I present to you Belinda McGuire. An amazing dancer, choreographer and artist. Belinda is the new director of her own dance festival called “Excognito Dance Festival”. I had a moment to catch-up with her about her latest project…which is a big one.

What is Excognito Dance Festival and why are you doing this?

I wanted to create a platform for new or under exposed artists and their work… but on my own terms so I/we have more control/choice in how our work is framed/presented. Because that matters. At the moment I am doing EVERYTHING. But I’m kinda proud of that too. I try to hustle now to get to the other side of the hill, where there’s enough recognition and interest to snowball to create more recognition and interest. I knew I wasn’t alone in that state, which is why I invite other companies. It’s also better to work with other inspired artists.

Incognito, from the Latin Incognitus, refers to a person who wants to remain anonymous to the world and others, in hiding or shut off from humanity. Excognito is the opposite.

 

BELINDA MCGUIRE (dancer, artistic director, choreographer), originally from Toronto, graduated from The Juilliard School (BFA 2006). Through Belinda McGuire Dance Projects, she performs primarily solo work, choreographs and engages in collaboration and production. McGuire was nominated for the 2013 Dora Award for Outstanding Performance (The Heist Project), was recognized by the 2007 Susan Braun Award of The Dance Films Association, and has taken part in choreographic residencies at Ross Creek Centre for the Arts (Nova Scotia, 2014), Éspace Marie Chouinard (Montreal, 2013), The International Choreographic Arts Centre Amsterdam (2010), and the Bessie Schönberg Residency at the Yard (Martha’s Vineyard, 2008).

 

 “Dynamism in a style all her own…”

– DANCE MAGAZINE

Her choreography has been presented across North America, including the Festival of Dance Annapolis Royal (Nova Scotia, 2015), Juilliard in Aiken Festival (South Carolina, 2015), Dance Ontario Weekend (Toronto, 2014 and 2015), at Festival de la Ciudad Merida (Mexico, 2009), the Canada Dance Festival (Ottawa, 2002), and in New York City on the stages of the Peter Jay Sharp Theater and Alice Tully Hall, and Joyce Soho. She has danced with The José Limón Dance Company, Gallim Dance, Doug Varone and Dancers and The Canadian Contemporary Dance Theatre. She teaches and choreographs as a guest artist for The Limón Institute, New York University/Tisch and The Juilliard School, the New Jersey Dance Theater Ensemble, for CCDT (Toronto), École de Danse Contemporaine de Montréal, New Dialect (Nashville) and for various other schools and universities across North and Central America. As a producer, Belinda launched her one-woman show The Desert Island Project in New York City and Toronto (autumn, 2008) and The Heist Project in NYC (December 2011) and in Toronto (March 2013). Through these solo endeavors, she has commissioned new work from Kate Alton, Andrea Miller, Sylvain Émard, Sharon B. Moore, Idan Sharabi, Zoe Scofield and has collaborated with Emio Greco and Pieter C. Scholten.

“…a turbulent force onstage. You watch McGuire and you think: Ah yes, I see how dance is singular, fascinating and relevant.”

– Martha Schabas, The Globe and Mail

 

This year Excognito Dance Festival presents two companies: Idan Sharabi & Dancers  / Tel Aviv and Belinda McGuire Dance Projects  / Brooklyn. In their first appearance in the US, Idan Sharabi & Dancers performs the refreshing and necessary duet, Yours.  Dancer, Belinda McGuire, performs three of her own solo works: The Eight Propositions, made in collaboration with Amsterdam-based Emio Greco and Pieter C. Scholten (dramaturge), with original music by Jerome Begin, The Transformative Fable a signature piece, and a preview excerpt from the piercing, beastial and fragile Slaughterhouse/Requiem.

 

BELINDA MCGUIRE DANCE PROJECTS PRESENTS THE 2nd ANNUAL EXCOGNITO DANCE FESTIVAL 
FEATURING  BROOKLYN-BASED SOLO ARTIST BELINDA MCGUIRE,  THE AMERICAN PREMIERE OF ISRAELI COMPANY IDAN SHARABI & DANCERS.
And works by Emio Greco, Pieter C. Scholten, Belinda McGuire and Idan Sharabi.

DATE: Saturday January 7 through Sunday January 8
TIME: January 7TH at 6PM (program A) and 8PM (program B) January 8TH at 4PM (program B) and 5:30PM (program A)

TICKETS:   $25 (regular) $20 (student)

VENUE: The Actors Fund Arts Center 160 Schermerhorn Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201
BOX OFFICE:  1-800-383-3006 (Brown Paper Tickets) www.excognitodance2017.brownpapertickets.com

The Excognito Dance Festival, following its mission to reveal new or underexposed dance and dance artists,

For more information about the festival, please visit www.excognitodance.com or www.belindamcguire.org