July 25, 2010 – Non-profit Day Eight is excited to announce the commencement of Bettmann Dances 2nd season, and the development of the company’s new evening length dance project, Quis Custodiet. According to Artistic Director Robert Bettmann, the project explores how we define and pursue security. Bettmann states, “Especially since 9/11, and the financial crisis, I have been grappling with issues of national and personal security, and I know I’m not alone. What can we do to be safe, as individuals and communities, and how does that impact security outside our communities?”

The title for the work is drawn from a phrase by the Greek philosopher Piccarus (6th century B.C.) – Quis Custodet Ipsus Custodiet, which means “who shall watch the watchers themselves?” The piece is an explosive and compelling narrative on security, and also a light-hearted exploration of the dancers relationship to the audience, and curation in the art world.

At the kick off party for the project on Friday July 9th, local dancers and dance supporters celebrated with the company, and community participation is an integral part of the work’s development. Over the coming months Mr. Bettmann and members of the company are offering community dance workshops to hear community voices on these issues. Day Eight is running an online fundraising campaign for Bettmann Dances Quis Custodiet project on Kickstarter.com to raise the funds necessary to complete the project. That campaign will begin the first week of August.

Bettmann Dances first evening length performance – All Good Men – premiered in 2009 at the Capital Fringe Festival. A dance theater adaptation of a Dylan Thomas film-script, All Good Men was hailed in The Examiner as “an example of artistic craftsmanship,” and by audience members as “a vibrant multi-media dance exploration” on the theme of social responsibility.

For Quis Custodiet, choreographer Bettmann is teaming with an accomplished group of collaborators. Renowned glass and video artist Tim Tate (founder of the Washington Glass School) is working with multi-media artist Chanan Delivuk (professor at GW University) to create the video/set design for the project, and Ginger Carlin (founder of Booshie Design) is creating costumes.

The company will premiere the first section of Quis Custodiet in a showcase performance with DanceEthos at Joe’s Movement Emporium on Saturday November 20th. For more information visit http://www.dayeight.org, and http://www.dayeight.org/bettmanndances.

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To download a pdf of the release, click here.

Your $5 donation at the door gets you $2 beer and $3 drink specials all night. Please grab a friend and show your support for local dance at its best by joining us Friday July 9th. Don’t forget… to grab a raffle ticket at the door to be in the running for awesome door prizes (dance class cards, t-shirts, poetry books, dvds, and more!)

Under the direction of choreographer Robert Bettmann, Bettmann Dances is quickly earning a reputation for bringing music, dance and design together in ways that entertain and stimulate the brain as much as the senses.

We won’t be performing at this event. This is chance to celebrate what’s to come, and help us raise the money we need for the project. “QUIS” will be developed and presented in stages over the next year. We’ll show the first section Saturday, November 20th at Joe’s Movement Emporium in Mt. Rainer, MD. We’ll show the second (of three) sections Friday, May 13th at Woolly Mammoth Theater. The Artistic team for Quis Custodiet includes artists Tim Tate (video) and Chanan Delivuk (video), and Ginger Carlin/Booshie Design (costumes.)

Guest Bartenders:
Sarah Browning (Poet and Split this Rock Festival Organizer)
George Koch (Artist and Artomatic founder)

Hope to C U THERE! Keep on dancin’ til then.

Robert Bettmann and Bettmann Dances company members  will be teaching FREE two hour dance workshops around DC over the summer and fall.

Artistic Director Robert Bettmann writes, “In teaching this type of workshop I’ve seen that many people find immense satisfaction in creating motion, and moving, and I’m happy to be able to support that experience. In the workshops I and my dancers will help participants find motion as part of their personal expression.” The workshops are offered within development of the company’s new evening length work. Every individual embodies their life in motion, and in that motion is an expressive vocabulary that contains their personal point of view.

In company rehearsals following the workshops, Bettmann Dances will explore the vocabulary made by workshop participants. Some workshops participants may be offered opportunity to perform in the premiere of the piece, Summer 2011. The work, titled Quis Custodiet, is about power, and the ways that personal “sides” color vision, and even sight.

If you are interested in booking a workshop, or know someone who might be, or have any additional questions,  please contact Artistic Director Robert Bettmann at rob@dayeight.org. These workshops are most effective with between 5 and 20 participants. Workshops are appropriate for all ages, and all levels of movement experience. No prior dance experience required.