John Pennington |
mission statement
The Pennington Dance Group (PDG) is committed to artistic excellence in creating, performing and preserving the work of founding director John Pennington, and of other contemporary and past dance artists. Collaborating with visual and performing artists of note, the PDG creates and performs works that contain social, emotional, political, abstract and scientific themes that appeal to a wide audience.
In seeking to preserve diverse contemporary dance traditions, the PDG is also dedicated to the truthful recreation and reconstruction of significant works by seminal artists of the past.
The PDG aspires to cultivate an understanding and love of dance through education in the schools and in the community, through national and international performances, and other innovative programming.
- The Pennington Dance Group is a not for profit 501(c)(3) organization. Contributions are deductible to the fullest extent of the law.
|
| Artistic Director's Note:
My first exposure to contemporary dance transported me from my seat to a world where I saw the body in motion communicating about the human condition. No words were spoken yet much was conveyed. That was the my first lesson in the power of dance to whisper wonder in the ear, and to offer more powerful possibilities for expression, debate, questioning or dissent. As a choreographer, I try to create dances that offer a kinetic world that explore the human condition through movement. From abstract adventures to concrete concepts, the dances I create embody my belief in the body's potential as an expressive instrument with unending possibilities. My extensive training in theater arts and physical studies inform my choreography, allowing it to grow in depth and breadth.
My artistic sensibilities were influenced and molded by Bella Lewitzky (1916-2004). After 14 years of training and performing with the Lewitzky Dance Company, I am imbued with the modern dance tradition Bella carried forth from Lester Horton (1906-1953). Though my artistic voice resonates somewhat differently than hers, it gratefully sings with the training and philosophy that formed the core of her brilliant career.
I formed the PDG to further my vision of bringing together dancers to create and add to a growing repertory of works while experimenting and expanding on the creative process. I hope that the PDG it will also provide ongoing and ever-changing opportunities that challenge artists, students and audiences alike.
| | |
|
 |
 |
