences the opportunities to see these dances for themselves.
(Photo: Jenny Abreu)
Dance NOW! Miami presents Songs of Spring featuring the South Be
Dance NOW! Miami "Strings of Goodbye 2" with Luke Stockton and Jenny Hegarty
“We’ve both loved classic works of dance since our early days as dancers in school and professionally,” she said.
This section of the program will feature Tandy Beal’s “Forest Dreams,” a piece created in the 1980s with “beautiful sax music that takes you on a journey,” said Baumgarten, and will also feature “OH!” a romantic solo piece by Baumgarten featuring Gershwin’s lesser-known music. Salterini’s “Strings of Goodbye,” a dramatic and powerful duet telling the story of two people on a path together and the tough decisions they must make, will also grace the stage.
Then there is “1933” a dance created by Baumgarten which she describes as “a very lively romp with Balkan music, including the work of Alexander Duric, a return collaborating composer.”
Although it began as a fun piece with three dancers performing athletic moves, as it evolved the dance transformed into a play within a play, becoming a bit Shakespearean.
“In ‘1933,’ you meet a set of performers forced to make the very tough decision on how they will respond to the changing politics of the times. In their response, I weave in a compelling question to the audience: What are those characters risking?” said Baumgarten.
Although their intention as a company was never to be political, that’s changed.
“It has become a huge thread in my work because I could not sit idly by and do nothing,” said Baumgarten. “The audience should be prepared to go on a journey while viewing these political pieces. This is a very dark and complicated time, but we must remove the fear of speaking out and make a statement, we must not be silenced.”
As a company, DNM has always aspired to inspire, educate, and entertain, but they have become a sounding board for current events.
“Our mission is to create and present dance, a fusion that came from our combined overlap of dance experience in jazz, ballet and classical modern dance,” said Baumgarten.
They have achieved that mission with world-class dancers that embody a true contemporary dance company look, an inclusive look.
“Our dancers are wonderful, powerful performers,” Baumgarten said. “We are also extremely excited that our associate director, Allyn Ginns Ayers, will be back on stage performing in ‘Bridges NOT Walls.’ The March 15 show will have it all. It is going to be fun, powerful, there will be romance, drama, and a message of hope.”
DNM has more performances this season. On April 24 it will perform at Sanctuary of the Arts in Coral Gables, offering a sneak preview of Program III, which will include premieres from both Salterini and Baumgarten, along with repertory pieces.
On May 2, the company will be special guests with the Jon Lehrer Dance Company, also at Sanctuary in Coral Gables.
The season continues Program III with another premiere, this time Baumgarten’s “Love-less” on May 8 and 9 in Lauderhill and Aventura. The dance is inspired by the story of a Hawaiian songbird that was featured in the Academy Award-winning documentary film, “32 Sounds.”
“I watched the film at the Perez Art Museum Miami (PAMM) and was immediately inspired,” said Baumgarten.
On May 16 DNM will be in residency and perform at Miami Arts Studio 6-12 @ Zelda Glazer, and on May 17 they will celebrate Harvey Burstein, co-founder and publisher of Miami Art Zine on his birthday, celebrating him as a visionary and arts leader.
Finally, they will participate in Miami Dances, a program presented by Miami Dance Hub on May 20.
“We are always happy to partake in that event,” Baumgarten said.
IF YOU GO
Dance NOW! Miami
Program II
Sun., March 15, at 7 p.m.
Aventura Cultural Arts Center
3385 NE 188 St., Aventura
Tickets $20-$50
305-975-8489