October 1 – 7, 2017
New Work for Goldberg Variations was commissioned by Duke Performances/Duke University & Peak Performances/Montclair State University, co-commissioned by Opening Nights Performing Arts/Florida State University & Summer Stages Dance at the Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston, & received creative development support from the Maggie Allesee National Center for Choreography (MANCC) at Florida State University, The Yard at Martha’s Vineyard, the NYU Center for Ballet & the Arts, & New York City Center. New Work for Goldberg Variations was made possible by the New England Foundation for the Arts’ National Dance Project, with lead funding from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation & The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, & support from the Mary Duke Biddle Foundation. General Operating support for Pam Tanowitz Dance was made possible by the New England Foundation for the Arts’ National Dance Project with funding from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.
On Friday, October 6 and Saturday, October 7, 2017, Duke Performances will present the world premiere of New Work for Goldberg Variations, an evening-length piece for piano and seven dancers created by classical pianist Simone Dinnerstein and choreographer Pam Tanowitz. Inspired by and set to the live performance of Bach’s iconic Goldberg Variations, the work will be performed by Dinnerstein, one of the foremost Bach interpreters of her generation, alongside Tanowitz’s company, which will employ a slyly deconstructed classical dance vocabulary to translate Bach’s intricate score into movement.
The Friday and Saturday premieres will mark the culmination of a joint weeklong residency during which Duke Performances will host a number of events, including public conversations, dance and piano master classes, and additional engagements with the Duke campus and Durham community.
Duke Performances is pleased to continue its history of collaboration with Dinnerstein and is proud to serve as lead commissioner for New Work for Goldberg Variations, a piece by two leading artists that remains mindful of tradition while pushing against it.