The contemporary dance company Lehrer Dance will perform at Hope College on Friday and Saturday, Jan. 22-23, at 8 p.m. at the Knickerbocker Theatre in downtown Holland.
Based in Buffalo, N.Y., the company is under the direction of Jon Lehrer. Lehrer Dance showcases Lehrer's unique choreography, which reflects an extensive background in both modern and jazz dance.
In its review, "Dance Magazine" noted, "Jon Lehrer's strikingly original choreography transformed the stage into an energy field of super-charged particles."
Lehrer Dance's performances will come at the end of a week-long residency with the department of dance at Hope College. During the residency the company will offer various master classes for Hope dance students, plus teach students at Zeeland High School and community members through the Holland Area Arts Council.
Lehrer, who was raised in Queens, N.Y., took his first dance class at age 19 on a dare. He has been a member of Passafiume Dancers, Erick Hawkins Dance Company, and Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago (GJDC). After dancing with GJDC for five years, he became the company's associate director.
In addition to his works on GJDC, Lehrer has choreographed for several dance companies in Chicago and around the world, including Thodos Dance Chicago; Instruments of Movement; Momenta Dance Theatre; Le Jazz Groupe from Monterrey, Mexico; and Kannon Dance of St. Petersburg, Russia. He founded Lehrer Dance in 2007, and the company performed at HopeCollege in 2008.
Tickets for the performance are on sale at the ticket office in the main lobby of the DeVos Fieldhouse, and cost $7 for regular admission and $5 for students and senior citizens. The ticket office is open weekdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and can be called at (616) 395-7890.
The DeVos Fieldhouse is located at 222 Fairbanks Ave., between Ninth and 11th streets. The Knickerbocker Theatre is located at 86 E. Eighth St.