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October 3, 2018
Contact: Allison Town, Chief Communications Officer
Phone: 714-738-6595 xt 105
Email: Allison@TheMuck.org
For Immediate Release
New Resident Dance Company at The Muck
Dance focused on movement, visual design, and storytelling
FULLERTON, Calif. –The Muckenthaler Cultural Center is proud to announce a new partnership with modern dance company The Assembly and its co-founder Lara Wilson.
Lara Wilson is a graduate of the Ailey/Fordham B.F.A. program in New York City. After moving to Orange County in 2012, Wilson collaborated with other dancers to produce The Assembly’s introductory show. On the East Coast, her work has been seen at Jacob’s Pillow, Symphony Space, Brooklyn’s Galapagos Art Space, and during APAP. Out West, her dances have appeared at Highways Performance Space, the O.C. Great Park, NAVEL LA, and on screen at the San Francisco Dance Film Festival. Along with being the co-founder and art director of The Assembly, Wilson also owns and co-operates an art space called Compound YV in the high desert, and is the creative director of the dance journal, DIYdancer.
“We had quite a few dance companies apply for this position but Lara Wilson and The Assembly fit our criteria perfectly,” shared Muckenthaler Cultural Center CEO Farrell Hirsch. “They are emerging as a major force on the dance landscape, they are local to Orange County so we are re-investing resources in our community, the work is both cutting edge and timeless, and Lara individually is the model for the innovative young artist we want to champion.”
Founded in 2014, The Assembly strives to create dance focused on the intersection of movement, visual design, and storytelling. The company has produced 8 seasons of collective dance projects, original dance photography, a print journal, and a short film. Their creations are often seen in nontraditional spaces such as galleries, empty warehouses, several event venues, and a yoga studio.
When asked about the new residency, Wilson said, “Working at The Muck will give us time and space to create works for our 2019 calendar, including a premiere at Highways Performance Space in Santa Monica and an evening-length program at The Muck. It’s always inspiring to create work in the space where it will be performed and to feel supported by the community we will perform it for throughout the process. I’m extremely interested to see how this residency bolsters us creatively and administratively and also to experiment with how some of our existing works translate to the space.”
The Assembly’s most recent and upcoming events include:
• An evening length improvisation score in 2017, described as “a blast” by OC Weekly
• Co-production of a record release party for violinist-looper Joe Kye in 2017, featuring Princess Grace Award-winning dancer Ching Ching Wong
• A narrative dance film screened during the 2018 Newport Beach Film Festival
• A performance during a commissioned Shoreline Project by Laguna Art Museum in November, where 1,000 people will take part in an outdoor performance work by Elizabeth Turk
The dance company has commissioned original works from company members and emerging choreographers from across the country. It also serves as a platform for co-founder and creative director, Lara Wilson, to create choreographic works.
The Assembly will be performing on The Muck’s stage in late summer/early fall of 2019!
For more information and updates regarding our new dance company in residency, please visit www.TheMuck.org!
Updates on performances, gallery shows, and special events can be found on the Muckenthaler Cultural Center’s Facebook (\TheMuckenthaler), Twitter (@MuckCC), and Instagram (@MuckCC).
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The Muck commits to the mission of providing the community with experiences that stimulate creativity and imagination and conserving the heritage of the Muckenthaler Estate. Commissioned at an original cost of $35,000, the Muckenthaler home was built by Walter and Adella Muckenthaler in 1924 atop a hill in Fullerton. The 18-room, 8.5-acres mansion was donated to the city in 1965 by Harold Muckenthaler, who wished to see his childhood home used as a cultural center for the public.
In 1999, the Muckenthaler received designation by the National Register of Historic Places. In its 51st year, the Muck produces more than 60 performances, gallery exhibits, festivals and special events; and more than 6,000 hours of arts education classes at the Muck and in 42 outreach sites serving more than 43,000 people every year.
We also host more than 75 weddings and corporate events. Our awards and accolades include the 2009 Fullerton Chamber of Commerce Quality of Life award for best non-profit organization in the city, the 2010 Arts Program of the Year award from Arts Orange County, and past reader’s poll awards from OC Parenting for Best Historic Site. We are also an OC Register’s finalist for Best Museum, the 2012 winner for Orange Coast Magazine’s Most Eclectic Venue, the 2013 winner for Orange Coast Magazine’s Best Arts Education, 2014 winner for OC Register’s Best Art Gallery, and 2016 Superintendent’s Award for Excellence in Museum Education for STEAM Programs.
The Muckenthaler Cultural Center Foundation, the Muck, is located at 1201 West Malvern Avenue, Fullerton California 92833. For more information about this or other events at the Muck, please visit www.TheMuck.org