The University of Iowa Department of Dance is pleased to present an MFA thesis concert, “The Remedy: A MOVEment MoveMENT,” featuring the work of Duane Lee Holland Jr. and Maurice Watson, at 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, April 16-18, in Space Place Theater (101 North Hall, UI campus).

This performance will feature the following thesis works:

• Saved, by Becoming a Slave to the Rhythm! by Duane Lee Holland Jr.
• We Were Here by Maurice Watson

Tickets are $12 ($6 for seniors, college students, and youth 17 and younger; free for UI students with valid ID) and are available through the Hancher Box Office.

Holland Jr. began his career at 12 years old, as a gymnast on the Jr. National Olympic U.S. Team. At the age of 17, he began dancing professionally, as a founding member of Rennie Harris Puremovement (RHPM), the first theater hip-hop dance company. While performing with RHPM, he also taught at Broadway Dance Center, MIT, Stanford University, Jacobs Pillow, University of Utah, UCLA, Monte Carlo Ballet Company, Pennsylvania Ballet Company, Philadanco, and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. He has danced with Ronald K. Brown/Evidence, Peter DiMuro’s Public Displays of Motion, and Kun-Yang Lin Dancers, among others.

Holland Jr. was also an original Broadway cast member of The Lion King and assistant choreographer and dance captain for the Broadway hit Hot Feet. He has performed in videos with Will Smith and Jill Scott. Holland Jr. is pursuing a Master of Fine Arts degree in choreography at the University of Iowa and will graduate May 2015.

Watson hails from Long Beach, California, where he started dancing at Jordan Performing Arts High School. He later went on to receive scholarships to Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, Dance Theatre of Harlem, and the EDGE Performing Arts Center in Los Angeles. Here is where he gained clarity, reliability, and the responsibility toward the promotion of dance as an art form. His amazing technical abilities and strong sense of artistry has allowed him to dance and perform with world-class companies such as Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble, Lula Washington Dance Theatre, Disney, and Holland America Cruise Line.

Watson graced not only the stage but has been seen on television, industrial shows, commercials, and feature films. His choreography has been seen on Dayton Contemporary Dance first and second company, 7Dancers Dance Company, Jazz Antiqua Dance and Music Ensemble, and universities and dance studios throughout Los Angeles. Watson is working toward a Masters of Fine Arts in dance at the University of Iowa, on an Iowa Grant Fellowship to continue his studies in choreography and dance performance at the collegiate level.

Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all UI-sponsored events. If you are a person with a disability who requires a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in this program, contact the Hancher Box Office in advance at 319-335-1158.