-Courtesy of En Route Marketing
Over the last three decades, dancer and choreographer Brian Sanders has awed audiences worldwide with his creative, provocative, sit on the edge-of-your-seat performances, daring guests to step outside their comfort zones.
On June 17, to celebrate the launch of Brian Sanders’ JUNK 30th anniversary season, a one-night-only event, Beaux Tease, will give viewers an inside glimpse into their 2022/23 season. Hosted in an intimate and unique venue, Concourse Dance Bar (1635 Market St, Philadelphia, PA 19103), the show will offer General Admission and “Special Features” passes. The “Special Features” tickets include a sultry performance, Let Us Eat Cake!, by former JUNK dancer turned MasterChef Courtney Lapresi, early admission and preferred seating, and two complimentary drink vouchers.
In addition, to celebrate 30 years of JUNK, Sanders is unveiling a new initiative, hoping to raise $30,000 by the end of the year to help continue the tradition of creating provocative, innovative, and one-of-a kind dance works. The funds raised will allow JUNK to provide equitable access for the community by providing free and discounted ticketing for artists and LGBTQIA and HIV+ communities. JUNK offers various sponsorship packages to promote the fundraising campaign, including special perks from dining with JUNK’s cast, inclusion in the 30th anniversary souvenir program, preferred seating for JUNK’s season, and a season pass giving guests multiple ways to support the arts in Philadelphia.
Guests attending Beaux Tease will be treated to performances from the upcoming season, including their 2022 Philadelphia Fringe Festival show, Luster; annual winter fundraiser, Snowball – Back on Ice; and 2023 collaboration with The Philadelphia Orchestra. Patrons will also be treated to a special guest appearance by Urban Movement Arts, avant-garde go-go installations, and an immersive, reimagined 2nd Sanctuary journey down Broad Street, via virtual reality headsets. Guests can expect Beaux Tease to be an evening of over-the-top performances. Beaux Tease offers Sanders the opportunity to present new work to reconnect with old audiences and engage with current fans, something he’s been looking forward to.
“Over the last 30 years, JUNK has continued to evolve,” said Brian Sanders, founder of Brian Sanders’ JUNK. No one, even Sanders, can predict what audiences can expect next. “The decades-long collaboration process with various artists, dancers, and creatives continues to help me reimagine my work, transform it, and present it in new and exciting ways.”
New Jersey-native Brian Sanders always reveled in reckless fun as a youth. He channeled that energy into his love of gymnastics and classical dance as he grew older. Inspired by the innovation and originality of shows like Bob Fosse’s Dancin’ and Pilobolus on Broadway in the 1970s, Brian trained to become a choreographer. After receiving his BFA from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, Sanders founded Archetype Dance Company, where he performed and choreographed several works. He booked his first performances at the storied Trocadero Theater in Philadelphia. In 1997, the company was renamed JUNK and would go on to perform across the globe. The name JUNK reinforces the naughty, authority-provoking verbal and visual puns for which its founder and director is famous. The mission of JUNK was simple; bring formal dance into an engaging and immersive setting while ensuring shows stay accessible to younger urban audiences.
JUNK continues to blend traditional dance theater with an unparalleled physicality, eroticism, and use of found objects and clever inventions. Their work blurs the lines between dance and physical theater. The uniqueness of JUNK and their performances has led to shows at the Knitting Factory, Joyce Theatre, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia Fringe Festival, The Annenberg Theatre for Dance Celebration, and the Wilma Theater. Sanders has collaborated with companies including MOMIX, Eleone Dance Theatre, Freespace Dance Company, Koresh Dance Company, the Philadelphia Ballet, and The Philadelphia Orchestra. He choreographed two nationally televised mini-series and gained international recognition when he created and arranged a touring show, NOGRAVITY, presented to audiences as part of the 2006 Winter Paralympics in Torino.
This season is about community. As Sanders has grown artistically, his audience has followed, eager for the next production. He is excited to bring people together to celebrate and unveil his new work. As Sanders points out, “If we don’t lift each other up, who will?”
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