The Next Ice Age

[American Dance Festival]

ON ICE!
THE NEXT ICE AGE EXTENDS THE BOUNDARIES OF MODERN DANCE WITH TWO WORLD
PREMIERES, AS WINTER COMES TO ADF IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SUMMER HEAT

DURHAM, N.C. -- In one of the hottest features of ADF's 65th Anniversary
season, The Next Ice Age makes its ADF debut with two world premieres,
Thursday through Sunday, July 23 - 26, five performances, extending the
boundaries of modern dance, as the Reynolds Industries TheaterÕs stage is
turned to ice. "The thrilling ensemble of skaters has the artistry,
musicality, and technical aplomb of a fine dance company" (Jean Battey
Lewis, The Washington Times). "If dancing is how the angels walk, then
skating is how the angels dance" (Alan Kreigsman, The Washington Post).
Through such dances, the Next Ice Age "extends the artistic range of
skating beyond the cold flash of competition and the glitz of a stars and
spangles ice show" (The Washigton Post), offering "...consistently good
taste, challenges to the imagination, and some great dancing" (Dance
Magazine).

One of the premiere dances, entitled "Starr Struck", is a full
ensemble dance, created by choreographer Nathan Birch, through ADF's
recently-established Doris Duke Awards for New Work, with additional
funding from the Philip Morris New Work Fund. The dance is titled after
and performed to the music of 1950 -1960Õs Capitol Records recording
artist Kay Starr, who will be in attendance for the opening. The
premiere of BirchÕs ÒSyllabiceÓ is also on this exciting program. This
ensemble work was created to accompany BirchÕs solo, "Breezeway", which
directly precedes ÒSyllabiceÓ. Other features include ÒBright Blue
Skating", and "Machines", both choreographed by Tim Murphy.

The Next Ice Age, based in Baltimore, Maryland is dedicated to the
performance art of ensemble skating. Presenting skating as a
dance form has been the mission of the founders Nathan Birch and Tim
Murphy, both former skaters with the John Curry Skating Company. Since
its inception in July, 1988, the company has created a ground swell of
enthusiasm from the public, the dance world and the skating world. Mr.
Birch has been granted three consecutive choreographic fellowships from
the Dance Program of The National Endowment for the Arts. These were the
first and continue to be the only NEA choreographic fellowships awarded
to a skating choreographer in dance. The Next Ice Age has appeared on the
live PBS national broadcast of Happy New Year USA! and in 1994 on the BBC
in Britain. In 1997, at the invitation of Charles and Stephanie
Reinhart, whom in addition to serving as the Co-Directors of ADF also
serve as the Artistic Advisors for Dance at the Kennedy Center, the
company performed on the Opera House stage at The Kennedy Center. All
seven performances, were received with standing ovations and critical
acclaim. Earlier this year, the company performed for Dance St. Louis in
Missouri and for The Academy of Achievement at Jackson Hole, Wyoming,
outdoors, to a live orchestra conducted by Quincy Jones. The Next Ice Age
has presented with the company several notable soloists including John
Curry, Dorothy Hamill, JoJo Starbuck and Katherine Healy. In addition to
the numerous works choreographed by Mr. Birch and Mr. Murphy, the company
repertoire includes works by John Curry, the pioneer of modern artistic
skating.

Evening performances begin nightly at 8:00 p.m. Matinee performances
on Saturday and Sunday, July 25 -26 begin at 1:00 p.m. The Reynolds
Theater is located in the Bryan Center on the West Campus of Duke University.

A Dance Chat: Pre-Curtain Discussion will accompany the performance
on Saturday, July 25, at 7:00 p.m. in the Sheafer Theater in the lower
level of the Bryan Center at 7:00 p.m. A post-performance discussion
will take place in the Page Auditorium immediately following the
performance on Friday, July 24.
An ADF staff and faculty ice skate wth the company will take place on
Friday, July 24.

A drawing will take place on

Tickets for the evening performances are $35. Children aged 6 - 16
may attend the matinee performances for free when accompanied by an adult
who purchases a ticket at the regular price (some restrictions apply)
through ADFÕs Kids Night Out series, a program supported by AT&T; Borders
Books, Music and Cafe; and GTE. Group rates are also available. Tickets
can be purchased in advance through the Page Box Office at (919)684-4444,
or at the Reynolds Theater just prior to the performances.
This year the American Dance Festival celebrates its 65th
Anniversary, June 11 - July 26, with numerous activities, including 14
world premieres and near-nightly performances by many of the great
choreographers in modern dance. Founded in 1934 in Bennington, Vermont,
with Martha Graham, Hanya Holm, Doris Humphrey and Charles Weidman, the
festival has long been the mecca of modern dance. The 1998 ADF will
serve approximately 450 professional and pre-professional dancers from
around the world at the ADF School and an audience of 30,000.
Approximately 475 new works have had their world premiere at ADF, many of
them being landmark dances which the festival commissioned. For more
information call (919)684-6402 or visit the ADF web-site at
www.AmericanDanceFestival.org.

American Dance Festival
Box 90772
Durham, NC 27708-0772
ph: 919 684-6402
fax: 919 684-5459
http://americandancefestival.org