Loco-Motion's young choreographers and dancers ages 6 - 17 conceptualized, created and choreographed 13

short pieces utilizing a unique creative process developed by Artistic Director Lisa Pilato. This 25th

Anniversary performance will give audiences a glimpse into the hearts and minds of 100 young

choreographers who use the medium of dance to build community and move towards justice and equality.

This year's show promises to be a powerful one. The young dancers have chosen topics that reflect their

experiences growing up in today's complex world and include: the effects of coming of age in the Trump

Era, validation through social media, the anxiety and disconnect they feel from trying to process what they

see and hear on the news, words in other languages that have no English translation, collective healing, a

parent/child dance, a humorous look at puberty set to disco music, a fully improvised piece about the impulse

to create by 7 yr. olds who use the vocabulary of dance to express their individual personalities in a collective

process, and a dance where alumni from the past 25 years will be back to share their impressive talents.

 

“We provide a forum for young voices to be heard,” says Pilato. “We encourage students to create material

that reflects their responsibility as members of a global community, to search for fresh answers to old

questions while exploring the idea that art can effect positive change. We encourage children to take risks,

and we support them in their creative vision.” In addition to participating in Loco-Motion's curriculum of

modern dance, dance composition, ballet and improvisation techniques, 100 students from eight different

dance classes have spent the last 6 months in extensive choreography workshops. Young artists who are

relatively new to the choreographic process will have the opportunity to showcase their work along side of

Loco-Motion's older and more experienced choreographers. Their combined training and performance

backgrounds have coalesced and transformed this dedicated group of children into a formidable ensemble

who inspire and impact the world through dance. It will prove to be an entertaining and thought-provoking

experience for audiences of all ages.