If you haven’t had the chance to catch an IC Open City performance, this Saturday at 1 p.m. offers a perfect introduction to the public art project. Dancer Sean Thomas Boyt (Sean Laughead) and percussionist Andy Thierauf will be performing collaborative and solo pieces, in addition to debuting some new material before heading out on tour this September.
IC Open City is a pilot program designed to curate and spotlight street performances in downtown Iowa City. Dozens of performances have been held in the past two months, with a handful scheduled throughout the rest of August. With a focus on collaboration between disparate mediums, IC Open City has brought sword-swallowers, spray-paint artists, and many musicians to downtown Iowa City.
The program’s emphasis on collaboration is on full display with Boyt and Thierauf’s show. Boyt, a recent graduate of the University of Iowa’s dance program, and Thierauf, a doctoral student at Iowa’s School of Music, both bring an intelligence and playfulness to their respective forms. Their collaborative pieces offer an astonishingly wide range of stylistic possibilities, with Boyt frequently incorporating text into his choreography, and Thierauf playing a wide variety of acoustic, electronic, and found percussion instruments.
Saturday’s performance will be their first performance of their fall tour, which will see them visiting several colleges in Iowa and Illinois.
IC Open City is sponsored by the Iowa City Downtown District, MC Ginsberg, the Iowa Digital Engagement and Learning initiative, as well as the Iowa Center for Research by Undergraduates. The performance takes place at 1 p.m. at the Black Hawk Mini Park on the north end of the Ped Mall.
Just an update: we’re rescheduling this performance to noon tomorrow (8/17) at the Weatherdance Fountain Stage in the ped mall due to the threat of rain. See you there!