Parsons Dance — an internationally renowned dance company known for its energetic, athletic and joyous style — will perform at the Lied Center for Performing Arts at 7:30 p.m. April 5.
Founded in 1985 by David Parsons, artistic director, and Howell Binkley, a Tony Award-winning lighting designer, the New York City-based contemporary American dance company has performed in more than 440 cities, 30 countries and five continents. The company has appeared in such notable venues as the Sydney Opera House; Maison de la Danse in Lyon, France; Teatro La Fenice in Venice, Italy; and the Municipal Theater of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Besides performing works from its vast repertory, Parsons Dance commissions new dances from established choreographers, such as Trey McIntyre and Monica Bill Barnes, and restages works from the American canon, including those of Robert Battle and Paul Taylor. Through its GenerationNOW Fellowship, the company also offers commissions to young American choreographers whom Parsons mentors.
Beyond its performances, Parsons Dance seeks to engage audiences of all ages through education and outreach programs, including post-show discussions, open rehearsals, studio showcases, video workshops, open company classes, summer workshops for pre-professional dancers and in-school workshops for public school students. The company is especially proud of its Autism-Friendly Programs initiative, launched in 2016, which features sensory-friendly workshops and relaxed performances for audiences of all abilities.
All these activities are driven by the vision of Parsons, who, for 40 years, has combined his choreographic gifts and talent for training highly skilled dancers with a real passion for the art form. In addition to the 75-plus works he has created for Parsons Dance, he has received commissions from such companies as American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, the American Dance Festival, Jacob’s Pillow, the Spoleto Festival, and Het Muziektheater in Amsterdam, with his most recent from the Kansas City Ballet, who staged his work “A Play For Love” in May 2019.
Heralded by The New York Times as “one of the great movers of modern dance,” Parsons has received many accolades throughout his career, including three Choreography Fellowship Grants from the National Endowment for the Arts; the American Choreography Award; the Dance Magazine Award; a Howard Gilman Fellowship; and the Dance Masters of America Annual Award. In May 2018, he received the Capezio Award, one of the most prestigious honors in dance.
Tickets to the Lied Center show start at $18, with half-price tickets available for youth and University of Nebraska–Lincoln students. Learn more about tickets here, by calling 402-472-4747 or by visiting the Lied’s box office, 301 N. 12th St.
