Whim W'Him Get Busy Online and On Stage

It has been a busy year for Olivier Wevers. With his retirement this spring from the Pacific Northwest Ballet, he has thrown himself into his role as artistic director for Whim W'Him with aplomb. Only in their second year, Whim W'Him have received extraordinary accolades from sources all around the country including Dance magazine, won a grand prize at the Dance Under The Stars competition for their piece Fragments, announced a five-year residency with the Intiman Theatre and made their international debut at the 4th Annual Choreography Festival in Copenhagen, the first American group to be invited to compete in their finals.

Mr. Wevers has another busy week in store. With an eye to the future, Whim W'Him launched their new website Friday, at http://www.whimwhim.org, with a massive makeover that improves accessibility and simply looks better all around. It is much easier now to keep up with the group onstage and offstage as well.

The new website comes just in time. This Wednesday the 22nd, Whim W'Him have invited teens and parents from around to region to "Explore the Creative Process with Whim W'Him." It is a marvelous opportunity for aspiring dancers and fans of dance to meet and talk with the dancers and choreographer, but even more importantly it is a rare chance to watch a dress rehearsal for a world premiere dance. With American teens having ever more reason to be sedentary and avoid any contact with the arts at all, events like this are all the more precious.

On Friday, Whim W'Him will perform reSet, a triptych of dance pieces featuring the dark and powerful Monster, a newly reworked version of the popular 3Seasons and a world premiere of a new work by the company, which had an open rehearsal that a few were lucky to glimpse back in May.

The sentimental event of the week, however, is a party: Friday is Mr. Wevers' 40th birthday. To celebrate this personal milestone with the loving company of dancers and dance audiences around him, Whim W'Him are holding a "Dancing, Dessert and Decadence" event immediately after the show on June 25th. It is a fantastic way to close a show, and an equally fantastic way to celebrate the life and company of this fabulous dancer. Seattle really ought to be proud to have such treasures in its own backyard, and this is a great time to show some love and wish Mr. Wevers a fantastic journey in his new career as choreographer and artistic director for one of the most lively dance companies to hit Seattle in a long, long time.

For more information, check out listings at http://www.whimwhim.org.