Miro Through the Lens

Thu., Aug. 28, 6:30-8:30 p.m., free, Miro Dance Theatre, Girard College, 2101 S. College Ave., mirodancetheatre.org.

MULTIMEDIA/PERFORMANCE ART

Don't wait around for a velvet curtain to part at Miro Dance Theatre's Open Studio next Thursday night. "Through the Lens," a behind-the-scenes peek at the video work of artist Tobin Rothlein, features filmed dance performances that leave the traditional proscenium stage in the dust. In Rothlein's Swan, for instance, two dancers move through a crumbling abandoned warehouse. Says Amanda Miller, one of the dancers in the piece (and Miro's co-artistic director), "We have returned to the idea of creating a work specifically for the camera, one that does not need the stage to exist."

Rothlein crafts documentary, narrative and performance pieces that focus on the human body in motion, adapting older works and collaborating on new projects that speak to the struggles of contemporary life. An example is 1997's Song of the Body, which deals with the impact of AIDS on the dance community. Other works to be screened include the recent dance-theater piece Civilian/Warrior and Rothlein's early projects with Philadelphia-based Phrenic New Ballet. Following the screening, Rothlein's friend, award-winning producer/director Maria Teresa Rodríguez, will lead a discussion with the audience.

Thu., Aug. 28, 6:30-8:30 p.m., free, Miro Dance Theatre, Girard College, 2101 S. College Ave., mirodancetheatre.org.