It’s not often that the CFA features ballet, but when we do, we focus on companies who are contemporary, whose vibe and energy is of today. Trey McIntyre Project is that company – they burst onto the scene only four years ago, and since then have become a touring sensation, traveling the country, and now the world, at least 22 weeks of the year. And when they are not on the road, they are at their home in Boise, Idaho.
McIntyre is a choreographer who came out of the Houston Ballet and then became a free-lance choreographer working with many of this country’s leading ballet companies. When it was time for him to start his own company, he didn’t decide to base it in New York or San Francisco – he decided instead to intentionally become engaged with a Western city who needed an arts infusion: Boise, Idaho. As we work with our students here at Wesleyan on how to use the arts as a vehicle for community engagement and social change, we welcome a company that is doing just that: dancing in hospital cafeterias, factory lounges and schools, demystifying ballet and growing an audience that now considers the Trey McIntyre Project to be their own.
Trey McIntyre Project is not only engaging with their home community, they are also engaging with the world. The company was chosen by the U.S. Department of State and Brooklyn Academy of Music as one of four American dance companies to participate in DanceMotion USA and will tour to China, South Korea, the Philippines and Vietnam in spring 2012 serving as a U.S. Cultural Ambassador.
Tonight and tomorrow night at Wesleyan, they’ll dance to music by Roy Orbison and the New Orleans Preservation Hall Jazz Band – they are an intensely physical, joyous company in which each dancer is allowed to bring their personality onto the stage. Come and join us! And P.S., the CFA Theater is air conditioned.
Trey McIntyre Project
Thursday, July 21 & Friday, July 22, 2011 at 8pm
CFA Theater
Center for the Arts
Wesleyan University
$22 general public; $19 senior citizens, Wesleyan faculty/staff; $10 students
Pamela Tatge
Director, Center for the Arts
Once again an entirely enjoyable evening excursion.
Have rarely seen something as enyoyable. It was our first visity to Wesleyan and it will not be our last. Thank you for bringing such wonderful talent to the wilds of central Connecticut.
We thoroughly enjoyed the show with its mix of dance styles done with finesse and athleticism. Will definitely try and see them again. Interesting Q & A afterwards too.
The first half was simply fantastic with wonderful choreography and dancing and dressed. So was the last section of the second half. All in all, very very enjoyabe.
Enjoyed the show very much. Strong dance moves and “stories”. Also, appreciated the talk back and look into the dancers’ opinion/experience with this dance company.
Would be interested in seeing the company again!
I loved it. In my 50 years of attending some great dance performances, this was the best. Tight, energetic dancing and creative choreography and costuming. Obviously the young performers love dancing; it particularly showed at the end with the ‘encore’ piece.
In the past 50 years I’ve seen some great dance performances, but this one topped them all. Tight, energetic dancing and creative choreography. Just magnificent.
We loved every minute of their performance. We saw him previously at Jacob’s Pillow and this performance was equally stunning. This was our first visit to CFA. We hope you will bring more dance of equally high quality.
First, the dancing was terrific, the dancers talented. Next the choreography was very creative, as well as appealing in its level of energy. The first number, a meditation on death — and life, was extraordinary by any measure, marrying ideas, music and movement in a lively and harmonious manner that others can only envy! Finally, but not least, the costumes, which were truly evocative, supplemented the dance. Bravo, encore!
Great show- I absolutely loved it.
An old dance aficianado, I couldn’t wait to see this new company; they possess tremendous energy and talent and enjoy a well-deserved wide popular appeal. Loved the performance!
Powerful dance in the evening spent with a friend at the Trey McIntyre Project…we were wowed! my friend has been dancing for years and I am an old Ballet gal. It was full of surprises and loads of fun. Comical, precise and out of the box. had a terrific night.
I was blown away by this innovative, energetic, imaginatively-choreographed dance performance. I nicknamed it the dance version of the HBO show Treme. I’ve been humming Roy Orbison non-stop, and counting down the days till I see this outstanding young company tear up the stage at UConn next year. Finally – a reason to adore dance again.
It was so great to see a fresh faced, strong, deeply danced contempary jazz and ballet, all in one venue. Great nite of dance!
We have seen many shows at the CFA which we pronounced “best show ever”. Trey McIntyre joins that list and he may stay on top for a long time. Great show!!
My 67-year old husband has always had a gut feeling for the importance of music. But he never really ‘got’ how anyone could have dance in their soul. But that changed after attending the Trey McIntyre Project’s performance on 7/21. It was an epiphany for him that he truly appreciated. He was just blown away. Kudos to Trey McIntyre Project for bringing dance to a whole new level for both of us.