A Panel Discussion with dance makers and educators Bess Snyder Fredlund, Betty Loos, and Bess Pilcher Lovec.
Dance artists and educators Bess Snyder Fredlund, Bess Pilcher Lovec, and Betty Loos sat down for an evening of reflection and storytelling upon the dance arts history in Montana seen from their vantage.
A bit about the panelists:
Bess Snyder Fredlund graduated with an MFA in dance from California Institute of the Arts, formed Bess Snyder and Company and created THE HOUSE, a performance space in Los Angeles featuring dance, theater, performance art, music and film. Fredlund is one of the founders of danceMontana a professional modern dance company in residence at the University of Montana. An advocate for the arts, Fredlund helped organize and produce the first Fringe Festival in Billings in 2012.
Betty Loos whose professional training includes the University of Utah, Royal Winnepeg Ballet, and National Ballet of Canada has introduced thousands of Billings dancers to the art and technique of ballet, many of them have gone on to professional dance careers. Loos has collaborated with the Billings Symphony for over forty years on the annual Nutcracker production which provides hundreds of local dancers an opportunity to perform with a professional company and a live symphony.
Bess Pilcher Lovec studied at the North Carolina School of the Arts and graduated from University of Utah with a BFA in dance and performance. Lovec also attended summer training at the Martha Graham School, Alvin Ailey Studio, and Herbert Bergof Studio in New York City. Lovec joined danceMontana, a modern repertory dance company located in Missoula which toured in Montana, Idaho, Washington, and Wyoming. Lovec was also a company member of Dance on the Prairie a semi-professional dance company located in Billings under the direction of Sue West.
This unscripted and improvisational panel discussion took place on Tuesday January 28th, 2020 at Art House Cinema in downtown Billings. The panelists, Bess Snyder Fredlund, Betty Loos, and Bess Pilcher Lovec spoke about their creative practices, experiences, and memories as dance artists in Montana. The 90 minute panel held space for each artist to reflect upon the dance arts history in Montana seen from their vantage. You will hear from each artist on their entry into the dance arts, their collegiate and professional careers, as well as their connection to the art community today. The discussion was facilitated by HaltForce Art Collective creator Krista Leigh Pasini and included a short Q & A afterwards. The intention of this archive was part of a historical project created by Pasini of the same name that reflects upon lineage, tradition, and memory in dance history and dance legacy.
Biographies & More
Read about the origins of the Gold Thread Archive by HaltForce Art Collective creator Krista Leigh Pasini. And browse the biographies of the panelists.