Promotional Imagery for Climb
Image courtesy of MamLuft&Co. Dance

MamLuft&Co. Dance, Greater Cincinnati's treasured modern dance company, has been bringing inventive and thought-provoking performances to the area since 2007. They meet an important need for an arts organization that pushes the dance medium forward in our region. Their performances have been called “exceptional moments in dance” and “enlightening” by the Cincinnati Enquirer. In 2018, they aim to climb higher.

MamLuft&Co.'s 11th season will feature two works for which the company was awarded a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. The first is "Climb," which will premiere at the Aronoff Center for the Arts on January 5 & 6. The second, "Ice Man 3000," premieres in partnership with the Contemporary Arts Center in May, 2018.

MamLuft&Co. Dance's founder and Artistic Director Jeanne Mam-Luft says, "We couldn't be more thrilled. This kind of funding supports MamLuft&Co. Dance's passion and purpose to not only keep modern dance alive in Cincinnati, but to make original work here." NEA funding for "Climb" joins the support of ArtsWave (fueled by the generosity of more than 40,000 contributors to the ArtsWave Community Campaign), The Ohio Arts Council and a grant from the Greater Cincinnati Foundation Aronoff Center Rental Subsidy Fund.

"Climb" was choreographed by MamLuft&Co. Dance company member and resident choreographer, Elena Rodriguez Moore. Moore, the bi-racial daughter of a Colombian immigrant, tells a story inspired by her father's difficulties surmounting the obstacles that come with opportunities in America, paralleled by her own struggle to connect to her father's heritage while staying "American."

Choreographer Elena Rodriguez Moore
Image courtesy of MamLuft&Co. Dance

Elena Rodriguez Moore has always felt disconnected from her ethnicity and "never really lived or experienced the culture." Moore's father came to U.S. in the 1970s and, because of conflict in Colombia, was never able to bring his family back to visit. Moore was unable to form a sense of connection to the culture, remaining unaware of Colombia's history, traditions and food. Moore says, "I have a hard time identifying as Hispanic or Latina...I have felt sad, resentful and annoyed that I was not exposed to my father's culture. I sometimes wonder how different my life would be if I had shared those things with my father."

"Climb" mirrors Moore's experience and her father's. In the work, a man leaves his native country in search of greater opportunity. He encounters obstacles, but also finds love and starts a family. He climbs for success, stability, and acceptance. His daughter climbs to connect to her father’s heritage without turning her back on the world she calls home.

For more information on the performance, please visit ArtsWave Guide. Performances occur on Friday and Saturday, January 5 and 6, 2018 at 8 p.m. in the Aronoff Center's Jarson-Kaplan Theater. Free post-performance talk-backs with the artists are offered both evenings. The talk-back on January 5 will include Spanish translation, and the one on January 6 will have an American Sign Language interpreter.

MamLuft&Co. Dance's mission is to bring more modern dance to more people in Cincinnati and beyond. The organization brings innovative, palpable, and accessible dance to thousands each year through education, outreach, and performance. Visit mlco.org for more information.