Great Expectations is one of British master Charles Dickens’s most beloved novels, and the character he created for it of Miss Havisham is one of his most famous. Dance NOW! Miami Artistic Director Hannah Baumgarten will reimagine her in a world premiere dance theater piece, "Havisham!," on February 7 and 8 at North Miami Beach’s iconic Ancient Spanish Monastery.
Conceived from a female perspective, with the stunning backdrop of the location to help tell the story, audiences will roam through the oldest building in the Americas for this site-specific, interactive evening. They will be accompanied by the sounds of the South Beach Chamber Ensemble playing music from Bartok to Gershwin. “My new work provides a compassionate backstory to this often-reviled literary villain who was never even afforded a first name,” said Baumgarten. ”This is a continuation of my ongoing approach to reframing historical and classical stories in my choreography.” 
Bruce F. Brown, a veteran Dance Now colleague, will transform the Monastery into scenes from the novel, creating the famed wedding table and transporting the audience back to Victorian England. Long-time collaborators Haydee and Maria Morales have conceived and created dramatic Gothic and Spanish-influenced costumes for this 45-minute site-specific ballet.
Tickets for all performances, Wednesday, February 7, and Thursday, February 8, twice nightly at 6:30 and 8:00 pm, are $25 for general admission and $15 for students with valid ID. Please note there are a limited 50 tickets on sale per performance. Advance tickets and complete information are at www.dancenowmiami.org/events/havisham. The Ancient Spanish Monastery is fully wheelchair accessible, with free onsite parking available. It is at 16711 West Dixie Highway, North Miami Beach, FL. To request materials in an accessible format or any disability accommodation, visit www.dancenowmiami.org or contact Dance NOW! at (305) 975-8489 and info@dancenowmiami.org.
Support for “Havisham!” is provided in part by the State of Florida Division of Arts and Culture, the Florida Council of Arts and Culture and the State of Florida (Section 286.25, Florida Statutes); and the Miami-Dade Department of Cultural Affairs, the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Mayor and the Board of County Commissioners; in collaboration with the Ancient Spanish Monastery Foundation and the South Beach Chamber Ensemble.
Additional support for Dance NOW! Miami includes City of Miami Beach Cultural Affairs Program, Cultural Arts Council; the City of Coral Gables; Funding Arts Broward; Citizens Interested in Arts; Miami Salon Group; the Kirk Foundation; the Cornelia T. Bailey Foundation; Florida Dance Education Organization; Miami Dance Futures; Foundation for New Education Initiatives; Miami ArtZine; the Samara Fund; the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau; the South Beach Group; KCC Productions; Akerman Law firm; Northern Trust Bank; the City of Miami Parks and Recreation Department and the Little Haiti Cultural Complex; and other donors. Dance NOW! is also funded by The Children’s Trust. The Trust is a dedicated source of revenue established by voter referendum to improve the lives of children and families in Miami-Dade County. Dance NOW! is in a resident company of the Little Haiti Cultural Complex and the Miami Beach Bandshell.
