First Three Groups Advance in DanceMKE

DanceMKE 2017

Fans came out to Peck Pavilion Tuesday night for the first night of the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts 2017 DanceMKE competition. The multi-week contest is part of Live at Peck summer programming series.

The Brookfield Center For The Arts, SueMO Dance Company and Nate Ramos have advanced to the August 22rd finals. See their performances and learn more about the groups below.

Want to help pick the next group of winners? Join the fun at 7:00 p.m. on August 8th and 15th at the Peck Pavilion at the Macus Center (929 N. Water St.). The events are free to attend.

Twenty groups of talented dancers from all backgrounds and disciplines will compete for nine spots in the finals. Come down and be amazed by these talented Milwaukee dancers as they compete for cash prizes and Danceworks scholarships, and bragging rights. There will be a little something for everyone with dance styles including: contemporary, Mexican folklore, hip-hop, American Tribal Belly Dance, lyrical, salsa, contemporary fusion, ballroom and tap.

For more information on the DanceMKE schedule and all of the free Live at Peck events visit http://www.marcuscenter.org

Brookfield Center For The Arts

With DanceMKE – What are you hoping to get from this experience?

From Dance MKE we were hoping to be exposed to the dance community outside of the studio dance competition circuit. Last summer Dance MKE put itself on the map as an exciting opportunity to experience performances from dancers from many different backgrounds and we wanted to be a part of that.

Why do you love to dance?

We love dance because it gives us an outlet to express our emotions and artistry. We love the athleticism and beauty in the movement that dance brings. We also love the feeling we get when we perform in front of a live audience.

What is one unique characteristic about your group?

Something unique about our group is that at our studio we usually perform with completely different teams than you saw in this piece. At BCA we are each placed on teams by age and so for this performance we all came together to create one group with a common passion to develop a deeper understanding of contemporary movement.

What is your favorite thing about your dance you performed?

The dance we performed titled Hyperballad by Bjork is an exciting piece for us to perform because it pushes us out of our comfort zone of movement. We challenged ourselves to work on the importance of performance and storytelling. We worked hard to not just give a standard contemporary performance but to incorporate elements of ballet, hip hop, and acro, hoping this would give a more complete experience to the audience.

SueMO Dance Company

With DanceMKE- what are you hoping to get from this experience?

We’re hoping to gain more awareness to our group and that were seen by the presenters for The Marcus Center.

Why do you love to dance?

Dance is the best way to express yourself. No matter how you feel.

What is one unique characteristic about your group?

We’re diverse group of people and dancers.

Nate Ramos

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With DanceMKE – What are you hoping to get from this experience?

As an artist this is my first time ever competing solo. I’m hoping to grow as a performer, becoming more comfortable on stage alone entertaining a crowd start to finish. I’m also hoping to make connections and meet more talented and passionate people all around the city. You never know where new relationships may lead you.

Why do you love to dance?

I love to dance because it’s my safe place. You can dance with any emotion, any thought, any obstacle, any triumph, any failure, any accomplishment. Dance is limitless. There’s no ceiling. I love dance because I am dance. When I dance I feel like I make the sounds in the music. I’m obsessed with the ability to create and envision using only thoughts. Dance makes the impossible possible.

What is one unique characteristic about you?

One unique characteristic about me is that I’m fearless when I dance. I’m not afraid to get out of my comfort zone. I’m not afraid to try 110 percent at the things I’ve never done before. I’m not afraid to experiment and try new things. I’m just me. And to grow I must be myself with no insecurities.

What is your favorite thing about your dance you performed?

My favorite thing about my performance was that it was all over the place. There was choreography, freestyle, improv, a small skit, and story telling. I really wanted to be well rounded and show my versatility for the first round.

Past Coverage

• DanceMKE Returns – August 4th, 2017