LEWISTON — A longtime favorite at the Bates Dance Festival, the Bebe Miller Company returns to Lewiston with the mysterious, visionary piece “Necessary Beauty” in performances Friday and Saturday, July 31 and Aug. 1.

Miller, winner of the Bessie Award for dance and performance in New York, is considered one of the foremost creative forces in contemporary dance. Her vision is based on faith in the moving body as a record of thought, experience and sheer beauty.
Composed of intimate multimedia segments for five dancers, “Necessary Beauty” investigates the convergence of dance, theater, music and digital technology through the rhythm of action and memory.

In creating a work, Miller relies on the interplay of a theme, its physicality and the contributions of company members to fashion its singular voice. Seeking to expand the language of dance, Miller integrates choreography with writing, moving images and digital media.

The Bebe Miller Company celebrated its 20th year in 2005. After two decades as a traditional touring dance company, the troupe is now structured as a “virtual company,” with members living across the United States.
New work is developed in long-term residencies that bring BMC dancers and collaborators together for creative exploration, rehearsals and community-based activities.

BMC has toured extensively throughout the United States and in eight other countries. The company has been commissioned by the Brooklyn Academy of Music’s Next Wave Festival and The Joyce Theater and Dance Theater Workshop, both in New York; the Wexner Center for the Arts at Ohio State University; Walker Art Center in Minneapolis; and Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, Dance Place in Washington, D.C.

“Necessary Beauty” will be presented at 8 p.m. in Bates College’s Schaeffer Theatre, 305 College St. Tickets are $20 for the general public, $12 for students and seniors. Call 786-6161.

Additional festival events include a video talk by Bebe Miller at 7:30 p.m. Monday, July 27, in Schaeffer (open to the public at no cost); and the annual “Musicians’ Concert,” featuring festival instrumentalists and composers, at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 28, in the Olin Arts Center Concert Hall, 75 Russell St. ($10 for the general public and $5 for students and seniors).

Besides mainstage performances, the Bates Dance Festival offers a selection of free and low-cost events. For more information, visit www.batesdancefestival.org.

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