For its fourth New York City concert, Trainor Dance premieres three highly physical and musical pieces by its Artistic Director and choreographer/dancer Caitlin Trainor December 4-6 at Manhattan Movement Arts Center. With movements as varied as the sound palette, the evening is a well-balanced composition of the modern ballet-hybrid. (See below for program details.)

"Music drives and gives these pieces shape," says Trainor. The three contrasting works merge a classical feel with fresh ideas all driven my Trainor's musical ingenuity. "I am committed to composition and structure. Music gives me the freedom to express ideas through an intellectual form." According to Trainor, her latest creations are dances that are both accessible and sophisticated, and visceral and refined.

Opening the evening is the world premiere of "Faux Pas," a seven-dancer piece inspired by the classicism of music by Mozart as well as modern sources such as rave culture and stomping dances. Flowing, jewel-toned skirts play an integral role as the piece evolves from fluid adagio to violent thrashing rondo. "Courante," an adventure into the wild sounds of Pulitzer Prize-winning Caroline Shaw, demonstrates animalistic movements with curiosity, humor and verve. And, completing the program is "self portrait (reflected)," a new solo performed by Trainor, featuring projections of breathtaking metropolis pictures by renowned dance photographer Paul B. Goode.

Described as "pure dance without pretension," Trainor Dance is known for its physicality, intelligence, thought-provoking choreography and interdisciplinary collaborations. Hailed for her powerful femininity and innocent sensuality, Trainor "has an eye for picturesque lyricisms and unusual transitions (Infinite Body Blog)."

WHAT: NYC Season of Trainor Dance
WHEN: Thursday–Saturday, December 4-6 at 7:30pm
WHERE: Manhattan Movement Arts Center, 248 West 60th Street, NYC, Train 1/A/B/C/D 59th St/Columbus Circle
TICKETS: General $20-$25. To purchase, contact MMAC at 212.787.1178 manhattanmovement.com.

About Trainor Dance

Founded in 2011 with a focus on interdisciplinary work, Trainor Dance has performed on both sides of the Atlantic in conjunction with visual art, poetry, music and film. Trainor Dance aims to expand the notion of what dance can be and engages both traditional and non-traditional dance audiences. Recent highlights of Trainor Dance include appearing at TEDx Columbia Engineering, the World Science Festival, and Platform Northeast (Newcastle, England). The company has also performed at Skidmore College for Saratoga Springs Summer Arts Fest, Joyce Soho for the NYFA Bootstrap Festival, the Center for New Media (CT), BAAD (Bronx, NY), the Greenspace (Queens, NY) and at SUNY Purchase (Westchester, New York). Trainor's choreography has been performed by dancers by Polaris Dance Theatre (Portland, OR), Nacre Dance Company (Albany, NY), Northumbria University (Newcastle, England), Providence College (RI), Murray State University (KY) and Kennesaw State University (GA).

About Caitlin Trainor

Caitlin Trainor lives and dances in New York City. Originally from Rhode Island, Trainor holds degrees from Skidmore College (B.S. in Dance Performance and Choreography) and Mills College (M.F.A. in Dance Performance and Choreography). Caitlin is a member of the dance faculty at Barnard College/Columbia University and delights in sharing dance with students.

Before founding Trainor Dance, Caitlin danced for the Metropolitan Opera Ballet, Sean Curran, Amy Marshall and others. She was assistant choreographer to Mr. Curran and site-specific choreographer Stephan Koplowitz, and has taught at Dance City (Newcastle, England), Montclair State University, American College Dance Festival, and Sarah Lawrence College. During her recent tenure in the U.K., Caitlin co-founded Fresh, an ongoing forum for the development, sharing and discussion of new work for regional dance artists and audiences, and presented The Magic Behind the Movement, a lecture/demonstration, in conjunction with Northumbria University and Darlington Arts Center. Trainor recently received a generous grant from New York Foundation of the Arts, and is grateful to Barnard College for ongoing production support.

Program (subject to change):

"Faux Pas" *world premiere*

Choreographer: Caitlin Trainor

Music: Piano Concerto #20 and #23 by Mozart

Dancers: Allegra Herman, Aaron R. White, Landes Dixon, Emily Craver, Emily Pacilio, Leslie Ziff and Kaitlyn Gilliland

For Faux Pas, the dancers wear voluminous jewel tone silk skirts as whirling discs of color, trussed up in leg revealing peasant style, and as draped coverings for their barely clad bodies. Shifting readily from images of matadors preparing for battle to the tender movements of newborns, here the passion and verve of Mozart is irreverently re-imagined.

"self portrait (reflected)" *world premiere*

Choreographer: Caitlin Trainor

Music: Scott Killian (to be composed for the work)

Photography featured in projection: Paul B. Goode

Dancer: Caitlin Trainor

self-portrait, reflected is a new solo performed by the choreographer to a projection of photographs by the renowned contemporary photographer Paul B. Goode. The images of the dancer on a New York City rooftop utilize mirrors and water to subtly abstract the skyline and her image, creating a virtual environment in which the dance unfolds. As the images evolve from distant architectural environs to more intimate, close-up photographs, the structure of the dance itself unravels, with movements becoming increasingly fluid, abandoned, and personal.

"Courante" *company premiere*

Choreographer: Caitlin Trainor

Music: Pulitzer Prize-winning Courante by Caroline Shaw

Dancers: Allegra Herman, Holly Curran, Landes Dixon, Emily Craver, Emily Pacilio, Leslie Ziff and Kaitlyn Gilliland

Premiered: May 2014 by the Columbia Ballet Collaborative

Part ritual, part fantasy, part wit, Courante is an adventure into the Pulitzer Prize-winning sounds of Caroline Shaw. Percussive bouncing, supple counterbalances, animalistic leaps, and minimalist stepping patterns are layered through this audience favorite.

For more information, please visit: www.trainordance.org.

Photo © & courtesy of Lucas Chilczuk