Mathew Janczewski of ARENA Dances's Friends

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Mathew Janczewski

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In developing new dance works, Janczewski begins with inspiration for a theme and begins developing with the dancers a movement vocabulary. In cases where other artists are involved, early concept discussions occur among the creative team and collaborators view preliminary movement ideas, with dance influencing other production concepts and vice versa. Over the past several years there has been a specific effort to open up the process to draw on numerous influences, including public feedback to works in development.

ARENA attracts a committed group of dancers who’ve worked with many top local companies. Collaborations have become increasingly important to ARENA Dances. Working with other artists (directors, playwrights, composers, musicians, and designers—as well as a variety of dancers) has helped Janczewski to gain new perspectives on the work and challenged the company to explore new directions and ways of working. It has also supported an organic development process that lends the movement greater authenticity, immediacy, and a raw honesty. Based on positive results the company’s standard approach has become more collaborative, whether in dialogue between the choreographer and the company of dancers or through ongoing discussions between the company and other participating artists.

ARENA’s dance company includes nine dancers (in addition to the artistic director) who hail from communities locally and nationally. The current group includes five women and four men who have individually won numerous awards and recognition. They are trained in a variety of styles such as ballet, jazz, modern, and tap. Along with receiving formal dance educations, all have worked with nationally recognized artists and acclaimed local and national groups such as Zenon, Flying Foot Forum, Stuart Pimsler, Duarte Dance Works, Dancing People Company, Black Label Movement, Doug Varone, Metropolitan Ballet, and Live Action Set. ARENA’s primary audience is local, but a regional, national and international audience is reached. Of ARENA’s mailing list of approximately 3,500 names, roughly 500 regularly attend local performances. The company offers student and senior discounts and routinely makes free tickets available to low-income individuals through social service agencies like Project Success, Clare House, and the Minnesota AIDS Project.

The primary audience that ARENA serves through its programs is diverse in age, gender, and income. Though predominantly white, the audience displays a range of racial and ethnic backgrounds and includes a sizeable number of GLBT individuals. The company attracts dance enthusiasts and an audience that skews young due to Janczewski’s work as a dance teacher. ARENA engages dance artists who represent a variety of styles and genres. Many seek to work with the company due to the artistic quality of the work and the experiences it affords. In more recent years, ARENA has pursued an interest in interdisciplinary collaborations with theater artists (directors and playwrights), musicians, composers, and video artists, drawing audiences from across several art forms.

ARENA Dances celebrates its 13th season in 2008-2009. ARENA plans an ambitious season, including a concert of works from the company’s repertory (with several premieres), performing live with the “rock star” sting quartet ETHEL with Dancin’ with Ethel, October 23-26, 2008 at the Southern Theater. On the heels of that performance ARENA flies to New York for its debut of UGLY at Joyce SoHo October 30-November 2, 2008. ARENA will end its season with Pop at The Lab May 14-17, 2009, which will include a remount of the musical landscapes of Bjork in resonance and the premiere of a new octet to the mixes of DJ Alexander East.

2009 has an increase in touring for ARENA as well; taking its show on the road, to Pennsylvania and Michigan, with a variety of repertory including Quartet, Plastic Language excerpts, Open Eyes duet, men’s duet from Ugly and several excerpts from resonance.

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