This will be an opportunity to meet Koplowitz, see examples of his work, explore the world of site-specific performance and learn about its community impact. The focus of this conversation will be centered on “Mill Town,” a performance installation inspired by the history, geography and culture of Lewiston-Auburn, that will feature dance, original music, video, historical artifacts and incorporating over 60 professional and local performers. The Bates Dance Festival is commissioning and presenting this work at the Bates Mill Complex in early August, in partnership with several community partners including Platz Associates and Museum L-A.

Koplowitz is a director/choreographer/media artist known for his work on stage, film and site. Since 1984 he has created 87 works both here and abroad and is the recipient of the Alpert Award in the Arts, Guggenheim Fellowship, a Bessie Award and choreography fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts. As a long-time educator, he recently completed 10 years as a dean at the California Institute of the Arts and has been a featured artist-teacher at the Bates Dance Festival six times since 1992.

During that same week in January, Koplowitz is serving as a visiting artist/scholar at Bates College teaching master classes and presenting lectures about collaborative creative processes, site-specific work, and the community impact of place based art performances.

For additional information on the January 24th forum, contact the LPL Adult/Teen Services Desk at 513-3135 or [email protected]. For details on the Bates Dance Festival’s “Mill Town,” project, email them at [email protected]