The Wylliams-Henry Dance Company has celebrated two-and-a-half decades dedicated to creating and presenting exemplary modern dance that both entertains and addresses social justice issues and examines human interactions.
The troupe will be performing at CMU on Monday, Oct. 9, at 7:30 p.m. in The Little Theatre. It is sponsored by CMU’s Cultural Affairs Committee and its Student Government Association.
Consequently, the performance is open and free to all people who wish to come.
The dance company was created by two great minds — Leni Wylliams and Mary Pat Henry, Kansas City pioneers of the arts — in 1991. They specifically wanted to create a world-class dance troupe in Kansas City.
When Leni was found slain in his home in 1996, Mary decided to honor the fact that they built the program together by leaving his name on the company. The troupe has been active in Kansas City and other areas for more than 25 years.
The Wylliams-Henry dance company is considered by critics as exciting and captivating, one of the best in the Midwest. The troupe’s work has been described as “interesting, engaging and provocative” and “visceral.”
Wylliams-Henry has been honored by the National Endowment for the Arts and by Dance Magazine. The troupe includes dances by some of the 20th century great masters and new works as well. The company is known for its beautiful style, whether lyric or avant garde.
Their new works examine important social issues from the Holocaust to racism; they are dances that are thought provoking and speak to the human spirit.
