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“Trav’lin Home” Photography and Dance Fusion
Benefit for Veterans of the Iraq War via Military Families Speak Out
May 31, 2008, at Launer Auditorium – Columbia College 7:30pmCOLUMBIA, MO – Columbia enjoys a fresh new fusion of dance and photography when “Trav’lin Home” comes to Launer Auditorium on May 31. The show – which brings many of Columbia’s most exciting dancers together onto a single stage as a form of community expression and activism – is the brainchild of Kandice Grossman, owner and artistic director of Columbia’s own Moon Belly Dance Studio. “This production is about community, activism, diversity and the unique contributions of the individual,” says Grossman,
whose sensual and intensely personal choreography has been seen throughout Mid-Missouri since 2004. “This show is by the community for the community. Diversity because it presents a wide range of performers and artists. Most important, it’s an expression of the need to actively support our troops through the medium of dance. It is dance activism at a grassroots and intimate level.”
The show is about the individual journey each of us makes through life, in particular the female journey. Their gendered roles as women, mothers, wives and workers influence Grossman’s choreography and vision. Women are socialized into the role of caregiver, responsible for the well-being and maintenance of the family and home. This “politics of care” and her own political experience of motherhood has galvanized Grossman’s movement to speak out on behalf of U.S. military veterans who are suffering upon their return home form the Iraq war. Grossman is excited to perform the Middle Eastern art form of belly dance while addressing an issue relevant to Americans fighting in the Middle East.
“The theme of traveling home is both literal and symbolic. It’s about the journey to find peace within ourselves and our community and to develop the ability to listen to our hearts,” Grossman said.
Grossman – who was voted Best Belly Dancer in Columbia 2008 by Inside Columbia magazine – has invited a host of Midwestern artists to interpret aspects of the human condition. Performers include:
• The Dragonflies Belly Dance Company, a five-member performance troupe known for its fusion of modern dance with traditional belly dance, as well as outstanding technique and artistry
• Members of Moon Belly Dance Studio performance groups
• The Outer Limits Dance Team from the University of Missouri
• Stacie Strong, a rhythm tap dancer and dance journalist who recently moved to the Columbia area
• Youth jazz dancers from Dancearts of ColumbiaAn Iraq War veteran from Military Families Speak Out will offer a personal testimonial, followed by dance segments interwoven with visual projections by Chicago photographer Nichelle Lawrence. The production also boasts stage installations by Columbia College student Angie Taylor and costumes by House of Van Sickle, led by Columbia designer Suzanne Van Sickle.
“This collaboration is about celebration of life, movement, birth, death and community,” Grossman said. “It’s about women carving time out of their busy lives to express care about issues and people outside of themselves. It’s about community artists sending a message to others: let’s motivate!”
“Trav’lin Home” will show one time only at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 31, 2008, at Launer Auditorium on the Columbia College campus (1001 Rogers St.). Tickets available at the door. Adults are $7 - $10 sliding scale, children under 12 are $4, and children under 5 are free.
