Up and At'Em

t is for ten: Pennsylvania Ballet dancers James Ady and Charity Eagens strike a pose to celebrate 10 years of Shut Up and Dance.

In its 10th year, Shut Up and Dance makes a move to the Mann.

by Deni Kasrel

Pennsylvania Ballet closed out its season two weeks ago, but some of the company are still gearing up for one last show, the annual Shut Up and Dance program. The popular event, a benefit for Metropolitan AIDS Neighborhood Nutrition Alliance (MANNA), is pulling out all the stops this time around for its 10-year anniversary. This year the fundraiser also brings a notable change, as the program moves from the Forrest Theatre to the Mann Center for the Performing Arts for the June 28 performance. The new venue offers double the seating capacity, which translates into the chance to raise a lot more money for MANNA’s home-delivered meals to individuals living with AIDS.

Last year the show raised $96,000. This year, the goal is considerably higher. “The event will hopefully raise over $150,000 for us,” says Greg Goldman, executive director of MANNA. “Divide that by about $5 a meal, and this will help us serve about 30,000 meals.”

At the Forrest the show was general admission, save for a select number of reserved seats for VIPs and hefty donors. Now there’s a sliding scale, with prices ranging from $38 to $75. The old system meant that those who wanted to get a good seat had to arrive early and then wait in line for quite some time -- and in the cold, no less, because until this year Shut Up always ran in the winter. Diane Eilbacher, MANNA’s director of special events, says that while many longtime patrons appreciate the convenience of assigned seats, others would prefer to keep things the way they were. “To some people the change is heavenly,” Eilbacher says. “They’re like, ‘Finally, I know where I’m sitting and I can buy a good seat.’ But some said that waiting in line and then rushing to get a good seat was part of the fun of the event.”

The dancers also initially had reservations about shifting Shut Up to the Mann. They were happy at the Forrest, where the people who worked there started to know them by name. Some feared that moving to an open-air stage meant the event would lose some of its intimacy. David Krensing, Pennsylvania Ballet principal dancer and Shut Up’s producing director, says that when Goldman first suggested going to the Mann, “I got a little bristly. I wondered, ‘Why take this downtown, urban, under-produced thing and turn it into a garden party?’ Until I got out there. I looked around and I was sold.”

Krensing points out that the advantages of the new digs are numerous. Aside from the extra seating capacity, the Mann allows for a larger pre-show cocktail party, an affair attended by the evening’s most munificent donors. General patrons who arrive early can make a night of it by taking in a meal on the pine grove at the top of the hill, where options include barbecue, pan-Asian, Latin and Mediterranean cuisine. The after-party moves from its traditional Center City dance club locale to Memorial Hall, with party impresario (emphasis on “imp”) Henri David hosting the proceedings.

MANNA organizers note even more gains, like the Mann listing Shut Up in its season brochure, which resulted in a huge upswing in advance ticket sales.

So much for what’s new. What stays the same? The dancers perform for free. All but one of the pieces are original works choreographed by ballet members, or local guest dance makers -- this year there are two: Francisco Gella of Philadanco, and gravity-defying dancer/choreographer Brian Sanders. The choreographers can make whatever kind of work they want, as long as it’s no more than 10 minutes. There’s no jury panel. “It wouldn’t be fair,” says PAB dancer Meredith Rainey, who’s helping with the show’s rehearsal schedule. “We’ll let first-time choreographers give it a try. It’s a benefit.” Even so, the quality of the work is generally quite good. These are, after all, highly trained professional dancers. As usual, the one recurring piece is The Dying Swan. There’ll also be the familiar film component: This go-’round it’s a mockumentary by Scott Johnston. The show will yet again be hosted by WXPN Morning Show personality Michaela Majoun.

The production is a labor of love for those who participate. “The dancers are tired,” says PAB dancer Michael Sheridan, one of the four founders of Shut Up. “But when it comes to this, it’s like, we’re a hell of a lot better off than who we’re trying to raise money for. We should be thankful. Our lives are blessed that we can do what we love and help other people.”

Shut Up and Dance, Sat., June 28, 8:30 p.m., $38-$75, Mann Center for the Performing Arts, 52nd St. and Parkside Ave., 215-893-1999, www.manncenter.org.




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