The Modern Dance Awareness Society

The Modern Dance Awareness Society brings dance to the public in unexpected ways. In 1998, Despina Stamos and Wen-Shuan Yang began searching for different contexts and environments to dance. Ms. Stamos and Ms. Yang noticed that most people that they met outside of the insular world of the theater had little idea of what modern dance was or could be and that for many, it was an outdated form that had little relevance to their lives. Ms. Stamos and Ms. Yang decided to take up that challenge and create work that transpires in places that people inhabit in a more open way. In the theater, there are definite roles namely participant/performer vs. spectator/receiver. In spaces where those roles are less delineated, the possibilities for challenging this model can arise. The modern dance awareness society transforms environments by turning up the kinesthetic volume, highlighting aspects of the physical space and actively engaging audiences. This interaction allows the audience to influence and shape the final composition with the performers.