GREENFIELD , NH —Kitty Lunn, artistic director of the Infinity Dance Theater in New York City , will be performing four wheelchair dances at Crotched Mountain Rehabilitation Center on Thursday, July 14^th at 6:30 PM . This event is free and open to the public.

Ms. Lunn, formerly of the Washington Ballet, founded the company to expand the boundaries of dance and to change the perception of what a dancer is. Ms. Lunn, injured in an accident 17 years ago which left her paraplegic, is committed to artistic excellence. She has developed a wheelchair dance technique strongly rooted in the principles of classical ballet and modern dance. Ms. Lunn was described by Phyllis Goldman, writing in Backstage, as "a marvelous creature, an exquisite dancer with an upper body of seamless fluidity, a touching emotional tone in her movement quality, and a complete mastery of her instrument. Did I mention that she performs from a wheelchair?... She has made a friend and partner of her wheelchair, and the results are both creative and gratifying" (2001). Jennifer Dunning of the New York Times has described her as "radiant."

The first piece, In Time Like Air, choreographed by Peter Pucci in 2001, was called "rapturous" by Phyllis Goldman (Backstage). The New York Times' Jack Anderson, describing the partnering between Ms. Lunn and her chair, noted that she is "responding to its presence as if it had a personality all its own" (2001). The second piece, Chant, was also choreographed by Peter Pucci in 2004. It is based upon an ancient Hebrew chant, Avinu Malkeinu, which is traditionally only recited during the High Holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

The third piece was choreographed in 1996 by S.D. Christopher & Kitty Lunn, entitled Last Night of the World. It was commissioned for the 1996 Paralympics in Atlanta , Georgia , under the theme, "The triumph of the human spirit." The fourth piece, Genesis, is set to the passionate music of Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 5 in C minor and had its world premiere at the Kennedy Center in June 2004. It will be performed by Mark Roxey and Kitty Lunn, dancing without the use of her wheelchair in this work that references birth, rebirth, and transcendence.

While here in New Hampshire, Ms. Lunn will be conducting dance workshops for children and young adults at Crotched Mountain Rehabilitation Center and Cedarcrest in Keene.

Infinity Dance Theater is a non-traditional dance company committed to expanding the boundaries of dance by featuring dancers with and without disabilities as well as performers beyond the age traditionally associated with dance. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Kitty Lunn, who founded the organization in 1995, and Michael A. Fitch, Executive Director, Infinity achieves parity in the world of dance while maintaining high standards of artistic quality. Infinity aims to inspire people with and without disabilities, encourage their artistic and other professional aspirations, and empower them through the organization's model educational and performance programs. Infinity Dance Theater has toured throughout the U.S. as well as Italy, Scotland, and Belgium .

For further information about this event, please contact Patricia Martin at 603-547-3311, ext. 309.

Crotched Mountain is a charitable organization employing nearly 800 people. Its mission is to serve individuals with disabilities and their families, embracing personal choice and development, and building communities of mutual support. Crotched Mountain provides specialized education, rehabilitation, community, and residential support services for more than 2,000 consumers, including individuals with disabilities and the elderly, living in New England and New York . For more information about Crotched Mountain please visit their web site: www.crotchedmountain.org.

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