Presenter Information
Enter the world of elegant dance and extraordinary music...
Company Description
Like a string quintet, the five dancers of Benita Bike's DanceArt perform with uncommon sensitivity to one another, bringing intense beauty and vibrancy to each delicately crafted, expressive movement. The company's work is known for its elegant performance, dramatic use of space and gesture to make sensitive observations on life. Benita Bike's choreography stands at the crossroads of past and present, blending the music and sensibilities of the past with evocative contemporary movement. For 40 years this company has performed near and far – from the California coast to New England and abroad – bringing concert dance and unique interactive outreach performances to audiences large and small.
Touring Experience
Benita Bike's DanceArt has performed in France with Compagnie Diagonal' Danse and in Poland at the International Serge Diaghilev Competition of Choreographic Art. The Company enjoyed three residencies at the Oldham County Schools Arts Center near Louisville, Kentucky, and in 2016, DanceArt completed a residency at St. Lawrence University. The Company's work has been toured in western Canada by Dancestreams, a pre-professional ballet company, and DanceArt has been produced in concert by Whittier College, Yavapai College, Mt. San Antonio College, The Fountain Theatre (at LATC), Brand Library and Art Galleries, Bradford College, Long Beach City College, the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, The Newton Arts Center, Branigan Cultural Center, among others.
"I am delighted to recommend Benita Bike's DanceArt as a uniquely qualified organization for residency work…Benita Bike and the members of the troupe exhibited the rare combination of being truly gifted educators and performers. In my experience, most organizations only excel in one area or the other."
– Alvin MacWilliams, Exec. Director, Oldham County Arts Center, KY
Funding History
Benita Bike’s DanceArt has received decades of support from the City of Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Department and the Los Angeles County Arts Commission, along with support from various cities, colleges, libraries and art centers both in New England and in Los Angeles. In the 2021-22 season, the Company is supported in part by grants from the County of Los Angeles, the City of Los Angeles, Culver City's Performing Arts Grant Program/Sony Pictures Entertainment, and the State of California Small Business COVID-19 Relief Grant. Benita is a Massachusetts Artists Foundation Choreographic Fellowship recipient and a former Artist-in-residence at Massachusetts College of Art. In addition, she has received two ARC grants from the Center for Cultural Innovation.
"If Georgia O'Keeffe's pastel landscapes were dances, they'd be the plains elegies of ...choreographer Benita Bike and her company, DanceArt. Sweeping and full of muscular femininity, her works take charge of the space and evoke the metaphysical power of ritual...."
– Los Angeles Times
Offerings
Concert performances
Interactive Outreach Programs
Master Classes
"The DanceArt Company waxed musical when it appeared at the Assistance League in Hollywood recently [4/10/10]. Its director, Benita Bike, is as interesting musically as she is visually in her choreography."
- Beverly Hills Outlook
Technical Requirements
Concert Performances
1) stage/studio with performing area appx. 22' x 28'
2) sprung wood floor with dance flooring
3) sound and light systems
4) minimum 10 hours technical rehearsal
Interactive Outreach Performances
1) clear floor space of appx. 22' x 28' for performers (ideally wood, but other surfaces can be considered)
2) additional floor space for audience
3) sound system
4) microphone if large space
5) minimum 2 hour technical set-up/rehearsal
Fees
Fees are negotiated depending on the specific requirements of the project.