What do you get when you mix dance, theater, spectacular costumes, lush music, and larger-than-life puppets inspired by nature’s four seasons? You get something like MOMIX’s Botanica.
Set to a score ranging from birdsong to Vivaldi, Botanica features the imagination and puppetry skills of Michael Curry, co-creator of the puppets in Broadway’s award-winning The Lion King. Billed as “dance illusionists,” MOMIX is not your standard-issue dance company.
Photo by Max Pucciarriello.
If your kids have never been to a dance performance, or have complained their way through a traditional ballet, this show could make a great hook into the medium of dance.
“It’s really accessible dancing, not terribly abstract,” says Michelle M. Witt, executive director of the University of Washington’s Meany Hall and artistic director of the UW World Series, bringing international music, theater and dance artists to campus. “It shows high-caliber dance with a theatrical element.”
Photo by Don Perdue.
Botanica is the first in a series of three family matinee performances being launched for the first time at Meany Hall. As a mother of a 6-year-old daughter, Witt says she saw a gap in the hall’s offerings when she took on her post two and a half years ago. While the university performance center has long offered matinee performances during the week and done outreach to schools, “as far as a parent wanting to come with their children, we didn’t have any specifically for children and families.”
“What I wanted to see first and foremost was programming appropriate for kids at a time of day when kids could come with their parents and not be tired and rushed during the week,” says Witt. “We want to help foster a culture of families going to performances together. These are formative experiences that lead to a life enriched by performing arts and cultural activities. Families should feel very comfortable bringing their children to anything we do.”
The 2 p.m. family matinee shows are identical to the evening performances: Kids can find out the tricks behind some of MOMIX’s illusions in a Q&A session following the Nov. 2 show. In the future, there may be specific artists just for families or shorter versions of evening performances. The family matinee series is recommended for children ages 7 and older; children age 5 and younger are not admitted (this policy may change in the future). Booster seats are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Cookies, brownies, hot cocoa and other treats are on offer.
In addition to MOMIX’s Botanica, which runs 90 minutes with no intermission, the other performances are Circa, an Australian cirque group, and the Grammy Award-winning Soweto Gospel Choir.
“There’s a really nice balance in this series,” Witt says. “The performances are all very accessible and engaging and represent a variety of disciplines.”
Circa is decidedly not Ringling Brothers. “It’s a more sophisticated and contemporary circus, but combines incredible daredevil and physical work that will really draw kids in,” Witt says. “It’s a connection between circus and dance.” Circa was a popular draw at Seattle’s now-defunct Giant Magnet festival (formerly the Seattle International Children’s Festival). Circa’s March 23 family matinee runs 75 minutes with no intermission.
Soweto Gospel Choir is a 30-member ensemble – clad in vibrant costumes – that sings tribal, traditional and popular African and Western gospel music in both English and tribal languages. The April 12 family matinee runs 90 minutes with one intermission.
Witt also notes that Meany Hall offers free tickets for classical music performances – renowned pianist André Watts plays April 15 – to children or youth ages 17 and younger (two free youth tickets per adult ticket purchased).
Bonus: Parking is free in the Central Parking Garage below Meany Hall if you park after noon on Saturdays.
