What happens when a professional drummer and a professional ballerina get together? For newly married couple Cameron MacIntosh and Kirsten Evans, the future promises a lifetime of collaboration.
Revolve Dance Project (RDP) is the embodiment of the duo’s inspiration, seamlessly weaving together Cameron’s music and Kirsten’s movement. Rooted in the couple’s mutual desire to explore cross-disciplinary partnerships, Revolve Dance Project brings together choreographers, composers, dancers, and musicians to foster the intrinsic connection between music and dance.
Born in NYC, MacIntosh was finishing his Masters of Music degree at The Juilliard School when he met Evans back in 2019. “I always joke that she is the unofficial Mayor of Providence,” says MacIntosh. “She was so enthusiastic about her hometown and emphatic about my needing to visit.” A resident of the East Side of Providence since 2011, Evans was a student at Festival Ballet Providence (now Ballet RI) and a member of the company for 13 years before leaving in 2023 to delve into the world of freelance dancing. “I grew up on Hope Street, taking hours of ballet classes at Festival after school every day, fueling up at Seven Stars, of course,” remembers Evans. The City of Providence burrowed itself into her soul and that sentiment was soon shared by MacIntosh. The two now split their time between The Big Apple and The Creative Capital, pursuing their respective careers and spotlighting the power of artistic collaboration with Revolve Dance Project.
The only one of its kind in Rhode Island, Revolve Dance Project focuses on the creation and live performance of music and dance in equal parts. “I have always been a music-driven dancer,” says Evans. “Live music changes the way you move and feel. It adds a new level to your dancing and expands your mind as an artist.” MacIntosh agrees, adding, “Within every rhythm I play, movement charges my compositions in a way that helps ground the music.” In today’s arts world, music/dance collaborations tend to be extremely rare due to budgetary constraints and scheduling difficulties. Evans continued, “I want to restore the classic choreographer/composer partnerships we see so often when studying the history of dance but bring them into our modern cultural context. Dance and music revolve around each other, and when experienced together live, make artists of the audience themselves.”
Evans and MacIntosh curate and facilitate every Revolve Dance Project production together. First, selected composers and choreographers meet to discuss ideas, soundscapes and visuals. Composers create their original pieces of music and in a short three week rehearsal period, choreographers use this music to create new work for the company of dancers. The project culminates in two affordable live performances of these world premiere collaborations in unique venues. This accelerated season coincides with the RDP Educational Community Programming, a series of masterclasses taught by the artists themselves. These low-cost classes bring world class arts education to Rhode Island, allowing students of all ages and abilities to receive personalized coaching with the company of professional artists. Masterclass opportunities include classical ballet, contemporary dance, music theory, improvisational dance, choreographic workshops, and more. “My favorite part of the masterclass series is that anyone who participates gets a free ticket to one of our shows,” says Evans, adding, “They are with us in the studios where we rehearse, and then in the theater with us at showtime. This way students can have a real taste of what it’s like to be a part of a professional production- to me, that’s the magic.”
This will be the couple’s third season producing Revolve Dance Project, which launched in 2021 with a performance at The Temple to Music at Roger Williams Park and continued in 2022 at the Jane Pickens Theater in Newport. They took a brief pause in 2023 to get married, but Evans and MacIntosh are confident that the 2024 season (culminating in two performances Sunday, July 21st at the RISD Auditorium), will be the best yet. “There has been so much interest from artists within Providence and beyond,” remarks MacIntosh. Evans adds, “I’m proud to both employ artist friends who live here and bring others in who have yet to experience this quirky city. I love watching people fall in love with Providence.”
Revolve Dance Project extends across genres, mixing a wide variety of dance and music styles, each season presented by a new lineup of up-and-coming artists. Featuring the highest quality of young local and international talent, this season’s roster highlights all female choreographers, including world-renowned former New York City Ballet (NYCB) Principal Dancer and first-ever Resident Choreographer of the Paul Taylor Dance Company Lauren Lovette, recent graduate of The Juilliard School/Welsh composer Katie Jenkins, professional dancers from companies across the country, Boston-based touring artists, and more. There will even be a special appearance by NYCB Principal Dancer Indiana Woodward in a world premiere solo choreographed by NYCB dancer/choreographer Laine Habony.
“We are passionate about bringing exceptional artistic collaboration to Providence,” says Evans. By giving emerging talent this unique platform to experiment, collaborate, and perform, Revolve Dance Project is fueling the artistic fabric of Providence in significant and lasting ways. MacIntosh and Evans hope to bring the somatic experience of live music and dance to as many people as possible, helping to solidify Providence as a hub for artistic creation.
Performances: Sunday, July 21, 2024 | 2:00 p.m. & 7:00 p.m.
RISD Auditorium, 17 Canal Walk
tickets: revolvedanceproject.com
Kirsten Evans is a freelance artist, dancer, and writer based in NYC and Providence, RI. She has danced professionally for many years, performing a wide repertoire of principal roles in both classical and contemporary works, including those by George Balanchine, Christopher Wheeldon, Trey McIntyre, and Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, among others. In 2019, Kirsten graduated summa cum laude from Providence College with a BA in Journalism. She is also the founder and director of the dance/music collaborative Revolve Dance Project.
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