Dance Eclectic presents Fringe Dance Festival June 25-26 at Black Box Theatre

The Dance Eclectic of Las Cruces will present “Fringe Dance Festival: A showcase of Dance in the Borderland,” for two performances, Saturday-Sunday, June 25-26, at Black Box Theatre, 430 N. Main St. Performances are at 8 p.m. June 25 and 2:30 p.m. June 26.

Tickets are $15 regular admission and $12 for students and seniors (over age 65).

Reserve tickets by calling Black Box Theatre at 575-523-1223 to reserve your tickets or buy tickets online at http://no-strings.org/.

The festival is “a creative and collaborative dance showcase” that brings together pieces from shows the Dance Eclectic has performed during the past six years, including its most recent show, “The Ring Leader,” plus a preview of the company’s spring 2023 show, said Creative Director Morgan Rivera.

“These pieces highlight the diversity in our collective,” Rivera said.

A special piece created just for the festival will also be included, Rivera said, as her husband’s (Francisco Rivera) cousins, Brahm, Dhaveed and Mauro Woody, all of Albuquerque, have created an art piece for the show.

“Brahm and Dhaveed worked together to create a visual art piece,” Rivera said. “Mauro then took that painted image and created music to match.”

 Once both of those were finished, Rivera said she started the choreography for the piece. “This piece shows how art forms coincide with each other and create something beautiful.”

The idea for Fringe Dance Festival was originally started by Black Box Theater owner Ceil Herman, who wanted to have more dance performances in her theater, Rivera said.

“The Dance Eclectic seeks to provide opportunities for dancers of all skill levels, backgrounds and abilities, as well as individuals who are simply creative and want an outlet to dance and work collaboratively with others with similar passions,” she said. “The collaborative is primarily focused on crafting a single creative theatrical production once a year that explores a theme or narrative on which the members collectively agree. These productions are highly collaborative, with every member having a voice in their creation, by contributing original choreography, costuming and more.

“Ages and skill levels of the dancers in the collective vary greatly, with members in their teens, 20s and 30s,” Rivera said. “Some members have been dancing since the age of 3, some have college degrees in dance and some found their passion for dance only in the last few years.”

For more information, email Rivera at director@thedanceeclectic.com.

Visit www.thedanceeclectic.com.