AKIMBO Mission

AKIMBO is an annual festival that showcases Baltimore's professional dance companies and movement artists, from more traditional dance to more experimental works.

AKIMBO events are designed to build community between artists, audiences, and venues and to encourage ongoing relationships for future projects and collaborations.

AKIMBO is as much about the journey between sites as it is about the experiences within. Audience members are encouraged to explore Station North and experience the neighborhood's rich architecture, culture, and community.


AKIMBO History

AKIMBO is a project of Deep Vision Dance Company, Inc., under the direction of Nicole A. Martinell and Sidney Pink.

Nicole and Sidney started working together at Towson University in the Department of Dance. They quickly found a common passion for site-specific artwork and community building. After many conversations about the rich and diverse Baltimore Arts Scene, a vision for a new kind of event started to emerge. 

AKIMBO 2012, the inaugural event, presented 17 Baltimore-based professional dance companies and artists, six of which worked out of Station North. 2012 also included 15 live musicians, 12 Station North venues, 12 visual artists, and over 500 audience members.

AKIMBO 2013 is already in planning with a vision to raise artistic excellence while being inclusive to emerging artistic voices. Baltimore audiences should expect unique site specific work that pushes the boundaries of what is dance and what is art.

AKIMBO 2012 Artists

Common Ground Dance Company
Common Ground presents an interactive movement experience. Audience members randomly select music and read poetry, prompting the dancers to react to the ever-changing soundscape.

Dance & Bmore
Entitled "Voices & Choices," Dance & Bmore creates movement inspired by the spoken word and songs of artists. The Edge of Water, an exhibition of paintings by Julia Foote & Heather Joi, is featured throughout Gallery CA.

Deep Vision Dance Company
Entitled "Out of My Head," Deep Vision Dance Company collaborates with musicians, David Bridgeman and Chloe Wieczorek, creating an experiential journey from North Ave., through WESTNORTH Studio, and into the meditative garden. Intricate, playful movement is inspired by the organic artwork of David Boothman (painter), roycrosse (sculptor), Helen Elliot (enamel artist), and Valerie Maynard (sculptor).

Effervescent Collective
Effervescent Collective performs improvisational work inspired by the minimalist artwork of David Herman on the 2nd floor of the Cork Factory.

Electric Heart Engine
Electric Heart Engine engages audiences as dancers move alongside the interactive MICA art installation. Nutty Sensations INVITED instalation by artist Emily C-D.

Eve Hanan
Enter into the intimacy of a re-interpreted Arabic coffee house where coffee is served in small cups while Hanan dances and musicians play. After coffee, guests may choose to have the fortune teller read their fortunes in the coffee grounds remaining in the cup. Hanan collaborates with percussionist, Daveed Korup , oud player, Guillermo Christie, and fortune teller, Marceline White.

Fluct Dance Projects
Monica Mirabile and Sigrid Lauren excite audiences through an immersive environment of avant garde dance.

Fluid Movement
Fluid Movement Milkmaids, a gang of stereo robots, and a goat on wheels with a boom box will lead a parade of dancers and audience down Lanvalle. Anymore need to be said?

Flux/Us Dance Projects
Flux/us integrates local music with dance in a spontaneous collaboration of play. Pedestrian movements blur the lines between artist in performance and artist as self within the interactive environment. Flux/Us is also collaborating with Tek Subport, Ben Bor, and Slant Rhyme among other local musicans.

Full Circle Dance Company
Full Circle moves audiences through a collection of their breathtaking repertory.

Isa Leal
Isa Leal and company uses contact improvisation, The Tunning Score, and authentic movement to engage audiences in building a collaborative work. Audiences affect the movement using words that trigger actions, such as repeat and reverse.

Jayne Bernasconi
Bernasconi's work, "Suspended Characters" blends equal parts movement and action theatre with single point trapeze. Influenced by her surroundings, moving characters fly live instead of on screen at The Charles Theatre.

Keur Khaleyi African Dance Company
Keur Khaleyi African Dance Company excites and rejuvenates audiences through their performance of live dance and music in the Calvert/Federal Park.

Sky Blue Pink/Carl Stevens
Alongside the new MICA art installation, performance art collaborative "Sky Blue Pink" entertains and entrances audiences through the use of elaborate costumes, unique characters, and raw talent. The Honey Carryout INVITED installation is by artist Shana Goestch.

The Collective
In collaboration with the local band, The Water, The Collective creates an immersive performance experience in Area 405. Audience is involved in the performance and able to move fluidly throughout the environment.

VTDance
VTDance immerses audiences through movement and spoken word based on the rich history of The Charles Theatre.

withhart.dance.projects
withhart.dance.projects merges live improvised movement and music with MICA art installation outside the unique setting of Pearson's Florist. The result of this performance shifts and redesigns the common environment. Pearson's INVITED installation is by artist Amy Boone McCreesh.