When it comes to the old “song and dance” in Milwaukee, the first part gets celebrated plenty at festivals all year long. This Saturday at the Marcus Performing Arts Center’s Peck Pavilion, the latter takes center stage as Nō Studios holds its third annual Dance Fest.
Whether you enjoy moving your feet or just watching others do their thing, this year’s event almost certainly has something you’ll dig. Among the styles on display will be contemporary, ballet, African-inspired, salsa and hip-hop, all of which will be executed by some of the finest companies from the Milwaukee area and across the Midwest.
“Nō Studios is thrilled to bring Dance Fest back to Milwaukee,” founder John Ridley said in a release. “This all-ages, family friendly event celebrates not only the art of dance, but the rich mix of cultures and styles that make Milwaukee a great place to live and work.”
The lineup of participants shows that isn’t just talk, starting with the emcee: Danni Gee, director of programming for the Joyce Theater in New York City. In addition, Water Street Dance Milwaukee founder Morgan Williams curated this year’s event, which includes his own company (named one of Dance Magazine’s “25 to Watch”) as well as:
- Chicago Dance Crash — The leading physical theater dance company in the Midwest, blending street dance, storytelling, tricking, acro and contemporary dance.
- Dance Kaleidoscope — Indiana’s longest-performing professional dance company, now in its 53rd season.
- Danceworks Performance MKE — An ensemble of performing artists with dynamically different movement training and experiences that uses its diverse breadth of techniques to strengthen the virtuosity of artmaking through dance performance.
- Ko-Thi Dance Company — Comprised of artists trained in the histories, mythologies and techniques of performance art within the African Diaspora using myriad traditional instruments, authentic costumes, infectious music and extraordinary dance to educate and bridge the gap among various cultures.
- Madison Ballet — A premier Wisconsin ballet company under the direction of Ja’ Malik, focused on building a better community through art.
- Nova Linea Contemporary Dance — Wisconsin’s premier contemporary dance company, known for emotionally provocative performances telling relatable stories through dance.
- Salsabrositas — Milwaukee's award-winning Latin dance team established in 2012.
- Visceral Dance Chicago — A nationally and internationally recognized driving force in contemporary dance, founded and led by artistic director Nick Pupillo.
Those talented companies will perform at 6:30 p.m. during the ticketed portion of Dance Fest. Most seats will run you $15, although there are a handful of $25 seats in prime position right in front of the stage. On top of that, there’s a free youth performance at 5:30 p.m. featuring Milwaukee Irish Dance Company, Tru Skool, Water Street Dance Company II, Dream Cheer & Dance, and Three Point Project.
For more information on this year’s Dance Fest, visit the event’s home on the Nō Studios website.
