ROCKLAND — Boston Dance Theater (BDT) will perform their work “The Carol Kaye Project” on Saturday, May 23, at 7:30 p.m., at the Strand Theatre. “The Carol Kaye Project” is a collection of fun, short dance works that celebrate seminal bass guitarist Carol Kaye.   

Boston Dance Theater’s (BDT) ‘Carol Kaye Project’ celebrates seminal bassist Carol Kaye’s life and breadth of work, consisting of dance works by a variety of American, women choreographers. Kaye played on an estimated 10,000 recording sessions, with everyone from the Beach Boys to Marvin Gaye, yet remains relatively unknown, according to a Strand Theatre news release. 

Opening the program is a work by "punk ballerina" Karole Armitage.

“‘Carol/Karole’ addresses the cultural context of the worlds of Motown, Pop, TV series and movies while exploring a new dance vocabulary and diving deeply into the way dance relates to music," said Karole Armitage, in the news release. "It is set in motion by a situation – a performance art like collage of amps, chairs, instruments, and bits of costume."​

Following this work is "For The Record" by African-American Rena Butler, choreographed in 2020. "For the Record" examines the discography of bass musician Carol Kaye, and the scale of her contributions and influence from the past until now. The work references repeated patterns and the various ways a patriarchal society often overlooks substantial voices by othering them. 

Next is Cuban-American Rosie Herrera’s "Ofrenda," which was the second work commissioned for BDT's Carol Kaye Project.

"While Cuban American choreographer Rosie Herrera has intentionally left her work with no official description, hallmarks of her playful yet spiritually resonant choreographic practice seep through via images of motherhood, desire, sacrifice, and ‘just getting on with it,'" said the release. 

Closing the evening is the final work to The Carol Kaye Project, “Legacy” by BDT’s own Co-Founder/Artistic Director, Jessie Jeanne Stinnett. Featuring six dancers, this work, heavily inspired by the utilization of musical technique translated into movement, is a celebration of Stinnett’s connection to Carol Kaye and the influence her music has over so many.  

Under the co-artistic direction of Jessie Jeanne Stinnett and award winning Dutch-Israeli choreographer Itzik Galili, Boston Dance Theater is Boston’s first contemporary dance repertory company with international ties at the leadership level. BDT's mission is to build and sustain a professional contemporary dance company dedicated to providing high quality dance performances, dance education and community outreach. Over the last few years, BDT has appeared in performances at Jacob’s Pillow Inside/Out, Dance for World Community at Jose Mateo Ballet Theater, Museum of Fine Arts Boston, Ailey Citigroup Theater in NYC, NYC City Center, Seattle International Dance Festival, and Newport Dance Festival in Rhode Island. 

This show is appropriate for all ages. Running time is 75 minutes.

Tickets are $30/Advance, $35/Day of show, and $15/Students, including college students with ID. Beer and wine are available at concessions. To buy tickets, or for more information, visit www.rocklandstrand.com or call (207) 594-0070. 

The Strand Theatre is located at 345 Main Street, Rockland.