Summary
IN 2004, Beth Corning left Minnesota, toting an international résumé as a performer and choreographer, and came to lead Pittsburgh's Dance Alloy Theater. When the Pittsburgh International Festival of Firsts rolled around that October, it took the newcomer by surprise. "I thought, 'This is really exciting,'" says Corning. "It's like, 'Whoa, check this out.'"
Others on the local scene agreed with Coming's assessment of the event, which was the first edition of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust's multi-week program of U.S. and world premieres by international artists. Quantum Theatre's Karla Boos, for instance, calls the 2004 Fest "extraordinary." Now the second Festival of Firsts is due to start Oct. 10, with artists from six nations offering seven performance works and a visual-art exhibit, none yet seen in the United States. And Corning says she's already buying tickets for Dance Alloy's own guest artists."Most towns don't get this [kind of showcase)," says Dance Alloy's Corning, who's actually worked with [Jo Str]ømgren Kompani's namesake founder. But while she hasn't heard of most of this year's Festival artists, "That's even better, for my part."See the full content of this document
Extract
Seconds On Festival of Firsts
IN 2004, Beth Corning left Minnesota, toting an international résumé as a performer and choreographer, and came to lead Pittsburgh's Dance Alloy Theater. When the Pittsburgh International Festival of Firsts rolled around that October, it took the newcomer by surp...
See the full content of this document
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