The Art of Science

The Liz Lerman Dance Exchange is going experimental. On Sunday at the BlackRock Center for the Arts, the troupe will create a laboratory of sorts, bringing together choreographers and geneticists, dancers and molecular biologists in an evening of dance, theater and scientific inquiry.

The laboratory has provided much inspiration for the Takoma Park-based troupe, from dances about cell division to conversations about the ethics of mapping the human genome. "The reason I am especially engaged in this kind of science," says Associate Artistic Director Elizabeth Johnson, "is because it's all about our bodies. And it has shown me the incredible beauty, capacity and brilliance of our bodies. It's almost like a spiritual awakening for me . . . to see what we know and what we don't know."

The program, "Science on Stage: Art in the Laboratory," explores how science and art intersect. It grew out of a project that Artistic Director Liz Lerman premiered in 2006 called "Ferocious Beauty: Genome." Lerman and her colleagues spent almost three years visiting laboratories, consulting with scientists and observing the process for mapping the human genome.

"This has completely changed my perspective about what science is and why we should care," Johnson says. "In its simplest form, I learned that science is not about facts; science is about questions."

Carla Easter, a molecular geneticist who will participate in Sunday's program, points out the similarities between the choreographic and scientific processes. "Choreography, and dance in particular, is very similar to planning a scientific experiment," says Easter, who trained in ballet as a high-schooler. "There's a certain creative process that goes along with trying to visualize the experiment . . . just like when you choreograph a piece you visualize what it will look like." In both cases, she adds, the outcome is unknown until the experiment or dance is completed.

The BlackRock program will also offer opportunities for audience members to both dance and pose questions of the scientists and artists. "This evening is not simply a performance," Johnson says. "We're asking people to come in as scientist-researchers. We're asking that they participate and inquire and investigate."

Elements of "Ferocious Beauty: Genome" and "Science on Stage" will be part of "Cells: The Universe Inside Us," a spring exhibit at Baltimore's Maryland Science Center.

Science on Stage: Art in the Laboratory BlackRock Center for the Arts, 12901 Town Commons Dr., Germantown. 301-528-2260. http://www.blackrockcenter.org. Sunday at 7:30 p.m. $25-$30.