New dance troupe begins first season

IU graduates Katie Kasper and Katie Smith are collaborating their dance and theatre troupes into "Ignitio," to be presented over the next two weekends at the Peine Theater at Marian College.\nWhile at IU, Smith wrote and Kasper choreographed the original full-length musicals "Neenog" and "Fish for a Long Time." Now, Smith, founder of Loose Cannon Productions, and Kasper, founder of the Motus Dance Theater, have collaborated once again -- this time on a multi-arts presentation.\n"Ignitio" will incorporate dance, theatre, music, and visual art into an evening of cultural enrichment with a theme of darkness and light, said Kasper, who choreographed the show.\nAccording to its Web site, www.motusdance.com, Kasper founded the troupe in Sept. 2003.\nFirst, the Motus Dance Theater will perform dance to music by Indianapolis composer Koven Smith, husband of producer Smith. Dancers will also perform self-choreographed dances to poetry. After a short break, the audience will have the opportunity to view art by Indianapolis artists.\n"It's intended to be a very comprehensive cross-medium experience," Kasper said.\nKasper also emphasized that most artists and dancers, as well as herself and Smith, are Indiana natives.\n"I decided to stay in Indianapolis because my family is here," she said. "But also because I grew up as an artist in Indy. It's my hometown. I love it. I have no desire to move to New York; I think it would be miserable and uncomfortable ... the quality of life here is great."\nKasper is also concerned about the so-called "Brain Drain" out of Indiana.\n"It is really important that this show is driven by Indiana artists' desires to make art where we live. It's important for people who are graduating college (to recognize that)," she said.\nKris Steege, director of theater activities at Marian College, is responsible for booking Ignitio at the Peine Theater.\n"This is kind of a guinea pig year for Marian College," he said. "We started trying to book outside groups if there were no Marian College events on a weekend … I was in contact with Katie Smith to have (Loose Cannon Productions) do a show in the spring. She contacted me and brought me Motus Dance. I was super-excited because there aren't a lot of dance groups in town … when a dance company came to me and also wanted to bring artists, I was excited."\nSteege has sat in on some of the rehearsals for Ignitio, and is excited for the public to experience the show.\nEveything is very exciting.," he said. "(Ignitio) is like a community of artists that stay very distinctive in their areas and marry it to create a product. I love that community aspect."\nTickets are $12 for the general public or $10 for advance purchase. The box office for Peine Theatre can be reached at 317-955-6588. More information can be found at the Motus Dance website at www.motusdance.com.\n-- Contact staff writer Jenny Kobiela at jkobiela@indiana.edu.