Mission
Statement
The core mission of Perpetual Motion/Modern Dance Oklahoma,
Inc. is to stimulate and inspire cultural development in
Oklahoma through modern dance performance, education and
choreography. Perpetual Motion is also committed to
creating a collaborative network of artists and
institutions to establish and sustain a unique
multidisciplinary arts performance and education program
for the community.
Company
Overview
Perpetual Motion
is a company-based non-profit organization that offers
several performance opportunities and educational programs
annually throughout Oklahoma. We perform established
works and create original dance pieces that explore a
variety of artistic and aesthetic ideas. Our
repertory is energetic, whimsical, and unpredictable.
The addition of aerial dance to our repertory has added new
dimensions to our work that are daring and
surprising. As Aharen Richardson of NONzine
described, “The dancers’ energy and presence fill the
entire room as they take turns wrapping the fabric around
their bodies and bending in impossible ways.”
Perpetual Motion was recently featured on OETA's "Gallery"
and Oklahoma City’s Channel 4 segment “Is This a Great
State or What.” These programs highlighted our work in
aerial and modern dance and the development of the dance
community in Oklahoma.
In addition to producing annual spring and fall concerts,
Perpetual Motion performs at events such as, the Oklahoma
City Festival of the Arts, the Tulsa Living Arts New Genre
Festival, the University of Central Oklahoma’s Choreography
Concert Plus and “Momentum” sponsored by the Oklahoma
Visual Arts Coalition which according to Janice
Francis-Smith at the Journal Record, “the performers'
aerial show - an unusual, ethereal dance using swings
suspended from the ceiling - was considered one of the
highlights of the show.”
In Fall of 2006, Perpetual Motion participated as
performing and teaching artists in “Dancewise” project for
the Putnam City School District. We are also a 2008
Allied Arts OKCity Card member agency, offering discounts
to our performances, classes, and workshops.
Each August Perpetual Motion organizes and presents the
annual Oklahoma Contemporary Dance Festival which brings
together local dance companies and student performers from
the Oklahoma City area, as well as regional guest
choreographers. One of the student performers, Taylor
Munholland, described, “The Oklahoma Contemporary
Dance Festival brought out the true dancer within, bringing
my dancing to new heights and achievements I never thought
possible.”
Perpetual Motion’s dance education program includes:
Elementary
school tours, which teach children in Kindergarten through
6th grade the importance of artistic
expression as part of their overall education by focusing
on the dance elements of space, time, and energy
Elementary and secondary school residencies, where teaching
artists specialize in creative dance for children, movement
fundamentals, dance technique, and/or kinesthetic learning
based on Howard Gardner’s Multiple Intelligence Theory
Master classes teaching modern dance, improvisation, and
choreography for private studio and secondary students at
all levels
Company apprentice program available to young adults from
Oklahoma City communities who seek a career in dance.
Perpetual Motion consists of the following
company members: Michelle Dexter (Director), Amy Nevius,
Rebekah Hampton, Kimberly Kieffer-Williams (Aerial Art
Director), Rebecca vonBargen (Rehearsal Director), Jessica
Taylor, Kayla Jenkins, Meredith Black and Leah Watson. The
members of Perpetual Motion’s company are active in the
greater dance community. Michelle Dexter is dance faculty
at the University of Central Oklahoma and served as a
teaching artist for the Putnam City Schools “Dancewise”
project; Rebekah Hampton teaches at Ballet Oklahoma and
Dance Unlimited; Amy Nevius is the co-owner of Dance
Dimensions in Oklahoma City and is involved with Arts
Council of Oklahoma City programs such as Play in the Park
and Special Populations and also served as a teaching
artist at Harvest Hills Elementary for the Putnam City
School District “Dancewise” project; and Jessica Taylor is
a teacher at Modern Dance Arts in Norman.