dance

Launched in January, 7Dance Co. has hit the ground running, having already staged 15 shows in Philly, New York and Seattle, all of which showcase the group's special interest in combining human gesture with other media. "Our vision is to create dances that are athletic and focused on movement and the adrenaline rush of dance, but at the same time we have a huge interest in technology," says Susan Bienczycka, 7D's manager, who is also a member of the dance corps. "We're working to be at the point where dance and the technology are really interactive … so that they actually affect one another."

For instance, they're experimenting with a computer program where dancers' movements, performed before a camera, directly affect stage lighting and music. Early fruits of 7D's explorations can be seen at the Community Education Center, where they present three works on a shared bill with Green Chair Dance Group. 7D's selections include "Seven" by Gabriel Bienczycki, which his wife, Susan, says "shows off the complexity between our natural bent toward everything being balanced and the interesting tension of being off-balance and asymmetrical; it's the odd and even juxtaposed together." Meanwhile Gabriel's "Journey" plays with ways of presenting nonlinear narration. As he notes, "It's kind of research into how you can tell a story with all these technologies available."

7Dance Co. with Green Chair Dance Group, Fri.-Sat., Aug. 26-27, $10-$15, Community Education Center, 3500 Lancaster Ave., 215-739-5545, www.sevendance.org.