August Wilson Dance EnsembleTHE MURAL PROJECT. It was a surprise to head to Dance Alloy last Friday. I was expecting to see an unformed dance in rehearsal clothes. But Greer Reed-Jones had groomed her fledgling group, August Wilson  Center Dance Ensemble, for its debut performance. It’s called Moving the Lives of Kids Community Mural Project, involving 130 young artists from different Pittsburgh neighborhoods, who painted a very “moving” and colorful mural. Pearlann Porter choreographed a work featuring cellphones and a younger generation’s gradual alienation because of them. By turn funny, thoughtful and entertaining, it even stepped outside the box, meaning the young artists were dancing in the street. Clad in Vanessa German’s hand-painted black-and-white costumes were Afton Barnett, AnaStasia Coates, Raymond Ejiofor, Brett Hanalyck, Rebekah Kuezma and Gretchen Moore.
WOLF TRAP. This national park for the performing arts in Vienna, Va. just outside of Washington D.C. has a world premiere on tap. The next installment of its Face of America series will take place Wednesday, Aug. 19 at 8 p.m. Focusing on Glacier National Park, the evening will feature choreographer Trey McIntyre and Montana artists like Blackfeet Indian singer-songwriter Jack Gladstone and cowboy singer Jack Quist. Using footage from McIntyre’s project, “The Sun Road,” projected on an immense backdrop, the scenic beauty of this Montana landmark will be combined with live performance. Call 1-877-WOLFTRAP or go online at www.wolftrap.org.
PHOTO OPS. A warm welcome back to Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer, Martha Rial. A confirmed dance lover, Rial has been instrumental in a number of dance features and has a great eye for movement.
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