Future Perfect

One of the shows included in the inaugural Fringe Fort Myers is Future Perfect, a modern dance performance that aims to explore the ideas of temporality, choices and expectations. Combining solo performances with choreographed numbers, a diverse and dynamic group of six accomplished performers give life to a quote from Zadie Smith, “The past is always tense; the future perfect.”

“The future is dependent upon actions that happen in the past,” Dance Bochette Director Alyce Bochette explains. “The seemingly insurmountable obstacles that we overcome are incorporated into the fabric of our personalities. Hence, the piece explores the vulnerabilities of being a human and the unshakeable persistence to shed the past and build a better future.”

In the show, a scarf is used to symbolize our vulnerabilities, infirmities and the obstacles we encounter, covering one dancer’s ears, another’s eyes, a third dancer’s mouth and yet another’s throat. “Physical impediments represent psychological limitations,” Bochette amplifies.

Go here to watch a 2:06 minute preview of the performance.

The dynamic group of dancers included in the show trace their training, experience and background to such well-established companies as Mark Morris, Urban Bush Women, Anabella Lenzu/Dance Drama and Robert Battle.

Founded in New York City in 1980 by artistic director and choreographer Mark Morris, the Mark Morris Dance Group (MMDG) has been called “the preeminent modern dance organization of our time” (Yo-Yo Ma), its members receiving “highest praise for their technical aplomb, their musicality, and their sheer human authenticity.” (Bloomberg News). Live music and community engagement are vital components of the Dance Group, which has toured with its own musicians, the Music Ensemble, since 1996. The Dance Group provides educational opportunities in dance and music to people of all ages and abilities while on tour internationally and at home at the Mark Morris Dance Center in Brooklyn, NY.

Founded in 1984 by choreographer Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, Urban Bush Women (UBW) seeks to bring untold and under-told stories to light through dance. UBW does this from a woman-centered perspective and as members of the African Diaspora community in order to create a more equitable balance of power in the dance world and beyond. As UBW celebrates its 40th anniversary year, it continues to use dance as both the message and the medium to bring together diverse audiences through innovative choreography, community collaboration and artistic leadership development.

Originally from Argentina, Anabella Lenzu is a dancer, choreographer, scholar & educator with over 30 years of experience working in Argentina, Chile, Italy, and the USA. Lenzu directs her own company, Anabella Lenzu/DanceDrama (ALDD), which since 2006 has presented 400 performances, created 15 choreographic works and performed at 100 venues, presenting thought-provoking and historically conscious dance-theater in NYC. As a choreographer, she has been commissioned all over the world for opera, TV programs, theatre productions, and by many dance companies. She has produced and directed several award-winning short dance films and screened her work in over 200 festivals both nationally and internationally, including Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Cyprus, France, Germany, Greece, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Kenya, London, Mexico, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States & Venezuela.

Robert Battle became Artistic Director of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in July 2011 after being personally selected by Judith Jamison, making him only the third person to head the Company since it was founded in 1958. Mr. Battle has a long-standing association with the Ailey organization. A frequent choreographer and artist in residence at Ailey since 1999, he has set many of his works on Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and Ailey II, and at The Ailey School. The Company’s current repertory includes his ballets Ella, For Four, In/Side, Love Stories finale, Mass, and Unfold. In addition to expanding the Ailey repertory with works by artists as diverse as Kyle Abraham, Mauro Bigonzetti, Ronald K. Brown, Rennie Harris, and Paul Taylor, Mr. Battle has also instituted the New Directions Choreography Lab to help develop the next generation of choreographers.

Dance Bochette is Fort Myers’ longest-running dance studio, with a legacy extending more than 73 seasons since Jeanne Bochette first opened her doors to students in 1951 (an uncommon feat for women of that era). Over the decades, Dance Bochette has contributed to the local arts scene by training children to adults and entertaining audiences with a wide range of disciplines, from ballet and tap to folk and modern dance performances. In its Home Studio, each student receives encouragement to pursue the highest level of achievement possible for them. Alyce Bochette has an extensive pedigree, having performed with renowned artists such as Mark Morris and Mikhail Baryshnikov.

Future Perfect will be performed in the Foulds Theatre at the Alliance for the Arts at:

• 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 1;
• 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 3; and
• 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, June 4.

You can also see a 2-3 minute excerpt from the show during the Preview Show at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 1.