ADT’s Annual Dance Concert “Bring it Home,” June 23-24

The Adaptation Dance Theater’s upcoming annual dance concert, “Bring it Home” will take place on June 23 and 24, at Seabury Hall’s ʻAʻaliʻikuhonua Creative Arts Center.

ADT at Poli Poli. PC: Ajja DeShayne

ADT’s summer performance will feature a cast of local and guest artists that all have ties to Maui and will demonstrate the island’s homegrown talent in contemporary dance, and the transformative impact that professional dance theater can have on the greater arts community on Maui.

ADT presents “Bring it Home” each year as part of its mission to create professional opportunities for contemporary dancers on Maui.

In attendance will be guest choreographer and performer Ali McKeon, who grew up dancing at Maui Academy of Performing Arts. McKeon graduated from Baldwin High School and received her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees at Stanford University and University of California, Irvine, respectively. While in school, she was able to continue her dance training, which led her to a position with Menlowe Ballet in California. McKeon also founded her own dance company, Ali McKeon Dance Project, based in the Bay Area.

“I am thrilled that ADT is thriving and providing opportunities for artists like myself, who feel such a strong pull to the islands, to share our professional creative voices here,” said McKeon. “Maui continues to be a main source of inspiration for my personal and artistic growth within the dance field and so to premiere a new work on this company is extremely gratifying, as well as a powerful career milestone.”

Guest choreographer Nathaniel Hunt, a hānai son to the Maui dance community, will also be in attendance. Over the years, Hunt has created a bond with Maui’s dance schools as a performer, mentor, and guest teacher. Originally hailing from the East Coast, Hunt has traveled across the globe as a company member of Alvin Ailey II and is currently dancing with New York’s Ballet Hispánico.

Works by ADT resident choreographers Amelia Couture and Hallie Hunt will round out the 2017 “Bring it Home” program. All the dances have been choreographed on Maui, with the majority crafted in the three weeks prior to the performance.

“These pieces were very much made on the cast,” said Hunt. “Without these dancers present and working with the material we have given them, it would be totally different choreography. The piece is communal and stemming from the individual passion, heart, and uniqueness of the dancers”.

Opening Night on Friday, June 23, will include a lively reception beginning at 5:30 p.m. with complimentary refreshments, pupu, and music. The performance will begin at 7 p.m. and attendees will have the opportunity to mingle with the artists at the after party.

On Saturday, June 24, the performance will start at 7 p.m. with no reception or after party.

Opening Night tickets are $55 and attendees must be ages 21 and older. The Saturday performance is $25 for adults and $15 for keiki 12 and under.

Tickets and information on Bring it Home and other Adaptations Dance Theater programs can be found here.