FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Bates Modern Dance Company to perform

LEWISTON, Maine -- The Bates College Modern Dance Company, under the artistic direction of Marcy Plavin, presents "Simply Fabulous," a concert showcasing the talents of student artists and featuring "Just A Moment," a work-in-progress commissioned by the college as part of its millennial celebration, at 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 3; 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 4; and 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 5, in Schaeffer Theatre on College Street. The public is invited to attend free of charge with no reservations accepted. Seating is on a first come, first-served basis.

The program features student pieces, including "Empty," an exploration of loss by sophomore Devon Fitchett of Woburn, Mass.; dances on a range of topics from sexuality to mental health by sophomore Kate Nies of Portsmouth, N.H.; and a collaboration of movement, dance and words about experiencing a new culture by senior Anna Israelsson of Seattle, Wash.

"Just A Moment, "choreographed for 13 Bates students by guest choreographer Terese Freedman, uses references from the last 50 years to make a statement about this moment in time, according to Plavin. The dance "downplays all the hoopla surrounding the millennium, yet refers to moments throughout our recent history," Plavin says.

Bates dancers for "Just A Moment" include junior Rhea Chase of Vernon, Conn.; senior Lisa DeTora of Auburn; senior Erika Fulenweider of Houston, Texas; senior Susannah Canfield of New York City; first-year student Kevin Fournier of Woodstock, Conn.; first-year student Isabelle Lam of Hong Kong; senior Sarah Putnam of Cumberland; sophomore Justin Stebbins of Hinsdale, N.H.; first-year student Sarah Hannigen of Taipei, Taiwan; sophomore Kate Nies of Portsmouth, N.H.; sophomore Laura Medina of Burke, Va.; sophomore Devon Fitchett of Woburn, Mass.; and sophomore Kristin Smith of Plattsburg, N.Y.

Freedman is co-artistic director of the Freedman/Coleman Dance Company and artist-in-residence at Mount Holyoke College in the Five College Dance Department in western Massachusetts. Before forming her company with Jim Coleman, Freedman was a member of the Nancy Spanier Dance Theater in Colorado and the Bill Evans Repertory Company in Seattle, Wash. Freedman and Coleman have taught, danced and choreographed throughout the United States, Europe and Asia.

Winners of joint choreographic fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Massachusetts Cultural Council, the duo also has received many choreographic commissions from dance companies as well as university and college dance programs.

For more information about the performances, call the Schaeffer Theatre Box Office at 207-786-6161.