Forty Steps Dance Invites Fans to a Fabulous Fundraiser in Nahant, June 1

Two months after staging its 20th Anniversary Dance Performance at Nahant Town Hall, Forty Steps Dance will perform and preview new works—and do the salsa with the public at its second annual fundraiser on June 1.

The fun begins at 7:30 in the studio, the Serenity Room of the Nahant Community Center on Valley Road, where guests will be treated to catered hors d’oeuvres and beverages. Once seated, they’ll witness a preview of “Night Creatures,” the second choreography in the new “Creatures” piece created by Artistic Director Sallee Slagle, who founded Forty Steps Dance 20 years ago.

The first section of that dance, “Birds,” enchanted the 20th Anniversary audience with its exotic costumes and bird-like movements. Slagle envisions three or four sections in “Creatures,” including one called “Serpent,” and another, “Cocoon.”

In addition, the company will perform “Steps,” a work-in-progress that Slagle envisions performing outdoors at the actual 40 Steps leading Nahant’s most breathtaking beach. Proceeds from the Fundraiser will be put toward the purchase of a mobile platform and set of stairs that the company can use in the studio or on stage.

The bill also includes the first section of “Accord” (1992), one of Slagle’s earliest works, which brought down the house at Nahant Town Hall as the company closed the show by dancing in white.

Raves for 20 Years

The modern company’s attention to technique impressed Jer Jurma, a member of the Swampscott Cultural Council who attended the 20th Anniversary show.

“It’s all about craft and concept,” Jurma said. “I sometimes feel that in dance (and all art forms), many artists disregard craft in the pursuit of concept.  I love that Sallee Slagle’s work is rooted in the modern tradition, and that her concepts are clearly and beautifully executed.”

Jurma also related a conversation with an audience member who has a physical disability and has seen the company twice. “When I watch them dance, I dance inside,” he reportedly said.

Such feeling was palpable for everyone at the sold-out show. “It was a wonderful evening; the dancing, the costumes, the music and Sallee, of course, but the spirit and camaraderie in the room was very special,” said audience member Karen Falat.

Forty Steps into the Future

Forty Steps Dance performs regularly throughout the Greater Boston area, often in concert with the North Shore Dance Alliance, Exit Dance Theatre of Newburyport and the Danny Swain Dance Company of Boston. The company will break out with a solo show in Boston in October. Now stronger than ever, Forty Steps Dance is a non-profit cultural institution, and accepts tax-deductable donations through their website, www.fortystepsdance.org.

Tickets for the June 1 fundraiser are $45 ($50 at the door; $80 per couple) and may be purchased online at www.fortystepsdance.org, or by emailing sallee@dancedimensions.org, or by calling 781-599-1476.