November 5, 2008 — Internationally renowned dancer and choreographer Bill T. Jones arrives at the University of Virginia  Sunday for a weeklong collaborative workshop and residency to research his new work celebrating the bicentennial of Abraham Lincoln's birth.

The week's events kick off with the inaugural Assembly for the Arts, "Opening the Door to Creativity," at 8 p.m. Sunday in Old Cabell Hall Auditorium. The public is invited to explore the significance of creativity and community building with Jones and members of the University community.
 
The assembly will be hosted by Elizabeth Hutton Turner, vice provost for the arts, and Thomas Skalak, vice president for research. Jones will be the featured speaker.

Skalak, commented on the collaboration between research and the arts, noted that exploration, creativity and the creation of knowledge are inextricably linked.

"It is our hope that this event on the historic grounds of U.Va. will stimulate reflection on the significance of Lincoln's legacy in this nation and worldwide, and also serve as a metaphor for our own way forward at the intersection of art, science, and innovation," he said.

Tickets are free and available at the Cabell Hall, Culbreth Theatre, Newcomb Hall and Paramount Theatre box offices. A limited number of tickets will be available at the door.

Other events during the residency include an interview with Jones by Deborah McDowell, director of the Carter G. Woodson Institute for African-American and African Studies; master classes; a lecture/demonstration with Jones and members of the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company; and a performance on the Lower Lawn on Nov. 15.