Dance icon Debbie Allen is one of the most respected talents in the entertainment industry. With 3 Emmy Awards for choreography, Debbie is internationally recognized as a director, choreographer and author and is currently the Director for television drama Grey’s Anatomy (which she has also starred in). She is well known for her role in the hit television series  FAME, winning two Emmys and one Golden Globe for her work. Her dancing, choreography and directing credits across television, film, stage and Broadway are numerous and enviable, yet she continues to inspire dancers at all levels of training at her prestigious dance studio – The Debbie Allen Dance Academy in Los Angeles.

In an exclusive interview, Dance Informa spoke with Debbie Allen in early January about the world premiere she is developing for this year’s Brisbane Festival in Australia.

Auditions have started for Season Nine of So You Think You Can Dance, and Dance Informa’s been there to catch the action.

Dance Informa spoke to Nigel Lythgoe, Cat Deeley, Mary Murphy, guest judge Debbie Allen and Co-Executive Producer Jeff Thacker at the Atlanta auditions. With the elimination of the “Results Show” this season, there are many changes in store for the popular reality dance show.

Watch these video interviews to find out about Season Nine, and much, much more.

Top photo: Cat Deeley and Nigel Lythgoe of So You Think You Can Dance. ©2011 Fox Broadcasting Co. Adam Rose/FOX

By Alex Little.

Terry Beeman, 45 years old, is like the Madonna of dance; he continues to evolve, revealing even more facets on the diamond of the artist that he is. From dancing on international tours with Paula Abdul, Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey, to films such as Showgirls (Terry was the principal male dancer, partnering both leading ladies), to performing in aerial circus shows and with his company Mental Head Circus, Terry is a talented and tenacious jack of all trades.

When did you start dancing?

Dance started late for me, when I was a senior in high school at 18 years old, at a small studio in my hometown of Kansas City, MO called “Dance Factory”.  I was self taught in many respects. It came fairly naturally to me. I started because I was a gymnast, and my coach wanted me to find better alignment in my tumbling. I must have been tumbling crooked! Needless to say, I stuck with dance.

So clearly you had some talent and passion?

I moved to New York as soon as I could. I think I was 20 years old. My first teacher Denise Webb had just moved there so I followed her and trained with her at Steps on Broadway. I studied with a lot of teachers: Rick Atwell, Michele Asaff and Michele Kadison, to name a few. I trained in a variety of genres, at all the studios in NY. I knew it was good to be well rounded. When I was training you took classes in everything. You weren’t just a jazz dancer or hip hop dancer. You were everything.

When did your career take off?

It all started for me at 21 years old, when I auditioned for and got a big show in Italy called Fantistico Otto (or “Fantastic Eight”). It was a really big variety show in Italy. I was the lead male dancer. It taught me everything. I credit Heather Parisi for teaching me how to perform. We had to learn 2 – 3 dance numbers in a week, then actually perform them live every week! It was amazing! It taught me how to learn fast, and be ready to perform.

Terry Beeman. Photo by Vance at True Image Concepts.

Two years later, at 23 years old, I was back in NY, and began teaching at Steps while I was training. In NY you could still teach and train- and that was ‘cool’. Everybody instantly wanted to know what I learned in Italy, so people came to train with me.  I was teaching hot, sexy jazz. That was all we did back then. I taught in NY for about 10 years.

When did you begin to teach in LA?

During my 20s I was going back and forth to Italy for 6 or 8 more shows, and I met dancers from Los Angeles who spread the buzz about me on the west coast. Shortly thereafter, I was in LA for my first commercial job for Adidas, and I began teaching at the Edge.

What have been your most notable jobs?

My first tour was with Whitney Houston, then Paula Abdul. I finished Mariah Carey’s tour last year. My first film was Eraser. It was my first time dancing in drag. I learned a lot about how to go over the top. Before that I had only had experience doing jazz, sexy jazz, and lyrical. Showgirls was my biggest film. I mainly worked in LA in the commercial world of film, video and tours. I never really worked in New York because in my 20’s I wasn’t much of a theatrical dancer. That came later in my life.

How did you start choreographing?

I always had a knack with combining steps. I enjoyed it.  It has always flowed for me.

Did you begin your own company so you could choreograph?

Yes! When I want something or when times are tough, I go to the drawing board and create what I am looking for. Terry Beeman Dance Company began in my mid 30’s because I wanted to create.

When did you start aerial work?

I didn’t start until I was 36 years old- ten years ago!

Wow! Your work is of such high caliber. How did you become so strong at aerial?

Thank you. Well, I train a lot.  After our first show I found a little studio here, in LA, called Hollywood Aerial Arts and began training, and eventually teaching there.

Your current aerial show, Mental Head Circus, is one of the most phenomenal shows I have ever seen. How did Mental Head Circus begin?

Everything I have created starts the same way. I am out of work and poor, but I am not going to sit still, so I begin my next project. Through nothing I created something. With several years of aerial training, I decided to create a “twisted aerial dance cabaret”. To create a “pretty” vaudeville circus show, not the gypsie type, but more theatrical – something different.

How long has the show been running?

We are going onto our 4^th year. It is held at King King in Hollywood. It’s a really raw space, which is perfect for us. We are always evolving and changing it up, performing once, twice, and sometimes three times a month.

What are your goals for Mental Head Circus?

I have huge aspirations for the Mental Head Circus. I want 3 variations. I would like a live circus tent traveling show, a Broadway show, and a movie. I am writing songs right now as well as a screenplay. One of the songs is called “I believe” to remind me to keep going.

How are you funded?

I am not. All the money is out of my own pocket right now. When I have the money I buy T-shirts for promotion, or update the costumes. Basically whatever I can do, I do it. But I do have a great fan base. Our audience is growing.

How do you keep up the momentum and the dream?

I am so blessed to have the cast I have. They are loyal and they believe in me and the vision…more than I do. They love the show so much. They love how it feels, and the art of it.

You have been approached by reality TV shows. How do you feel about putting Mental Head Circus out there in that medium?

I don’t like the dramatization of those shows, so I have avoided them in the past. I want Mental Head to be shown in its true light. I also have always been a stickler on working hard and earning everything because of my talent and years of hard work.  At this point, however, if this is a way to get out there, make money and possibly get a show in Vegas, for instance, then I am willing to do it! So we will see what this year brings.

How can people outside LA access Mental Head Circus?

On YouTube and at our Facebook fan page.
www.facebook.com/MentalHeadCircus

For more information on Terry visit www.terrybeeman.com

Top photo by Vance at True Image Concepts.

By Emily Yewell Volin.

George Staib, Artistic Director of Staibdance, has been a player in the Atlanta dance scene for many years.  Dance Informa sat down with George and Staibdance Managing Director Kathleen Wessel to hear what makes Staibdance unique among Atlanta’s many contemporary modern dance companies.

From February 2^nd-4^th Staibdance will perform Name Day, presented by Emory University Dance. Name Day is inspired by George’s childhood experiences living in Iran and the identity he developed with Iranian, Armenian, and American cultures.  During the Spring 2011 semester George studied with the famous Batsheva company in Tel Aviv and says he and his work were transformed during that time. George shares, “It hit me over the head when I was in Israel. I realized a kinship with an Armenian guy in Israel”. George felt at home and ‘indigenous’ with the culture in which he was immersed.  “For so long when people asked, ‘Where are you from?’ George would answer ‘Pennsylvania’,” says Kathleen.  “I think part of this is because growing up in PA, he was very much made to feel like an outsider and was teased mercilessly for being Middle Eastern. After finally feeling validated in Israel, he came back a changed person and now embraces his cultural roots.” She adds that as an artist, and as George’s spouse, the “shift makes me happy”.

Staibdance presents 'Name Day'. Photo Dustin Chambers

The transformation was personal and artistic.  Before working with the Batsheva company George rarely incorporated improvisation into his creative process.  After being immersed for five weeks in the highly structured Batsheva process for improvisation George admits to being “a totally different dancer with a totally different perspective”.  You can learn more about George’s reflections by visiting the blog he kept during his studies in Tel Aviv – http://movingtowardshome.wordpress.com/

While watching dance in Israel George discerned that “American [choreographers] are using dance to decorate their text.  It’s more about what I’m hearing than what I’m seeing and feeling about the dancers.  In Israel the text was little punctuation marks in the work.  Every [performance] I saw was in Hebrew and I had no idea what was being said though I had my own interpretation.  So often [American choreographers] have to be right and people have to ‘get it’ or we go so obscure that you don’t even want the audience to be with you”.

George, in his uniquely genuine and funny manner, declares that before his trip to Israel he had started to think of his work as “Beef Wellington – a classic dish that nobody eats anymore.  I was doing something that people had already seen.  What I’m working towards now is finding work that is not so political, that is more sociological, and personal.”  He strives to create “something that can be sticky, leaving something on your hands, but you can enjoy it too.  I want people to come away with a feeling and a connection, feeling something but not a political agenda.  It’s the human element.” George’s process and work have grown as a result of his reflections.  He says, “now I have permission to do my work, to go with my gut and not make work through the eyes of the Atlanta dance community”.

Name Day promises to be “a highly physical and theatrical jaunt through a much misunderstood part of the world”. Tickets for Name Day are available through www.dance.emory.edu.

The 3^rd Staibdance Summer Intensive will be held this June 30-July 15 in Sorrento, Italy and registrants can expect “lots of individual attention in a very safe and international program”, says George. “It’s an intimate setting. They step off the plane and there’s a Staibdance sign.  From there they are not treated as tourists but are immersed in the culture as contributing artists.”

Photo by Dustin Chambers

Tuition covers all classes, meals, and excursions and an exciting addition to this year’s class schedule is Gaga classes, which will be taught by a member of the Batsheva Company.  Dancers will also train in ballet, yoga, modern, and a blend of conditioning and Pilates.

“Classes are intense”, adds Wessel.  “Everybody sees what kind of dancer you are and there are a lot of individual comments and attention.  The ‘why’ is explored very deliberately. During the last couple of days we talk about what each dancer is working on and thinking about as a result of the two weeks.  Every dancer gets support.  It’s your time to work without worry about side jobs.  For two weeks this dancing is your job.”  Staib elaborates, “It’s such a gorgeous place right along the Amalfi Coast and for two weeks this is real life.  It’s so satisfying.  It’s also exciting to have new bodies from so many places. It’s a new challenge teaching wise.  We keep class sizes small and that, combined with good energy, makes us able to make shifts in scheduling according to the dynamics of the group.”

The Staibdance Summer Intensive also incorporates a culminating contemporary modern dance performance opportunity for all registrants.  This rare performance opportunity is made even sweeter by the fact that it takes place in Sorrento’s beautiful Parco Ibsen Amphitheater.  “We were brought to Sorrento to expose modern dance to an area of Italy that hasn’t seen this type of dance.  This free public concert is a gift back to the city”, explains Staib.  Performance pieces for the concert will stem from Staibdance’s repertoire and, for the first time this year, a piece created during the Intensive.

The ideal candidate for the Staibdance Summer Intensive is a dancer of any age over 18 who has dance experience of at least the intermediate level and who is open to learning about new cultures, taking risks and meeting new people.  For more information visit http://sites.google.com/site/staibdance/

Top photo by Dustin Chambers

The Dance and Entertainment Event of the Year!

Capezio celebrates 125 years in 2012 with a one night only special show on Monday, April 23 at New York City Center. Conceived and directed by Ann Marie DeAngelo, the Anniversary Gala will be a glorious production highlighting some of the magical history of Capezio with numerous dance legends and stars of stage and screen saluting the milestone. The best of the best in American dance and entertainment will be presented, reflecting on Capezio’s integral role in the history of dance and entertainment in America and abroad.  The program of dance and song will present numerous genres, styles and mediums of performance.  

Win A Double Pass!

Just email Dance Informa at info@danceinforma.com and tell us Why you love Capezio!
Include your Name, Date of Birth, Address, Phone Number and State. 

The most creative or interesting answer will win, as judged by Dance Informa’s Editorial Team.

This ‘game of skill’ giveaway will be drawn on April 1. There is 1 Double Pass to giveaway. The lucky winner will be notified by phone. If the winner is un-contactable by phone and email, a second chance winner will be drawn on April 5. To review our Privacy Statement click here

By Emily Harrison MS, RD, LD.

Have a 100-200 calorie snack before class or rehearsal to give you energy, but not weigh you down.

100 Calorie Snacks
1½ slices of wheat bread
1 medium banana
½ plain whole wheat bagel
2 fig type cookies
20 mini-pretzels
1 piece string cheese and 5 crackers
1 cup orange juice
½ banana with 2 tsp of peanut butter spread on it
20 yogurt raisins
1 large grapefruit
1 large apple
3 small peaches
25 seedless grapes
½ cantaloupe with large spoonful of whipped topping
½ cup sweetened applesauce with ¼ cup berries
½ cup cottage cheese with ¼ cup fruit
6 oz low fat yogurt (120 cal)
½ cup (4oz) ice cream (110 cal)
4 squares of graham crackers
1 large orange (2 clementines)
5 dried apricots
1½ cups regular microwave popcorn
1 cup sweet red pepper slices with 3 tbs hummus
1 cup baby carrots with 1.5 tbs of ranch dressing
1½ cups white rice with 10 endamames and soy sauce
12 almonds
20 peanuts
5 Triscuits

Emily Harrison
Emily Cook Harrison MS, RD, LD
Emily is a registered dietitian and holds both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in nutrition from Georgia State University. Her master’s thesis research was on elite level ballet dancers and nutrition and she has experience providing nutrition services for weight management, sports nutrition, disordered eating, disease prevention, and food allergies. Emily was a professional dancer for eleven years with the Atlanta Ballet and several other companies. She is a dance educator and the mother of two young children. She now runs the Centre for Dance Nutrition and Healthy Lifestyles. She can be reached at emily@dancernutrition.com www.dancernutrition.com

By Rain Francis.

Test your knowledge of cultural dances from around the world.

Let us know how many answers you get right on Facebook. Just ‘Like ’ us and then post your score on our wall at facebook.com/danceinforma

What style of dancing would you most likely be doing if you were at a Milonga?

a) Salsa

b) Tango

c) Polonaise

d) Krumping

In what country would you most likely be if you saw a Haka performed live?

a) Australia

b) Papua New Guinea

c) New Zealand

d) Peru

Which of the following is not a popular Latin ballroom dance?

a) Salsa

b) Ballet

c) Samba

d) Rumba

Which of the following are not traditionally used in Morris dancing?

a) Handkerchiefs

b) Broomsticks

c) Swords

d) Bells

Which instrument would be most likely to accompany Highland dancing?

a) Panpipes

b) Banjo

c) Bongo

d) Bagpipes

What name is best associated with Irish dancing?

a) Michael Flatley

b) Paddy Brennan

c) Peter Martins

d) Mikhail Baryshnikov

The Mazurka and the Polonaise are traditional dances of which European country?

a) Germany

b) Finland

c) Poland

d) Romania

Billy Ray Cyrus is a name best associated with what style of dancing?

a) Breakdancing

b) Highland dancing

c) Square dancing

d) Line dancing

With which country would you associate Butoh?

a) Thailand

b) Japan

c) Scotland

d) China

Originating from Vienna in the late 17^th century, The Waltz is a popular dance in which time signature?

a) 3/4

b) 4/4

c) 6/8

d) 2/4

Answers: 1 – b, 2 – c, 3 – b, 4 – b, 5 – d, 6 – a, 7 – c, 8 – d, 9 – b, 10 – a

Photo: © Anky10 | Dreamstime.com.
Dragos Ana/Diandra Iles, ballroom dancers, 4th place at the Romanian National Contest (Cupa Romaniei), standard section, 12-13 years old. 25 Oct 2009, Timisoara, Romania

By Laura Di Orio

This January, the Association of Performing Arts Presenters (APAP) held its annual four-day conference in New York City, where it unleashed a myriad of performances and dance conversation topics. This year marked the organization’s 56^th conference and centered around the idea of celebrating diversity but uniting in cause. The focus was on community – how those in the performing arts industry have the opportunity to build communities, engage communities and help transform communities through the power of live performance.

The association itself was founded in 1957 and was originally a gathering of college arts presenters. Quickly, though, APAP morphed into an association of people who worked specifically in the performing arts industry rather than the visual or literary arts. Today, APAP has about 1,500 members and is based in Washington, D.C.

APAP holds its conference in NYC each year, as the organization sees this city as the hub of the performing arts industry in the United States. This year 3,500 people attended the conference, held from January 6 to 10, and housed in the Hilton New York in midtown Manhattan.

APAP's Expo Hall at the Hilton New York. Photo by Alicia Anstead/APAP

There were over 1,000 showcases – some ticketed and most non-ticketed – throughout the city’s boroughs in venues such as the Alvin Ailey Studios, Dance New Amsterdam, Peridance Capezio Center and the Hilton, among others. These showcases, comprised of numerous dance companies, theater groups, musicians and even magicians, allowed these varying artistic voices to be seen and heard by a concentrated collection of arts presenters, agents, theater bookers, managers and other figures in the performing arts community. While APAP itself does not oversee any potential business transactions between a performing arts group and agents or bookers, it is the force that lays down the framework and organizes the timeframe for everyone to come together.

APAP also hosts an Expo Hall, one of the largest marketplaces for the performing arts industry in the world. This year, 350 booths took up three floors in a special area of the Hilton. The Expo Hall makes no distinction between “high” and “low” arts; rather, it ranges from dance to classical music to the marching band.

Other events at the 2012 conference included a Dance Forum that focused on issues and opportunities in the field, planning sessions that brainstormed how a community’s performing arts organization can remain vital and relevant in that community’s conversation, and discussions on the economic impact of the arts.

“APAP is proud to support all genres of the performing arts, especially dance,” says Mario Garcia Durham, president and CEO of APAP. “We were happy that the Dance Forum took place during APAP|NYC 2012 because we know how important it is to support dance initiatives and new programs, and our conference draws thousands of dance and performing arts professionals who can broaden and strengthen the discussion.”

This year marked Durham’s first term as president of APAP. As the first Mexican-American to hold this position, he remains committed to diversity and ensuring that that is the message and manner of the organization. Planning for next year’s APAP, to be held in NYC from January 11 to 15, 2013, is already underway.

Top photo: APAP’s Pecha Kucha, a plenary session about “What great acts have happened in our community?” Photo by Jacob Belcher/APAP

By Laura Di Orio.

Dance and Broadway fans have a lot to look forward to this year with the new NBC musical drama, Smash. With an all-star cast, exciting choreography and Steven Spielberg behind it all, this newest show to hit the dance television craze is sure to be a … well, smash.

Smash, which premieres on February 6 and will air every Monday at 10 p.m. ET on NBC, tells the story of producing a Broadway musical – the ups and downs, the casting issues and real-life drama that threatens to hinder its progress. Debra Messing and Christian Borle play Julia and Tom, a successful songwriting duo, who hope to freshen up the Broadway scene and create a new musical based on Marilyn Monroe. Angelica Huston plays the musical’s producer, and other big stars like Uma Thurman and Bernadette Peters will make appearances throughout the series.

Much of Smash revolves around the decision of who to cast as the voluptuous, talented Monroe. Will it be Ivy Lynn, already a seasoned Broadway performer, or will it be Karen Cartwright (played by Katharine McPhee of American Idol fame), a small town girl with big dreams? Throughout the season, decisions will waver and scandals will ensue to ensure the right girl gets the part.

As if the theater drama wasn’t enough for the characters, issues in life outside – an adoption and a potential divorce, just to name a few – make things even more difficult. But, like in life, the show must go on, and Smash’s Monroe musical must fight its way through opening night, when it’s up to the audience to determine its success.

Cast of Smash in rehearsal. Photo by Will Hart/NBC

The team behind Smash is a strong one – many with a Broadway past – and everyone is attached to the idea of making the show as realistic as possible. Spielberg will team with Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, both adept in Broadway shows and musical-inspired movies (they produced Chicago and Hairspray), as Smash’s executive producers. Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, songwriters from Hairspray, will write Smash’s catchy tunes.

Josh Bergasse, a NYC-based choreographer and faculty member at Broadway Dance Center, is the show’s lead choreographer for season one. Bergasse himself has danced on Broadway in Hairspray and The Life, and also on tour in Movin’ Out and West Side Story. With Bergasse in reign of the moves, Smash’s numbers will be exciting and athletic.

Already there is a strong online community for Smash’s fans, who have begun to proclaim themselves as ‘Team Ivy’ or ‘Team Karen’. NBC’s website has tons of photos and behind-the-scenes interviews with the cast, and the show has its own facebook and twitter page with more special features and episode information. Many of Smash’s songs will also be available for sale on iTunes each week.

When the show starts airing in a few day’s time, tell us what you think by posting your comments below.

Top photo: Megan Hilty as ‘Ivy Lynn’ in Smash. Photo by Will Hart/NBC

Choreographer David Fernandez bids adieu to New York with ‘Some Dance’

By Laura Di Orio

One rehearsal with choreographer David Fernandez is like a party – his energy is contagious, his humor non-stop, and his work makes his dancers want to dance. So imagining a string of rehearsals and 60 professional dancers culminating in one evening of Fernandez’s work seems unreal – like some giant dance party.

On February 27, 2012, at New York City’s El Teatro at El Museo del Barrio, Fernandez will present a collection of his work as he bids adieu to New York before relocating to London to be with his children. The performance will feature friends and dancers with whom he has worked from New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theatre and NYC’s freelance dance community.

Altogether, Fernandez calls his project ‘Some Dance Company’ – a group that will simply gather together for the sake of the joy of dance. “We are here to dance,” Fernandez says. “Just press play and we will dance…a lot!”

In the early fall of 2011, freelance dancer Kimberly Gianelli and a friend first conceived the idea to celebrate Fernandez and his work in New York before his move. What began as an event that involved 18 dancers in a 180-seat theater has since blossomed into a performance of nearly 100 dancers – about 60 professionals and 40 of Fernandez’s students – and will now be housed in the 600-seat venue of El Teatro. Gianelli, a first-time producer of such an event, did the bulk of the fundraising on Kickstarter.com and used facebook as a means to spread the word.

“I want David to embrace this opportunity and present his work with the integrity it deserves,” Gianelli says. “I want the audience to walk away having seen a performance that made them feel entertained and happy, and to have introduced them to a collection of incredible dancers and a kind and talented creator.”

Fernandez was born in Mexico City and trained at the Centro de Arte y Ballet and later Giordano Jazz Dance in Chicago. He has choreographed works for Dance Theatre of Harlem Ensemble, New Jersey Ballet, Opera North, Staten Island Ballet, and Westchester Ballet Company, amongst others. He has also been commissioned to create works for such ballet stars as Ask La Cour and Joaquin De Luz, both of whom will perform in the Some Dance Company performance.

Fernandez describes his choreography as “a very simple dance vocabulary that can range from classical pieces to modern works, with a focus on musicality. I don’t like to make heavy statements, have a super philosophy, try to change the dance world or fall victim to the pressure of having to say something very smart,” he adds. “They are quite simply pieces focused on just dance.”

ABT's Luciana Paris and Argentine tango dancer Claudio Asprea, who will perform a tango number at the February 27 performance. Photo by Renata Pavam

ABT’s Luciana Paris says she looks forward to dancing at this event. “David has always been about having fun,” she says. “Some Dance Company is a group of dancers who were touched in some way by his potential, his drive, his inspiration, and his artistry, who want to dance in celebration of that.”

The current roster – including La Cour, De Luz, NYCB’s Gonzalo Garcia, Amar Ramasar, Chase Finlay and Savannah Lowery, and ABT’s Luciana Paris, Maria Riccetto and Nicole Graniero – is proof that dancers enjoy working with Fernandez. On a Monday night, which is, for many professional dancers, a day off, they will instead be donating their time and talent in his honor.

“David breaks through the limitation of choreographer and learns everything he can about his dancers – inside and out,” says Lowery, who will dance in Fernandez’s White Shirt, Black Tie, Black Pants. “He is a friend in the most loyal sense and inspires his dancers through his friendship and love of the art.”

Garcia, a NYCB principal, agrees. “He is a great guy, who I would hang out with and talk about life and ballet for hours,” Garcia says. “I love to be able to support a new talent who is so excited about his work and dance in general.”

“Professionals recognize his artistry,” Gianelli says. “David is so musical and provides a dancer an opportunity to explore so many different types of movements. His work has a sense of humor and a light-hearted nature that brings out a sense of joy. It is also quite challenging and demands a lot of stamina from the dancer. It’s like a puzzle piece that always fits together so seamlessly.”

“I have no words to describe the overwhelming feeling that I have from this event,” Fernandez says. “To know that all my dancers, friends and students have collaborated to make this possible and that they like to dance my pieces is the biggest honor that I can ever have. Because it comes from the dancers it is so special. Without them I’m nothing. I could have many ideas, but no dancer, no choreography and no fun.”

As a way to give thanks to the dancers for their time and energy, Fernandez has decided to donate all net proceeds from the February 27 performance to Career Transition for Dancers, an organization dedicated to providing a variety of resources to dancers.

To purchase tickets to “Some Dance Company: A David Fernandez Celebration”, featuring about 14 of Fernandez’s works, some old and a couple new, visit his website at www.davidferndance.com/tickets.htm.

Top photo: NYCB Principal Joaquin De Luz in rehearsal with David Fernandez