We’re thrilled to welcome dance artist Omari Wiles to campus, thanks to the winning Rothrock Residency proposal by Brys Peralta-Grant ’25.

MONDAY, APRIL 17, 2023

• Vogue Fem with Omari Wiles
  7:00 PM ET
  Mahaney Arts Center Dance Theatre
  
  Join Omari Wiles for a beginner-level breakdown of the Five Elements of Vogue Fem: Hand/Arm Performance, Catwalk, Duckwalk, Spins & Dips, and Floor Performance. Learn exercises and techniques to help you better develop your performance quality and usage of Elements and personality. Class is led with a warmup and stretch before taking the Elements across the floor! A Student-supported Rothrock Residency event.
  
  Free, Open to the Public.

THURSDAY, APRIL 20, 2023

Artist Talk with Omari Wiles
5:00–6:00 PM
Mahaney Arts Center Dance Theatre

Come and Listen to New York-based Dancer and Choreographer Omari Wiles as he shares his Dance journey and experience in the Ballroom community.

Wiles began his training in West African dance as a child, and himself learning, training and falling in love with other styles such as Hip-Hop, House, Modern, Jazz, and Vogue. Wiles has had the opportunity to work with many artists, featuring his range of dance. His choreography has been featured with Janet Jackson, Beyoncé, John Legend, Jidenna, and Rashaad Newsome, Lady Gaga, Madonna, and many more. Wiles also appeared with his house as a contestant on Legendary Season 2 on HBOMax.

Wiles is now evolving his own style of dance with his company LES BALLET AFRIK, blending African, Vogue, Modern, and House as one. Sponsored by the Rothrock Family Residency Fund.
Free. Open to the Public.

FRIDAY, APRIL 21, 2023

Showcase featuring Omari Wiles
7:30 PM
Mahaney Arts Center Dance Theatre

Ousmane Omari Wiles is an African American West African and Vogue dancer, who has performed at the Joyce Theater, Harlem Stage, Gibney Dance, and with Works and Process at the Guggenheim, and Lincoln Center.

For the culminating event of his Rothrock Residency, Omari Wiles and students will be exhibiting choreography worked on across the week of his residency, as well as Wiles’ own work.

A student-supported Rothrock Residency event.
Free. Open to the Public.

View Omari’s dance film “Our Name, Our Legacy” on AllArts.org

I hope you will enjoy the following two videos to help build context for the Sophie Shao and Friends performance on Friday, April 21. I thank Scott Yoo and Rebecca Mitchell for their efforts to make these videos available to our audience. Cheers! –Allison, PAS Director

For this year’s “friends” performance, Sophie has invited violinist Scott Yoo and pianist John Novacek. This trio had the opportunity to perform together previously on PBS’s Now Hear This—hosted by Scott Yoo—in an episode entitled “New American Voices.” In the episode, the trio performs an excerpt from Reena Esmail’s Piano Trio—which they’ll perform in Middlebury—and in the below clip, Scott speaks with the composer about her musical influences. Many thanks to Scott, for working with PBS to provide access to this excerpt for our audience.

Last year, as I was planning this season, I asked Sophie to consider adding Rachmaninoff to the program as this month celebrates the composer’s 150th birthday. So, I was thrilled to learn I was not alone on campus in looking forward to the Rachmaninoff 150, as Middlebury Associate Professor of History and PASS member Rebecca Mitchell has written an acclaimed book entitled “Sergei Rachmaninoff (Critical Lives)” and recently given a virtual talk on Rachmaninoff as part of Kirill Gerstein’s Kronberg Academy Series. Many thanks to Rebecca for sharing her full talk and discussion with Kirill here for our audience.