The Modern American Dance Company has survived 35 years in the local arts scene, and it’s celebrating with a party. MADCO (314-341-5407, madcodance.com), beloved for its playfully athletic style and parodic ballets like Madcracker, performs its anniversary show March 30 and 31 at the Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center.
“It will be a night of choreographers who have played a significant role in our history, and new pieces, too,” says MADCO executive and artistic director Stacy West.
The show will include co-founder Alcine Wiltz’s Crimson Momentum, as well as a piece from co-founder Ross Winter, who died in a car accident in 1994. “He was known for his humorous work, but one of my favorite pieces by him is a serious work called Other Realities,” says West. Finally, there will be a piece from former MADCO and MOMIX dancer Joseph Mills titled Getting Lucky: Secret Moments in the Natural World. (In other words, says West, “it’s about the mating habits of animals.”)
Does MADCO have difficulty finding new audiences after all these years? “Yes, but one of the things about MADCO is, we’re really known for audience appeal,” says West. “People may roll their eyes and think dance is weird, but those same people—especially men—find me in the lobby after the show and say, ‘My wife dragged me here, but, wow, I thought it was great!’”
