Exit 12 Dance Company to Perform HOMECOMING This Saturday Aboard the Intrepid

This Saturday, May 28th, in honor of Memorial Day and Fleet Week, Roman Baca’s dance company, Exit 12, will perform his work, Homecoming, aboard the Intrepid. Homecoming depicts an officer’s return home after fighting in the Iraq war. Baca, a former U.S. Marine, based the choreography on his own experiences.

I know Baca through the internet but have never seen his work performed before – his company is based in Connecticut and I haven’t been able to make it up there. So this is pretty exciting. Also, famous freelance ballerina (and my friend 🙂 ) Taylor Gordon, will be dancing. The performance, which begins at 11:30 a.m., costs nothing, but you must buy a ticket to the Intrepid museum to be admitted. Click on the link below for the full press release, containing all the deets.

EXIT 12 DANCE COMPANY BOARDS THE INTREPID AIR & SPACE MUSEUM

Military-Themed Performance Commemorates Fleet Week

New York, May 28, 2011 – Exit 12 Dance Company, a New York troupe of dancers and military veterans, will pay tribute to Memorial Day on Saturday May 28th with two performances of its signature work “Homecoming” aboard The Intrepid Air & Space Museum in New York Harbor at 11:30am. The ballet, choreographed by Artistic Director and former US Marine Roman Baca, is set to letters to and from Iraq and Afghanistan.

The performance honors those who have paid the ultimate price for freedom and occurs during NYC’s annual Fleet Week, May 25th – 30th, 2011. “Homecoming” focuses on the families affected by the war, both at home and far away.

“I started choreographing as a way to return to civilian life after serving a combat role as a Marine in Fallujah, Iraq,” says Baca. Committed to the healing power of art, the company’s work has garnered acclaim for its portrayal of the rigors of war through dance. “It is an honor to present our work on the Intrepid, a floating symbol to the sacrifices of our military.”

Tickets are available through admission to The Intrepid Air & Space Museum at www.tickets.intrepidmuseum.org. General admission: $22. Students and Seniors: $18. Veterans: $15. Retired Military and Active Duty: Free.

The cast of “Homecoming” features dancers Adrienne Cousineau, Lisa Fitzgerald, Taylor Gordon, Michael Wright and other Exit 12 artists.

Exit 12 is a New York City company of dancers and military veterans that performs cutting edge contemporary and classical ballet centered around critical issues and military themes. Under the artistic leadership of former US Marine Roman Baca, the company strives to educate audiences about important social issues, cultural awareness and diplomacy, and the importance of arts in education. Since its inception in 2007, Exit 12 has performed at Dance Theatre Workshop, Performance Space 122, The Byrdcliffe Theatre, St. Joseph’s College, Lincoln Center, and The Ailey Citigroup Theater. “We pride ourselves in being a close-knit company full of real people, dealing with real issues, real feelings, and movement that speaks.”

Roman Baca enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in early 2000. Deployed to Fallujah, Iraq, Sgt. Baca continued to seek opportunities for his art form and co-founded Exit 12 Dance Company in 2007. He danced with the Nutmeg Ballet and New Mexico Ballet Company. He was the recipient of a 2009 producing and presenting grant from Ajkun Ballet Theatre, a 2010 Access DanceUSA Scholarhsip from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and DanceNYC, and the Connecticut Wartime Veterans Medal. He has been featured on NPR, Reuters, Pointe Magazine, and American Public Media.  In 2010 Roman’s military themed holiday ballet, A Soldier’s Nutcracker, was performed for disabled and low-income children and collected a room-full of toys for the Marine Toys for Tots charity.

Website: exit12danceco.com

Blog: exit12danceco.com/Ballet_to_Bullets_and_Back

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