NAHANT — Forty Steps Dance will take the stage at Nahant Town Hall for its annual show Saturday at 8 p.m.
To kick off the 26th season of the modern dance company, dancers will perform “Missing Pieces,” inspired by interpersonal relationships and the way people come and go from one’s life. It is built on a short piece that premiered in 2018, “Echoes and Shadows.”
Founded by artistic director and Nahant resident Sallee Slagle in 1992, the troupe has performed throughout the Boston area and abroad with the Culture Connection, Dance North Alliance, North Shore Dance Alliance, Windhover Center for the Performing Arts, Majestic Cruise Lines and the Saint Hill European Arts Festival in England.
The new choreography suggests the influence of memory and reflection of our past and how others suffer in consequence of our actions, said Slagle.
The piece is “lyrical and emotional,” she said.
This isn’t the first time the company has taken on an interpretive theme.
It debuted a section of “Creatures,” a performance based on the movement of animals, in 2013 to a capacity audience. “Creatures” was performed in its entirety at Nahant Town Hall in 2014 and filmed at LynnArts in 2015.
Inspiration came from the movement of birds and the idea expanded to include other animals, evolving into a 40-minute production.
“People see different things,” said Slagle in 2016. “Telling them what they are supposed to see is not what art is about. I’d rather keep them engaged and involved.”
Saturday night, guests will be treated to a new interactive piece called “40 Steps,” which will feature 40 iconic steps from the company’s repertory. A workshop will be offered on April 28 for participants to learn and create using the 40 steps.
The performance is supported in part by a grant from the Nahant Cultural Council, a local agency supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, and by the Nahant Preservation Trust.
Tickets can be purchased online at www.fortystepsdance.org. General admission is $25, VIP tickets are $45. Boston Dance Alliance, senior and student tickets are $18. Nahant students will be admitted for free. VIP tickets include front-row seating and a post-performance reception with the company at Slagle’s home. All proceeds from the show will benefit Forty Steps Dance.
