South Florida’s own groundbreaking mixed-ability company, Karen Peterson and Dancers who have just returned from performances in Bosnia and Washington DC, perform at the Excello Dance Space on Friday, June 25th at 4pm and Saturday, June 26th at 4 and 8pm.

The concerts include a new video dance fusion work, Buoyant Dreams, along with the popular piece Mano a Mano that was recently performed at the Very Special Arts International Festival in Washington D.C. Mixed-ability or integrated dance companies are part of an exciting movement in the dance world that combines dancers with and without disabilities in the same performances, creating a daring artistic challenge to society’s notions of physical form and graceful movement.

“This new work takes our wonderful mixed group of dancers into new directions that I am very excited about,” says Founder and Director Karen Peterson. Tickets are $25 each, with $15 student (under 25) and senior (over 65) discounted tickets available with I.D. Tickets may be purchased through Ticketmaster at www.ticketmaster.com and by phone (305) 358-5885 and (954) 523-3309 (service charges apply). They are also available in-person at the Byron Carlyle day of show and in advance at the Colony Theatre box office (1040 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach), Tuesday through Saturday, Noon to 5:00 pm. Visit www.karenpetersondancers.org for more information, a map and directions to the Byron Carlyle.
For a map and direction to the Byron Carlyle click on the link below:
http://www.mapquest.com/maps?city=Miami&state=FL&address=500+71st+St&zipcode=33141-3018&country=US&latitude=25.856041&longitude=-80.123249&geocode=ADDRESS

Buoyant Dreams is the second collaboration of director and choreographer Karen Peterson and visual artist Maria Lino. It is inspired by the concept of buoyancy and the presence of water in our daily lives. Ms. Peterson’s states that the “dancers are free to move without their wheelchairs in the water.  This freedom gave me a new way to look at disability and new inspiration for choreography”. Performed by five company dancers with and without wheelchairs, the choreography interacts seamlessly with Ms. Lino’s videos, giving the audience new perspectives of the dancers’ underwater and surface movements.

Mano a Mano features four dancers, two using wheelchairs, as they interact with and respond to live video projections directed by video artist Maria Lino, a two time Cintas Fellow and 2007 Women Visual Scholarship winner. This striking collaboration between Lino and choreographer Karen Peterson takes an honest look at the physicality of disability, showcasing the beauty of this mixed group of artists brought together through movement. The cutting-edge fusion of live video and dance is a first for the company. “For the second year, this new video dance fusion with Maria Lino, takes our wonderful mixed group of dancers into new directions that I am very excited about,” says Founder and Director Karen Peterson. Tickets are $10 each, (under 25) and senior (over 65) and general tickets at $15. Tickets (cash only) are available at the door, one half hour in advance. Limited Seating. Reservations at 305-298-5879