Madison Contemporary Dance to open ‘The Gratitude Project’

After a few hard years, Sara Rohs, artistic director of Madison Contemporary Dance, wanted to create an experience that focused on something more positive: gratitude.

“Life has been so crazy and hectic for so many people, and I think recently I can just feel that busyness and that sense of nervousness,” Rohs said. “I think everyone needs joy, and I wanted an experience for my dancers that was joyful too.”

On Saturday, The Gratitude Project will hit the big stage at the Overture Center. The show is a collaborative effort between Madison Contemporary Dance and the Hitterz Collective, a local street-style dance organization.

“This is what it can look like when we come together and accept each other’s differences,” said dance artist Papa-Kobina Brewoo, founder of the Hitterz Collective.

Audiences can see a variety of different styles on stage, from ballet and modern dance to hip-hop and break dancing. Most of the choreography for the show was created by dancers from both Madison Contemporary Dance and the Hitterz Collective.

“This has been a really exciting and unique adventure in learning to work together,” Rohs said. “I love going to rehearsal because I always get to learn from all these amazing people who have such different backgrounds.”

The theme of gratitude will be interpreted through dance in a number of ways.

“Each choreographer creates a piece based off of their gratitude towards something in their life, and the dancers interpret that gratitude in the piece and make it their own,” said Michelle Strohm, company member of Madison Contemporary Dance. “One gratitude project was about the gratitude of having time with the family member that they don’t have anymore, and another one was about gratitude for the senses.”

Madison Contemporary Dance and the Hitterz Collective have collaborated in the past, but this time dancers were encouraged to merge their dance backgrounds and even teach one another their respective styles.

Brewoo founded the Hitterz Collective in 2014 as a way to provide teaching and performing opportunities to local hip-hop and street-style artists in Madison. As a performer and dance educator, Brewoo has noticed a divide between “studio dancers” who typically train in styles such as ballet, modern, jazz, and “street-style” dancers who pursue styles such as break dancing, krumping and house dance. Collaborations such as “The Gratitude Project” are crucial in helping bridge that divide.

“There’s not much of a full understanding of the history, essence and culture of hip-hop, house and popping, because it’s just not really taught in studio environments,” Brewoo said. “This season, we’ve pushed the initiative of really trying to learn from each other more.”

The exploration of so many different styles and techniques has led to a one-of-a-kind dance experience for audiences, Michelle Strohm said.

“There’s some really magical moments in the dances. There’s partnering and lifting, and it’s just so cool to see it come to life,” Strohm said.

Brewoo is hopeful that attendees are able to pick up on the theme of gratitude through not just the choreography but in witnessing the camaraderie among the dancers on stage.

“When we really come together, we can create something beautiful,” Brewoo said. “You can tell how close we’ve gotten, and there’s so much gratitude in that.”