Independence Day in May from Philly dance maven Anne-Marie Mulgrew

Philadelphia has become quite a mecca for modern dance. See the large and appreciative audiences found at the Annenberg Center and other venues for performances by such prestigious touring companies as Momix and Paul Taylor. It’s nice to remember, though, that Philadelphia has long nourished a sophisticated homegrown artistry that is second to none. This includes Anne-Marie Mulgrew, a longtime Philadelphia resident whose troupe, ANNE-MARIE MULGREW AND DANCERS COMPANY (AMM & DCO), will be presenting their home season concert at Christ Church Neighborhood House later this month.

Mulgrew is a veteran of Philadelphia’s long-gestating performing arts scene, having founded her small company in 1986, just when the area’s theater/dance/music scene started seriously blossoming. Mulgrew describes her troupe as a mix of “a core group I’ve worked with for a long time who understands the work” and some new blood, who can always be counted on to bring a fresh energy and perspective to the process.

Mulgrew’s upcoming concert boasts the overall title of Red, White and Blue, which is a holdover thematically to the original plans to present the piece in Philadelphia during the Independence Day celebrations. That plan had to be abandoned when the company was unable to secure the desired venue. Nevertheless, Mulgrew kept the title because it still resonates conceptually with the show’s three pieces: “World of Dreams 2014,” “Six Short Works for Dance and Film,” and “Elevation 2014.”

Mulgrew choreographed and directed “World of Dreams 2014.” According to her press release, her work asks “What is and what makes an American? Is the American dream alive, breathing, misplaced, or has it been absorbed and impacted by the global world we all live in?”

“Six Short Works” is something of a retrospective of work drawn from 22 years of the company's performances, including a number of solo works and short films created during a 2001 Yard Residency as well as one created specifically for WHYY-TV, Philadelphia’s local PBS outlet.

Rounding things out will be “Elevation 2014,” a new solo work created and performed by Ashley Searles, a veteran of the New York dance scene, who spent 15 years performing with such nationally prominent companies as David Parsons Dance, Liz Lerman Dance Exchange, and Moving Theater.

Mulgrew describes the work in Red, White and Blue as “Modern, contemporary, experimental, interdisciplinary.” She hopes audiences who come to the program “will leave thinking something about what dance can say.”

Anne-Marie Mulgrew & Dancers Company presents Red, White and Blue on Friday, May 16 at 7:30pm; Saturday, May 17 at 7:30pm; and Sunday, May 18 at 3pm at the Christ Church Neighborhood House, 20 N. American Street, Philadelphia. For tickets and more information, call 215-462-7720 or visit www.annemariemulgrewdancersco.org.