PNC Arts Alive Presents MADCO: RESILIENCE - Using Dance to Battle Adversity

St. Louis – February 2020 - The community engagement aspect of MADCO’S professional concert season takes on a year-long timeline in PNC Arts Alive Presents: RESILIENCE. RESILIENCE aims to create trauma-informed arts programming to battle adversity through movement in St. Louis city and surrounding counties with education, community outreach and main stage performances.

In collaboration with St. Louis nonprofit Hope Creates, the Salvation Army, and the Center for Trauma Recovery at UMSL, RESILIENCE will take the people of St. Louis on a restorative path from trauma to healing through stories of survivors.

PNC Arts Alive is a multi-year initiative of the PNC Foundation that challenges visual and performing arts organizations to put forth their best, most original thinking to expand audience participation and engagement.

“Through PNC Arts Alive we have a long history of providing grants to organizations that strengthen and enrich the lives of our residents,” said Michael Scully, PNC regional president for St. Louis. “We understand that a rich arts community is a significant driver of our economic success, providing employment, boosting tourism and making the region attractive for businesses, residents and visitors.”

Contributing Choreographers

This performance will showcase four new works by choreographers Carl Flink, Lindsay Hawkins, Natalie Williams, and RAWdance.

In his piece, Riding the Maelstrom, choreographer Carl Flink draws upon personal experience as a caregiver of a parent going through chemo and radiation therapies and has collaborated on other cancer research. This rich background has led him to create a dance work that seeks to capture the essence of individuals experiencing the rollercoaster ride of cancer treatments.

Lindsay Hawkins created the piece, titled CORA, which draws on her experience with incredibly resilient women and families dealing with pregnancy loss. She uses the inspiration she receives from these individuals in sharing their stories of grief and moving forward after suffering through the heartbreaking loss. CORA is named in honor of the daughter of two of Hawkins’ friends who died at birth.

Natalie Williams’ piece, A Magnificent Grey, captures the various ways humans experience grief. The movement is a physical interpretation of an emotional response that one endures when an unexpected life change occurs. This work is heavily based on the capacity to accept supportive relationships, develop trust, and find the strength to recover quickly from difficulties.

RAWdance Vibrating with tension, and filled with luscious dancing, Art is a Guarantee of Sanity was choreographed by RAWdance's Co-Artistic Directors, Ryan T. Smith and Wendy Rein, for MADCO. The work was originally commissioned by Dance St. Louis as part of its New Dance Horizons program in 2017. Driven by the theme of that year's programming, "women who inspire," Rein and Smith delved into the works of two women artists, author Susannah Cahalan and visual artist Louise Bourgeois, both of whom used their art to traverse challenging, traumatic periods of their lives.

Performances

Training by dance movement therapist Elise Ringenberg will further develop the program through a trauma-informed lens. This new curriculum will be developed and brought to the Ritenour School District thanks to funding by PNC Arts Alive. PNC Arts Alive presents MADCO: RESILIENCE at Lindenwood’s J. Scheidegger Center for the Arts, Emerson Black Box Theater located at 2300 West Clay Street, St. Charles, MO. Performances are available to the public March 26 - 28, 2020.

A preview performance at 8 p.m. Thursday, March 26, highlights excerpts from the production. To better serve people with disabilities, MADCO proudly offers a sensory-friendly performance at 2 p.m. Saturday, March 28. Modifications in light and sound will create a supportive and welcoming environment. Audience members will be invited to dance alongside MADCO artists after the show, as well as move and talk during the performance.

Tickets to PNC Arts Alive presents MADCO: RESILIENCE are on sale now. Tickets are available at the Scheidegger Center Box Office on the campus of Lindenwood University or online at www.madcodance.com.

About PNC Foundation

The PNC Foundation, which receives its principal funding from The PNC Financial Services Group (www.pnc.com), actively supports organizations that provide services for the benefit of communities in which it has a significant presence. The foundation focuses its philanthropic mission on early childhood education and community and economic development, which includes the arts and culture. Through Grow Up Great, its signature cause that began in 2004, PNC has created a $500 million, multi-year initiative to help prepare children from birth to age 5 for success in school and life.

About MADCO

MADCO provides community inspired, innovative dance experiences through collaborations that provide a pathway for self-discovery, social connections, and excellent entertainment for audience members, students, teachers, presenters, and corporate clients. More information is available at www.madcodance.com or @madcodance on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.