Putting Together The Elements Of Modern Dance

     Think fast. If your preference tonight was to go see great modern dance, where would you end up? New York? Paris? The last place you would think to go is North East, Maryland. Christi Manion Janney is trying to change that by bringing high-quality, cutting-edge dance to Cecil County with her show “Storm”.

     Janney says she looked around for the opportunities out there for dancers from the area after they graduated from high school. She said, “Unless you are majoring in dance, there was nothing out there for you to keep dancing if you were over 18 (years old), and even then you might not perform.”

     So Janney, the veteran choreographer of numerous full-length dance productions formulated the plan to transform a passion into action with Eclipse Performing Dance Company. “Right now this is more a labor of love,” she said, “we don’t really have money or backing yet, but we have dancers.”

     Her resume is impressive. Janney has choreographed and taught dance for 14 years. She received extensive instruction at Goucher College, Towson University, the Koresh Dance Company in Philadelphia, PA, and with Finis Jhung in Gainesville, FL.

      Janney's teaching and choreography produced a loyal group of former students. When starting this project, she reached out to them to build the core that would become Eclipse PDC.

     One of those former students, and now company member, is Towson University freshman dance major Kaitlyn Glenn. “Eclipse is important for me because dancing at college I only have technique classes,” she said, “Coming from a studio where I did three performances a year, I want to keep performing.”

     The company is not comprised of all former students, but many are. In addition to Glenn, fifteen other women are working with Janney to bring her vision to life.

     “Storm” will be a stage show incorporating the four elements – air, fire, earth and water. And by incorporate, Janney intends to use, on stage live. “It will be intense, they will be dancing IN the elements.”

     The women of Eclipse PDC are in the first stages of building the show slated to open at Cecil College’s Milburn Stone Theater on July 27^th with a three-night run.

     Janney hopes to package up this show featuring local talent and take it on the road, but that opening night in July is the priority for Eclipse Performing Dance Company.

(NOTE: This is the first installment of Cecil Scene's coverage as the women of Eclipse Performing Dance Company put together their production of "Storm". We hope you follow along.)