Internationally renowned contemporary dance artists Chris Aiken and Angie Hauser, who specialize in creating live, improvised dances, starting collecting objects for their performance at Denison during a visit in September. They will perform "Dwell" at 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday (Oct. 12 and 13) in the Doane Hall Dance Performance Space. The performance is free and open to the public.

As dance makers and performers, Aiken and Hauser are interested in the experience and creation of place through art and design. Their performance piece "Dwell" was commissioned by the National Performance Network (information available at www.npnweb.org) and is a dance performance that reflects on how human beings discover and create places to be alive.

In "Dwell," Aiken and Hauser will create a performance environment through a process of collecting found objects and artifacts from the area and designing the theater in such a way as to evoke the spirit of dwelling. They began this collecting process in September during an earlier visit to Granville and will continue throughout the week to assemble and design the performance space.

Aiken and Hauser are award-winning performers. They choose to improvise because it lends itself to the act of location, with both performers and audience creating and discovering new stories that are at once real and imaginary. Virtuoso musicians Andre Gribou and Roger Braun from Ohio University will collaborate in the performance and Jeff Gress, the resident lighting designer for Denison's dance department, will also contribute.

Aiken and Hauser have extensive experience in dance improvisation and have separately collaborated with many nationally recognized dance artists including Steve Paxton, Kirstie Simson and Bebe Miller. Hauser recently received a prestigious New York "Bessie" award for her work with Miller. Aiken has received numerous awards for his work, including a Guggenheim Fellowship and commissions from presenters such as the Walker Art Center and Dance Theater Workshop in New York.

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Calendar Listing:

CALENDAR LISTING: Denison University, Granville -- Dwell, an improvised dance performance by Chris Aiken and Angie Hauser; 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday (Oct. 12 and 13), Doane Hall Dance Performance Space (231 West College St.). Free and open to the public. Call (740) 587-6712 to confirm information.

About Denison:

Denison University, founded in 1831, is an independent, residential liberal arts institution located in Granville, Ohio. A highly selective college enrolling 2,100 full-time undergraduate students from all 50 states and dozens of foreign countries, Denison is a place where innovative faculty and motivated students collaborate in rigorous scholarship, civic engagement and the cultivation of independent thinking.

For press inquiries:

Name

Barbara Stambaugh

Position Title

Director, Media Relations

Primary Email

stambaughb@denison.edu

Business Phone

(740) 587-8575