24 Apr Dance Series – Megill & Company

Saturday, April 29 at 5:00pm at the Brand Library & Art Center

Free and open to the public.

Sponsored by The Brand Associates

 

Megill & Company is a unique dance theater company in that it is comprised of dance notation literate dance artists who utilize dance notation and theory to conceive and document their repertory. Beth Megill is a Language of Dance® Master Practitioner and Teacher Trainer, teaching notation internationally for a variety of organizations including the National Dance Educators Organization as well as the Language of Dance Center. Founded in 2002 by sisters Heather and Beth Megill, Megill & Company is a non-profit 501c3 that continually provides an artistic outlet for community members who seek to take part in dance and theater at the semi-professional level. Productions are usually new works and are intelligent, finessed, humorous, clever, emotional, and fulfilling to those on stage, backstage and in the audience. 

 “Odd Birds” is a 50 minute family-friendly, highly theatrical, and infectiously joyous performance set to a mix of original and popular music. The choreography by Beth Megill blends classical dance technique with quirky jazz styling and playful narratives that appeal to the young as well as the young at heart. This is a great show for families to share with an appeal for all ages. 

 The show emerged in March 2022 as a playful response to the continued strangeness post COVID as people are returning to a new normal that sometimes feels unfamiliar and off center. Beth Megill choreographed it in the time when there was still a lot of anxiety, fear, suspicion, and wariness of others. People were trying to come together in “normal” ways, but nothing was feeling quite normal yet. What was easy and natural felt strained and hard, what was exciting was feeling anxiety-ridden. Digital spaces dominate the fabric of our lives, and the real world feels—somehow unreal. But, rather than turn dark about it, Megill’s sense is to highlight it and make commentary about the absurdity of it all. It is odd. We are odd. So, let’s dance about it.

 Choreographer and Artistic Director, Beth Megill challenges the norm by making dances that are anti-sensational, subdued, quirky, and absurdist in order to highlight the complexities of the human experience. “Odd Birds” is another opportunity for each of us to connect with ourselves, each other, and the world, and foster our dance community to unite, heal, and grow.

 May you see yourself in the work and find solidarity with these dancing odd birds!