Clap your hands, stomp your feet, and join the celebration as Performa/Dance returns to the live performance stage with special musical guests, Greenlawn Rangers, in BLUEGRASS JUNCTION, a heartfelt intersection of music and dance. Award-winning choreographer Jennifer Hart invites you to explore an important piece of Americana and a time when live music and dance brought communities together to celebrate the human experience and the important phases of life.
“BLUEGRASS JUNCTION is about convening and strengthening our community bonds in times of happiness and sorrow,” Hart explained. “It is about the simple pleasures of music and movement, which when married lift the spirit and give us hope. This engaging dance work celebrates the deep love we have for family, friends, intimate partners, and life itself. BLUEGRASS JUNCTION explores the cycle of life and emphasizes joy in a time when so many have experienced pain, isolation, and loneliness. Through our darkest moments, we seek comfort in art; I created BLUEGRASS JUNCTION to acknowledge the real-world tribulations and transformations our community has faced in recent months.”
BLUEGRASS JUNCTION, while not true to one form of dance, is a nod to the many folk dances practiced throughout the United States, including square dancing, buck-and-wing, clogging, jigs, and reels. The roots of these dances have European, African, and Native American traditions. For example, buck dancing is believed to originate in the Caribbean and is traditionally performed solo, showing off skilled footwork that excites audiences (and attracts potential love interests). Many of the folk dances that inspired BLUEGRASS JUNCTION are still practiced throughout the United States.
Joining the Performa/Dance troupe on stage will be members of the Greenlawn Rangers, an Austin-based Bluegrass band formed in 2018 by guitarist and vocalist Chris Murdock and nationally renowned jazz guitarist and banjo enthusiast Jon Lundbom. The two, who started as neighbors, have been jamming through Austin’s Bluegrass community with fellow band mates, Kyle Klein (upright bass) and Simon Waxman (mandolin).
