GARDINER — Johnson Hall hosted the international modern dance troupe Galumpha for an evening performance on March 23. As part of the Johnson Hall Artists in the Schools program, Galumpha was invited to teach a dance and movement workshop at the Ampersand Academy of Dance and Performing Arts.
“Having Galumpha at the studio was a phenomenal experience. Each member offered a unique and engaging personality that helped the dancers feel immediately at ease and ready to tackle the challenging physical demands of the workshop. We really enjoyed working with them on some amazing and inventive partnering. We have some very strong friendships and hard workers at the studio. The workshop really highlighted and strengthened the trust and positivity I see each day in classes. Attending the show at Johnson Hall and then witnessing those beautiful partnering moments in a professional show just made the experience even more special for us all,” said Rachel Waterbury, Ampersand’s artistic director, choreographer and teacher.
A fundamental core belief of Johnson Hall is the importance of exposing school-age children to professional performing arts. This can come in the form of live performances, workshops and intensive classes with experts in the performing world. Johnson Hall achieves this through its Artists in the School program by giving students access to every genre of performing arts, whether it be dance, physical comedy, music or traditional theater, it is essential in developing a well rounded human being. The program is funded primarily through grants and sponsorships, and this particular workshop was funded through the Onion Foundation.
Galumpha, formed in 2002 by Andy Horowitz and Greg O’Brien, delivers a fast-paced, athletic brand of movement, distinctive for its ingenuity. Highlights include “Velcro” as seen on “The Late Show with David Letterman,” “Crook and Chase” (TNN) and the 2002 MDA Jerry Lewis Telethon, and “Clackers,” seen on MTV, Showtime, A & E, Just for Laughs in Montreal, and by over 1 billion television viewers around the globe. Other pieces feature experiments in human architecture set to music by Rachmaninov, Mahler and the virtuoso Czech band Jablkon, making for an exceptionally entertaining program.
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