Revolutions: Five Years of Collaboration

The Strand Ballroom & Theatre may not be the first place one expects to experience a cutting-edge blend of contemporary dance, live music, and artistic collaboration. But after a successful debut there last year, the downtown Providence venue once again becomes the stage for something special when Revolve Dance Project presents Revolutions: Five Years of Collaboration on Sunday, June 28, with performances at 2 pm and 6 pm.

Founded in 2020 by husband-and-wife artistic partners Kirsten Evans and Cameron MacIntosh, Revolve Dance Project has quickly established itself as one of Rhode Island’s most innovative performing arts companies. Its mission is simple but ambitious: to restore the organic relationship between music and dance by bringing choreographers, composers, dancers, and musicians together to create new work from the very beginning.

For Evans, a Rhode Island native who trained locally and spent 13 years performing with Festival Ballet, the idea grew out of a longtime desire to dance to live music. That vision expanded when she partnered with MacIntosh, a Juilliard School graduate and accomplished drummer whose career has included performances with Jazz at Lincoln Center, appearances in New York’s renowned music clubs, and Broadway productions. Together, they envisioned a company that would not only create immersive performances, but also strengthen Rhode Island’s arts landscape by bringing nationally recognized artists to local stages while developing ambitious new works right here in the Ocean State.

The anniversary production celebrates that vision with four world-premiere collaborations that move across contemporary dance, jazz, neoclassical music, Americana, and singer-songwriter traditions. The lineup includes guitarist and longtime Paul Simon band member Jim Oblon, Grammy Award-winning jazz pianist and composer Luther S. Allison, Welsh composer Katie Jenkins, and Brooklyn singer-songwriter Katie Martucci. Choreography will be provided by Emily Adams, Kurt Douglas, Danielle Diniz, and Lauren Flower.

The program will also feature one of classical ballet’s most treasured works, The Sleeping Beauty Pas de Deux, performed by artists Charlotte Nash and JP Simoens of Oregon Ballet Theatre. Presented alongside Revolve’s contemporary premieres, the piece creates a bridge between ballet’s rich traditions and the art form’s continued evolution. Revolve’s influence extends beyond the theater as well. Through its educational partnership with Metamorphosis Dance Company, the company has welcomed more than 100 students of varying ages, backgrounds, and abilities into affordable masterclasses with professional artists, as well provided complimentary tickets to performances.

“Revolve was created to reconnect music and dance in a meaningful way,” said Evans. “We wanted to create a process where artists could truly collaborate from the beginning and share that experience with Rhode Island audiences.”

Tickets for Revolutions: Five Years of Collaboration are available through Revolve Dance Project. Learn more at RevolveDanceProject.com.