The Lehigh Valley Dance Exchange presented a virtual spring showcase for 2021, “Dance EXposure,” of works by emerging choreographers and dancers.

The Spring 2021 Virtual Dance EXposure showcase ran April 23-25 on the ArtsQuest website. During the April 23 and 24 premieres, viewers could speak with each other, choreographers and artists.

Lehigh Valley Dance Exchange (LVDE) was founded in 2009 by Kathleen Bibalo Nasti and Alexandra Reekie Pobiedzinski, who were inspired by the Liz Lerman Dance Exchange, Washington, D.C., and Ballet of the Dolls Performance Art Theatre, Minneapolis.

Co-director Alexandra Pobiedzinski of Upper Macungie Township, received a BA in Dance from Muhlenberg College.

“Born in the U.K., I moved to the Lehigh Valley with my family as a child and grew up dancing and performing with local studios and arts programs and have proudly called the Lehigh Valley my home since,” Pobiedzinski says in a phone interview.

“Lehigh Valley Dance Exchange grew out of a mutual goal between myself and co-founder, Kathleen Bibalo-Nasti, to create the infrastructure to support a thriving dance hub that serves the professional dancers, programs and institutions located in and around the Lehigh Valley.

“Along with my current co-directors, Sarah Carlson and Jessica Marino Mitcham, we serve as a liaison for individuals and groups to share performance costs, locate artists, show work, collaborate, and explore professional dance in the region.”

LVDE hosts a bi-annual Dance EXposure showcase, an annual SpringUP Dance Festival, guest artist residences, workshops, and forums and panel discussions.

“To date, LVDE has hosted over 20 Dance EXposure showcases,” says Pobiedzinski.

“Originally known as ‘Cabaret Nights,’ these choreography showcases have found their home in Bethlehem’s Touchstone Theater, Fegley’s Allentown Brew Works, and now at our partnering organization of ArtsQuest.

“Each fall and spring, we present the choreography of selected choreographers to provide artistic support, production, venue, and audience to give artists a platform to share their work with the community.”

For the spring showcase, choreographers and performers rose to the challenge of coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic social-distancing protocol.

“While Dance EXposure has historically been an in-person event, the COVID-19 environment led us to find new ways of continuing to make space for dance in safe and creatively-fulfilling formats,” Pobiedzinski says.

“This virtual event showcases dance films, both dance for camera, and live-filmed dance footage. Some of the works in the program were created pre-COVID, and some have been made during the pandemic.

“We felt it was important to provide a digital platform not only to support the work of artists who specialize in dance for camera works, but also still to showcase the work of artists whose choreography is best suited for the stage,” says Pobiedzinski.

“While the current environment has been incredibly devastating and limiting for artists, we hope to offer support for those artists by giving them a space to showcase their vision and promote their work.”

Not unlike businesses and nonprofits realizing how the pandemic cultivated new opportunities, so it is with the dance community.

“Our newfound ability to showcase dance films has opened up an entirely new genre of dance medium to Dance EXposure, and the response has been so positive that we will continue to include a platform for dance films in our regular event lineup.”

All entries were considered, and finalists were selected by a LVDE panel based on a series of artistically-rigorous standards.

“We were happily inundated with submissions of dance for camera works, filmed stage performances, new works, and archival footage from choreographers and companies from across the U.S.” says Pobiedzinski.

“The chosen films include a wide variety of styles, viewpoints, and concepts that result in a program rich in entertainment and inspiration.”

The selected choreographers are Kyla Barkin, Danielle Curtin, Melissa Faller Turka, Teresa Fellion, Nicola Ferro, Lindsay Fisher Viatori, Chiemi Ip, Beth Jucovy, E’lise Jumes, Bethany Logan, Debbie Mausner, Rebecca McCormac, Jillian Mitchell, Megan Mizanty, Katharine Vrankin and Shannon O’Reilly, Jessica C. Warchal-King, and Catherine Westerduin.

Dance and the performing arts are valuable assets for the community, and for the performers, in the climate of a health crisis.

“Art, and dance specifically, has the unique ability to unite people across cultural, socio-economic and geographical boundaries to provide a kinesthetic exploration of the human experience.

“That need for connection, expression, and understanding is more imperative now than ever, and we are proud to help dance fulfill some of that need. The resulting opportunities and platforms will remain well beyond the pandemic,” says Pobiedzinksi.

Information about the Lehigh Valley Dance Exchange and Dance EXposure: www.lvdanceexchange.org