Part 1: Getting Insured.

By Stephanie Wolf.

A dancer’s ability to work and earn income is dependent on optimal health and physical condition. Therefore, proper healthcare is essential for longevity in the dance profession. But, unfortunately, many American dancers are under or uninsured due to the rising costs of healthcare and the complexity of applying for an insurance plan. Finding affordable health insurance is a dizzying feat, especially for freelance dancers who lack the option of obtaining insurance through their employers. The Internet is inundated with information and the nation’s capital is all a buzz with talk of healthcare reform, but what does it all mean?

Many dancers fall into the 10 to 11% of Americans who get their insurance through the individual healthcare market and dancers are amongst the highest percentage of uninsured artists. High premiums make it challenging to find the right plan. Additionally, because of the intense physicality of the dance profession, many dancers have difficulty getting approved for a plan because of a pre-existing condition. Organizations such as the Actor’s Fund, Media Bistro, TEIGIT, the Freelancer’s Union, and other artist-based unions provide tools and resources for healthcare options, playing a role in ensuring the health of American artists.

The Actor’s Fund (AF) is at the forefront of this cause – helping more than 400,000 performers every year gain access to healthcare – and gears a lot of their services towards dancers. Since 1998, AF has worked with dancers, and now has several comprehensive online tools and one-to-one counseling options to help dancers continue to perform at their best. One tool is the Artists’ Health Insurance Resource Center (AHIRC), which provides listings for workshops, counseling, and an online database of plans, subsidized healthcare, and government programs for each state. Spearheading these programs is AF’s Director of Healthcare Services James Brown who has an extensive background in health insurance and is a healthcare regulator in New Jersey.

Currently, AF is conducting a large dancer healthcare initiative through a grant from the Doris Duke Foundation. The project involves workshops and seminars in 10 dance-centric cities around the country: Manhattan, Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Chicago, Washington DC, Houston, Seattle, Philadelphia, and Minneapolis/St. Paul. Brown will conduct the workshops and engage with both dancers and people who run dance organizations in conversations about the laws and availability of health insurance in each of their corresponding cities. AF is also working on creating webinars for those that can’t attend the workshops.

On the individual level, Brown will address dancers’ questions and concerns about finding affordable health insurance. Understanding that health insurance is “a local business,” he’ll give details on the laws, availability, and costs surrounding individual plans. Brown will also discuss affordable or free healthcare options available in each city, such as clinics and pharmaceutical programs.

For those in managerial positions, Brown will break down the Small Business Health Insurance Subsidy, which is part of the Affordable Care Act – also known as Obama Care. “This is an opportune time for dance organizations,” says Brown of the healthcare reform, because it might give small dance companies the ability to afford coverage for their dancers. This piece of legislation offers small businesses and arts organizations, who pay at least 50% of their employee’s health insurance costs, the chance to receive a subsidy from the government to help cover the extra expense. Brown will walk arts administrators through the eligibility factors, the protocol of applying, and what aspects need to be discussed with an accountant.

On a regular basis, AF also conducts individual healthcare counseling. Dancers can access these services by either calling the fund at 1-800-798-8447 ext. 280 or e-mailing Brown at jbrown@actorfund.org. Brown will discuss individual coverage options, as well as coverage for spouses, partners, or family members.

However, many dancers simply can’t afford insurance. For these individuals there are a number of free or sliding scale based healthcare facilities throughout the country. Dancers residing in Manhattan can receive treatment at the Al Hirschfeld Clinic, an AF run clinic in Midtown. The facility is New York’s only completely free clinic and administers healthcare services for anyone in the performing arts or entertainment industry who “has done a certain amount of work over the past two years.” Dr. James Spears, a doctor and professor with NY Presbyterian Hospital, is the full-time medical director and the clinic has a network of specialists through a program called Broadway Docs. There are a number of similar clinics throughout the country, including the Cleveland Free Clinic, San Francisco Community Consortium, and the Performing Arts Clinic in Los Angeles.

AF also offers a variety of other services for socio-economic issues that come with being a performing artist. Recently, the fund collaborated with Broadway and television star Bebe Neuwirth for a program called Dancers’ Resources – helping dancers cope with being injured and the recovery process.

The information is overwhelming, but the reassuring aspect is that there are organizations and individuals striving to give dancers the healthcare they deserve. Nevertheless, it’s crucial for dancers to stay informed on healthcare changes currently being debated in Washington. The evolution of Obama Care can, and likely will, greatly impact the dance community. Starting in January 2014, the laws and guidelines surrounding healthcare in this country will change drastically, especially if the Supreme Court rules in favor of a major mandate in the Affordable Care Act. Thus, the ‘game,’ as we know it, will change.

Get informed about Obama Care and the future of American healthcare in part 2 of “Healthcare for Dancers” – out in June’s issue!

Resources to get insured or access to affordable healthcare:

• The Actor’s Fund: actorsfund.org
• Dancers’ Health Insurance Research Center: dhirc.org
• Artists’ Health Insurance Research Center: ahirc.org
• The Freelancers Union: freelancersunion.org
• Media Bistro: mediabistro.org
• TEIGIT: teigit.com
• Health Pass (for small business owners or sole proprietors): healthpass.com
• Needy Meds (free and low-cost medications): needymeds.org
• Some major retailers offer inexpensive medication, such as Target and Wal-Mart
• The National Mental Health Service Locator: store.sarnhsa.gov/mhlocator
• The Performing Arts Clinic in LA: brighamandwomens.org/Departments_and_Services/neurology/services/PerformingArtsClinic.aspx
• The Free Medical Clinic of Greater Cleveland: thefreeclinic.org/
• The San Francisco Community Clinic Consortium: sfccc.org

Top image © Andre Blais | Dreamstime.com

Published by Dance Informa digital dance magazine – dance news, dance auditions & dance events for the professional dancer, dance teacher and dance students.

By Emily Yewell Volin.

The Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP) is a prestigious annual ballet competition dedicated to student dancers ages 9-19, attracting approximately 5,000 competitors to its twelve US regional and four international competitions.  Of the 2012 competing dancers, 300 students from 26 countries advanced to the finals.  Dance Informa spoke with YAGP founder Larissa Saveliev just before the annual finals, which convened from April 22-26 in New York.  She shared that “more than ½ of the finalists leave NY with some sort of scholarship to pursue their dance education further.”

The Youth America Grand Prix has been receiving some deserved attention thanks to the award-winning ballet documentary First Position scheduled to come to cinemas in May 2012.  The documentary follows six young dancers as they balance the physical and emotional demands of competing in the Youth America Grand Prix with the similar inherent demands of adolescence.  As the movie suggest, the process is riveting and demanding.  Dancers competing in the YAGP are adjudicated on two performances; a classical piece selected from an approved list of repertoire, and an open piece intended to allow opportunity for the dancers to show themselves in a different style of dance. Some opt to forgo pointe shoes in favor of showcasing themselves in a modern piece while others select new classical choreography to showcase their performance range.  Saveliev explains, “right now you cannot find a company in the world who only does Swan Lake.  We try to prepare them for a future career and try to guide them in how to find a job and how to find scholarships.  You have to be versatile. It is an extremely important point we try to teach them.”

Friedemann Vogel & Alicia Amatriain of Stuttgart Ballet perform at YAGP Gala 2012. Photo by Liza Voll

The YAGP is unique in its service to the youngest set of student ballet dancers and the rewards of competing last a lifetime.  Scholarships pair promising young dancers with premier training and have resulted in an impressive list of alumni.  Former YAGP award-winning dancers are performing in companies around the world, including American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet, Paris Opera Ballet, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, The Royal Ballet, The Hamburg Ballet, The Stuttgart Ballet and others.  Saveliev praises the integral YAGP networking opportunities for helping dancers find their career paths.  And, for the 9-12 year old dancers who are typically too young to leave the country or commit to professional dance, Larissa says YAGP provides them “goals so they can work towards something and tries to educate them about what’s gong on in the world of ballet right now.”  She adds, “We look at ourselves as a membership club.  If you compete once, you become a member for a lifetime.  Any service you need, you get it for the rest of your life.  We’ll be there to help them.”

Larissa has been true to these goals since she and Gennadi Saveliev founded the 501c(3) YAGP organization in 1999.  She is a former dancer with the Bolshoi Ballet who desired an “outlet to learn and get guidance as a teacher” after moving to NY in 1995. Competitions were very popular in Russia.  “You learn so much by seeing it. Teachers watch and see what other teachers are doing,” says Saveliev.   In the 1990s there was nothing in the United States that paralleled the Russian Competitions.  “That’s what gave me the idea to come up with something that would serve this need”, she expands. “We started very small and we worked very, very hard.”

Ballerina Assoluta, Natalia Makarova in honored by YAGP. Photo by Liza Voll

In honor of teaching and inspiring young and old, teacher and student, the YAGP competition includes feature performances.  This year the YAGP presented a tribute event honoring Ballerina Assoluta, Natalia Makarova. The performance celebrated Ms. Makarova’s contribution to the world of ballet by presenting some of her most memorable roles performed by today’s leading dancers, including performers from Stuttgart Ballet, NYCB, ABT, San Francisco Ballet, The Royal Ballet and more. Saveliev adds, “(Makarova) designed the program herself. It had a lot of archival video footage that had never been seen before and she told us about it and talked about her life and the choreographers she worked with.”

The YAGP’s focus on serving young dancers also extends to its historically sold-out culminating Gala performance.  Performed in the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center, and heralded as “The highlight of the season” by Clive Barnes of the New York Post, the gala brings future stars and established stars of today onto the same stage.  “We try to bring all different kinds of choreography and styles to the Gala performance”, says Saveliev.  This year’s event was chaired by American Idol producer Nigel Lythgoe, Black Swan choreographer Benjamin Millepied and prima ballerina Susan Jaffe.  The performance was highlighted with world choreographic premiers by Dresden Ballet’s Jiří Bubenĺček, with an original score by Karen LeFrak, ABT’s Marcelo Gomes, with an original score by Ian Ng, and NYCB’s Justin Peck.  This program featured YAGP alumni who currently perform with over 50 international ballet companies. The opportunity for selected 2012 competition finalists (the stars of tomorrow) to share a concert with current premier dancers from around the world (the stars of today) is awe inspiring.

The Youth America Grand Prix is a crucial coming together of the ballet community – YAGP competitors, alumni, teachers, choreographers, composers, dance legends, enthusiasts, and the attending public.

For more information visit www.yagp.org

Top photo: Grand Defile, photo by Liza Voll

Published by Dance Informa digital dance magazine – dance news, dance auditions & dance events for the professional dancer, dance teacher and dance students.

By Emily Yewell Volin.

Dance/USA, established in1982, is a national dance service organization operating with the mission to do work that sustains and advances professional dance by addressing the needs, concerns, and interests of dance artists, administrators and organizations. A member organization serving over 400 dance companies, service and presenting organizations and individuals, Dance/USA enhances the infrastructure for dance creation, education, and performance. Based in Washington DC,  Dance/USA also has branch offices in Philadelphia and New York City.

“In my 25 years of dance management, no single association has done more than Dance/USA to support my organization’s work through its advocacy, data gathering, and networking activities  or played a more important role in my own professional development and that of our staff,”  says Glenn McCoy, Executive Director of the San Francisco Ballet.

Amy Fitterer, Executive Director of Dance/USA since January 2011 has an infectious enthusiasm for the organization’s dedication to “embrace all things and move forward.” She spoke with Dance Informa regarding Dance/USA’s overarching goals, the people it serves, her personal background in the arts and Dance/USA’s exciting preparations for the 2012 conference during this, its 30^th anniversary year.  Amy says, “Dance/USA has made some very important strides over the years in advocacy and ensuring dance has had a place at the table in Federal policy discussions.  Dance/USA is the sole member based national association for professional dance.”

Amy Fitterer, Executive Director, Dance/USA

What is your background and how does it impact your work as Executive Director of Dance/USA?

“I grew up training as a classical ballet dancer and also as a classical pianist.  I allowed those two art forms to comingle and to impact my education and my career. I was able to run a small music school, perform as a concert pianist, and also perform in a regional ballet company in California until my late 20s.  Then I became very interested in where art meets government.  I decided to get a Masters in Arts Administration and went to Columbia University, which had Student Advocates for the Arts (it was founded there and is a national student-run arts advocacy network). Right before getting into Columbia I was active in everything I could get my hands on with advocacy and policy.  I was able to interview a variety of city council members in NY on their arts policy backgrounds and platforms and I organized students to go to Albany to lobby for the NY State Council of the Arts. I also began to coordinate with Student Advocates For The Arts to come down to Washington to lobby on the federal level for arts policy.  So, it was actually through my graduate studies and my work in government affairs that I encountered Dance/USA.  I was hired after graduate school to be the Government Affairs Director for Dance/USA, which is a shared position with Opera America.  So, for about 3 years, I was able to be on the Hill and at the Federal Government agencies speaking to members in the opera and the dance field around the country about federal advocacy issues.  So I bring to this role both my hands-on experience in making art as a dancer and pianist but also my passion for policy.”

Dance/USA’s work is viewed in 3 umbrella categories:   Leadership & Learning, Research, and Advocacy.  Tell us more about Dance/USA’s work in these areas.

Dance/USA Advocacy:

“Dance/USA maintains a registered lobbyist on staff and we are a founding member of the Performing Arts Alliance, the national advocacy coalition representing over 28,000 members including dance, opera, orchestra, theater, arts presenters, chorus and so forth.  Dance/USA has tracked a variety of issues with the coalition. The top issues we have always been paying attention to include visa policies for foreign guest artists, arts education, cultural exchange, charitable giving laws, and funding for the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities.  Recently, we’ve been lobbying on issues related to wireless microphones and the internet so we’ve been having meetings with the Federal Communication Commission.  All of these policies impact the work that dance companies do in this country.  Dance, in coalition with the rest of the performing arts, needs to have a seat at the table.”

How can people support the advocacy being done by Dance/USA?

“People can sign up to be part of the Dance Advocacy Network, a member listserve we have that sends timely advocacy information, including information about recent meetings on the Hill.  They can respond to calls to action over email action alerts.  Those do make a difference and legislative offices track those records and those responses.  What’s also very important is that anyone working in the field of dance views themselves as an advocate, in the broadest sense, for the art form.  And that they talk about their work not just with their friends and family but with other people they come across.  We all have the responsibility on our shoulders to continue to raise the visibility and the recognition of the public value of our work.”

Dance/USA Leadership and Learning:

“Leadership and Learning goes back to the way Dance/USA was started, it creates a national network of dance leaders.  One of our core membership structures is called ‘Councils’. We group our membership into different Council categories where managers, agents, artistic directors, students and educators can sit in a closed room discussion with their colleagues from another part of the country.  They also get to participate in conference calls and listserves throughout the year.

Also, the national conference for professional dance (hosted by Dance/USA) is the largest annual convening of dance professionals in the United States.  It includes a variety of keynote speakers, break out sessions, council meetings  and dance performances and allows us to focus in on one dance city each year and really try to raise the visibility of dance in that city.

We also do professional development in this category throughout the year.  Right now we have a partnership with NTEN, on a technology leadership training program for individuals in the dance field and a program called The Institute for Leadership Training, which allows for one-on-one coordinated mentorships with individuals across the country and participation in a leadership training seminar.”

Dance/USA Research:

“One of the longest standing programs of Dance/USA is the financial and data surveys it does each year.  It allows participating dance companies who fill out these surveys to see a variety of data points compared across companies.  They can see overall organizational expenses, how ticket revenue is doing and what shows are being performed.  They can also look at staffing size, different staff and board and the breakdown of different revenue sources.  It really allows a dance manager to check in and say, ‘Okay, how am I doing?’.  It’s hard to work in a dance organization because you can feel very isolated.  So, to be able to stop and see how you compare to a fellow dance organization of the same budget size is very informative.”

Tell us more about this year’s Dance/USA conference, which will convene in San Francisco from June 27-30.

“This year’s Dance/USA conference celebrates 30 years by looking forward and moving forward; change is now the norm.  So, with this year’s conference our goal is to embrace trying new things.  We’re partnering with Yerba Buena Center for the Arts and ODC Dance Commons so all our conference sessions, breakouts and performances will be held in arts venues (dance studios and theaters), rather than in a conference hotel.  We are trying to bring the art form more front and center so we have a dance performance during the day that everybody at the conference can attend. We are getting proposals, booking speakers, and coordinating with the host company in San Francisco to decide the themes and threads we want to touch upon.  I’d say the three threads that have come out so far are diversity, community partnerships and technology.  We have a great keynote speaker, Simon Sinek, who not only loves dance but has really innovative approaches to leadership.  I know he is really excited to work with the dance community.”

Learn more about Dance/USA and this year’s conference at www.danceusa.org and www.conference.danceusa.org

By Laura Di Orio.

George Balanchine said, “See the music, hear the dance.” The choreographer, like many dancers, found inspiration for movement within music. To be able to move one’s body to music can be magical enough. And to be able to dance to live music is, for many dancers, a dream.

Here, Dance Informa speaks with professional dancers who enjoy the privilege of performing to live music. The Australian Ballet’s Brooke Lockett, Miami City Ballet’s Rebecca King and Joffrey Ballet’s Fabrice Calmels share their expertise and the joy of making the music come alive.

Brooke Lockett, dancer with The Australian Ballet, backstage during a performance of Sugar Plum. Photo courtesy of Brooke Lockett

Do you prefer dancing to live or pre-recorded music?

Brooke Lockett, Coryphee with The Australian Ballet
The positive to recorded music is you get an inner rhythm and timing, and the work becomes very consistent, and in some cases, almost predictable. You can never assume anything when it’s to live music. The tempo can be faster or it can slow down parts you prefer faster, but all issues aside, nothing gives me goose bumps more than the sound of a sublime live orchestra playing Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake. The curtain goes up and the music floods onto the stage from the pit. It goes through your bones and brings everything you have been rehearsing to life.

Fabrice Calmels, Principal Artist at the Joffrey Ballet
(View Fabrice’s website here)
For me, it is preferable to dance to live music, but there are actually times when I find pre-recorded scores a safe alternative, like in a very difficult performance on tour.

For you, what is the biggest challenge of dancing to live music?

Rebecca King, Corps de Ballet dancer with Miami City Ballet
The music’s tempo can be a challenge. Even though the conductor knows exactly what the dancers need, the speed can still vary from performance to performance. It is our job to be completely in tune with the orchestra because you never know what is going to happen. Because the musicians, like us, are susceptible to human error, sometimes the music can sound different, which can catch the dancers off guard. This is the beauty of live theater – you never know what you are going to get.

For you, what is the greatest reward of dancing to live music?

Brooke Lockett
When a ballet is extremely difficult or you are quite nervous about a role, music is an incredibly powerful escape that has the ability to take you away to another place on stage. Without it, I don’t know that my profession would be as powerful or as rewarding.

Fabrice Calmels, principal artist with the Joffrey Ballet, in Jessica Lang's 'Crossed'. Photo by Herbert Migdoll

Fabrice Calmels
Here’s what is going on with live music: You have a full orchestra with different instruments working together as a team, following a score and led by a conductor, who, in turn, is watching and observing every move from us, the dancers. With the conductor’s expertise, he is able to match the choreography with the music and create the flow. For me, it is communication at its best.

How does dancing to live music compare to dancing to recorded music?

Fabrice Calmels
The beauty of live music is the clarity of the sound, and performing at Chicago’s Auditorium Theater, we have one of the best engineered houses in the world. It was built for live music, and its acoustics are incredible. Live music is simply rich. There is something about the quality of instantly created sound and vibration that is priceless. Recorded music has so many factors that come into play, such as how well the track may be recorded, the quality of the player or speakers, static, or speakers that sometimes do not separate well the low-bass from the mid-bass.

Brooke Lockett
The sound is the biggest comparison. It’s like when I see a live music concert, and no matter how loud I play the CD after the show I can never recreate that same feeling or volume. You hear so many more elements and instruments when it’s live.

Rebecca King, dancer with Miami City Ballet. Photo by Susan Stocker, Sun Sentinel

For a piece that you will eventually perform to live music, what is the process of incorporating the musicians or conductor into the rehearsals?

Rebecca King
Our conductor, Gary Sheldon, spends a lot of time with us in the studio during rehearsals. He not only comes in the week before we take a program to the theater, but he also tries to be around when the choreographer or repetiteur is in town working with us. He has told me that he finds it very important to familiarize himself with our works as much as possible. This makes it easier for him to know when certain cues are coming up, or what tempos different dancers are comfortable with.

Do you usually try to build some kind of rapport with the conductor and musicians?

Brooke Lockett
Absolutely. Sometimes you are feeling a little flat or have an injury, and it’s important for them to know those things. And for those shows when you are on fire and loving it, you can really bounce off one another.

Rebecca King
I think all the dancers at Miami City Ballet have a great rapport with our conductor. He always makes an effort to say hello in the hallways, wish you “merde”, or good luck, before a show, and commend you on your performance after the curtain comes in. You can tell he really makes an effort to know the dancers, which we really appreciate. We don’t have a lot of interaction with the musicians, but we do always make an effort to thank them when we see them leaving the pit. Without them, their talent and extraordinary effort, we would not be able to do what we do.

What’s been a memorable moment of performing to live music?

Fabrice Calmels
The beginning of Lar Lubovitch’s production of Othello starts with a very powerful overture by the orchestra. This leads to the first dance, “The Prayer”, when Othello rises from a kneeling position for a stunning solo done only by creating circular movement with his arm. In every rehearsal and performance, I become Othello in that moment, located near the first panel of the stage, waiting for the main curtain to go up. I am already kneeling with both hands gathered as a prayer resting against my forehead. The orchestra is playing the score, the drums become explosive and so powerful that I feel my hand bouncing up and down from the vibration they create from underneath me. It completely gets in me, my heart begins to beat like a drum. It’s an experience unlike any other.

Brooke Lockett
We had a guest conductor for a season of Swan Lake once and we had all been talking about how slow it was, and in our final Act II entrance as a Cygnet it was like we were doing Willies from Giselle, it was so slow. We had the giggles for the entire entrance and had to quickly pull ourselves together.

Rebecca King
My first year in the company, we were performing Balanchine’s Symphony in 3 Movements, with a score by Stravinsky. Ask any dancer and he/she will tell you that the complexity of Stravinsky’s music has no doubt kept them up at night. Trying to memorize every note and count is no small feat. During a section of the first movement, the three principal couples were on stage, and there was a brief pause followed by a change in the music. Something was missing. The dancers suddenly realized that the instrument that was, at that moment, in charge of keeping the beat was nowhere to be found. They started counting aloud to each other to keep themselves in sync. Thankfully, this confusion only lasted a few bars before another change in the music arrived. We found out later that the musician playing the instrument in question had fallen asleep in the pit!

Top photo: Fabrice Calmels, principal artist with the Joffrey Ballet, in Edwaard Liang’s Age of Innocence. Photo by Herbert Migdoll.

Published by Dance Informa digital dance magazine – dance news, dance auditions & dance events for the professional dancer, dance teacher and dance students.

New York’s Group Theatre Too (GTT) will honor noted choreographer, Tony Stevens at the fifth anniversary presentation of the Choreographer’s Canvas on May 10^th at the Manhattan Movement and Arts Center.  Mr. Stevens’ choreography has been seen on Broadway and in such films as The Great Gatsby and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.  He also choreographed for Bette Midler, Liza Minelli, Dolly Parton, Chita Rivera and many more.  Friend and associate Crystal Chapman is working with GTT on Tony’s Canvas tribute by recreating his choreography from a Mary Tyler Moore television special starring Gene Kelly.

Choreography by Justin Boccitto from the 2011 Choreographer's Canvas. Photo Ilan Harel

In 2008 Justin Boccitto, Executive Producer and creator of the Canvas, was inspired by Twyla Tharp’s book, The Creative Habit, in which she explains that all artists begin with a blank canvas, especially choreographers.  Since its inception, Justin and GTT have given a canvas to over 200 choreographers and dancers in this annual event that features all styles of dance including tap, jazz, ballet, contemporary, musical theater and aerial dance.  In addition to the choreography of Tony Stevens, the evening will also feature the work of Michael Blevins, Bob Boross, Lou Brockman, Crystal Chapman, Ginger Cox, Karen Gayle, David Guggino, Bobby Hedglin-Taylor, Becky Moyer, Lainie Munro, Sue Samuels, Caleb Teicher, Aaron Tolson, Sidney Erik Wright, Hee Ra Yoo, Eryn Renee Young and Broadway Dance Center’s teen company, AIM.

The 2012 Choreographer’s Canvas performs Thursday, May 10^th, 8:30pm at the Manhattan Movement and Arts Center, 248 West 60^th Street, between Amsterdam and West End Avenue, NYC. For more information visit www.choreographerscanvas.com.

Top photo: Broadway choreographer and performer, Tony Stevens. Photo courtesy of Choreographer’s Canvas.

Published by Dance Informa digital dance magazine – dance news, dance auditions & dance events for professional dancers, dance teachers and dance students.

New York City Ballet’s 2012 Spring Gala on Thursday, May 10 will feature a one-time-only salute to France titled À La Française, and will feature two World Premiere ballets, one by NYCB’s Ballet Master in Chief Peter Martins to a score by the French composer Marc-André Dalbavie, and the other by French-born choreographer and former NYCB Principal Dancer Benjamin Millepied. The evening will also include a major revival of George Balanchine’s Symphony in C, which was created for the Paris Opera Ballet in 1947 to a score by the French composer Georges Bizet.

Actress Natalie Portman will serve as the Honorary Chairman for the gala evening, with Emily and Len Blavatnik, Charlotte Moss and Barry Friedberg, and Marie-Nugent-Head and James C. Marlas as the gala’s Chairmen. The entire evening, which will take place at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center, is sponsored by Christian Dior and Swarovski.

The new work by Benjamin Millepied will be set to a commissioned score by contemporary classical composer Nico Muhly who is a graduate of Columbia University and the Juilliard School of Music. Muhly is currently one of the music world’s most sought-after young composers, and has written numerous orchestral and choral works, as well as scores for dance, opera, and film.

A former dancer with New York City Ballet, Millepied joined NYCB in 1995 and was promoted to Principal Dancer in 2002. Before retiring from dancing with NYCB last year, Millepied danced a wide variety of works in the NYCB repertory and originated roles in ballets by Jerome Robbins, Peter Martins, Alexei Ratmansky, Christopher Wheeldon, and Mauro Bigonzetti, among others. As a choreographer, Millepied has created three previous works for New York City Ballet – Quasi Una Fantasia (2009), Why am I not where you are? (2010), and Plainspoken (2010).

This will be the fourth time that Muhly and Millepied have collaborated on a ballet, following previous works for American Ballet Theatre in 2007 (From Here on Out), the Paris Opera Ballet in 2009 (Triade), and the Dutch National Ballet in 2010 (One Thing Leads to Another).

Peter Martins rehearsing Lauren Lovette and Taylor Stanley for his upcoming ballet which will premiere on May 10, 2012. Photo Paul Kolnik

The new work by Martins will be set to the French-born composer Marc-André Dalbavie’s Trio No. 1, for violin, cello, and piano, which was composed in 2008. A graduate of the Paris Conservatory of Music, Dalbavie is one of the most frequently performed composers of his generation, having received commissions from such prestigious orchestras as the Chicago Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, Berlin Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, and the Orchestra de Paris, where he served as composer in residence for four years. The new Martins ballet will mark the first score by Dalbavie to enter the repertory of the New York City Ballet.

The final ballet on the 2012 Spring Gala program will be a major revival of the George Balanchine masterpiece Symphony in C, which NYCB last performed in 2008. Balanchine created the piece in Paris in 1947 to an early, and at the time, mostly unknown score by the French composer Georges Bizet. The four-movement ballet was originally called Le Palais de Cristal when it was first performed by the Paris Opera Ballet. The year after its premiere Balanchine staged the work in New York for Ballet Society, a precursor of New York City Ballet, and renamed the work Symphony in C. The ballet was also included on the program for NYCB’s first performance on October 11, 1948.

Now a signature work of the New York City Ballet, Symphony in C returns to the repertory this spring in a major revival with new costumes designed by Marc Happel, NYCB’s Director of Costumes. The fully-redesigned costumes will be embellished with Swarovski Elements, and the production design will also feature all new crystallized tiaras and headpieces created by jewelry designer Robert Sorrel.

Former NYCB corps de ballet dancer Jamie Wolf, now a well-known jewelry designer, is creating original earrings, also made with Swarovski Elements, which will be worn in the production. Wolf will also launch a line of earrings inspired by Symphony in C that will be available for sale with a portion of the proceeds benefiting NYCB.

New York City Ballet’s 2012 Spring Season will take place from May 1 through June 10 at the David. H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center, NYC. For more information and tickets visit www.nycballet.com or call 212-496-0600.

Top photo: Benjamin Millepied rehearsing Tiler Peck and Tyler Angle for his upcoming ballet which will premiere on May 10, 2012. Photo Paul Kolnik.

Published by Dance Informa digital dance magazine – dance news, dance auditions & dance events for the professional dancer, dance teacher and dance students.

By Tara Sheena.

As the March Madness of the spring performance season in New York winds down, the promise of warmer weather and a small respite for my obsessive dance-going habits seems promising. I have some time to reflect on all of the amazing innovation echoing from the New York City dance community. Everywhere—from Broadway to Bowery—dance left its mark in a big way and will continue to do so through the rest of the spring season. I won’t soon forget Emily Johnson’s open, engaging performance at New York Live Arts or Batsheva’s explosive movement that filled BAM’s Howard Gilman Opera House. Though, I regret missing the magic of Wheeldon’s works on the New York City Ballet and the wonderful delicacy of Kate Weare at the Joyce Theater, I have compiled the opinions of some professional dancers to fill me in on what else I missed. It is impossible to see everything in a single season but, as the Beatles so often remind me, “I get by with a little help from my friends”. Enjoy!

Ryan Steele. Photo Curtis Holbrook

“I recently saw the revival of RENT at New World Stages. This production is directed by Michael Greif and choreographed by Larry Keigwin. One of the major differences from the original is the staging and choreography. There is a lot more movement, BEAUTIFUL movement. I know the story very well, and it is traditionally told only through words and music. It was interesting to see so much dance representing major plot points [and] I really enjoyed it.”
Ryan Steele
Dance Captain, Newsies on Broadway

Lydia Bell

“Like many who live in New York or attend the Association of Performing Arts Presenters (APAP) I started this season with a whirlwind of performances and talks during the first two weeks of January. Some highlights for me included Beth Gill’s Electric Midwife at The Chocolate Factory in Queens, Eleanor Bauer and Heather Lang’s Trash is Fierce at American Realness, Maria Hassabi and Robert Steijn’s Robert & Maria at Danspace Project, and a panel on curatorial practice with faculty members from the Institute for Curatorial Practice in Performance. In February, curated by Ishmael Houston-Jones, Parallels Platform at Danspace Project began. This two-month series examines the lineage of African-American post-modern dance. So far there have been some amazing performances by Will Rawls, Nora Chipaumire, Owkui Okpokwasili, Darrell Jones, and others—as well as a film event highlighting footage from the early 1980s. My personal favorite was a clip of Bill T. Jones and Steve Paxton hashing out definitions of post-modern dance. I’ve been seeing a lot of performance and dance in museums this season. I loved Clifford Owens at PS1 and Sarah Michelson at the Whitney Museum. The Happenings exhibition at Pace Gallery was also remarkable. As always, there were things I missed. I regret not seeing Arturo Vidich in his Studio Series at New York Live Arts (NYLA), Clarinda Mac Low at Roulette, Levi Gonzales and Amanda Loulaki at The Kitchen and Reggie Wilson at NYLA, which I think I’m missing as I write this… But luckily there is a lot to look forward to this spring: Rashaun Mitchell working in collaboration with poet Anne Carson at Danspace Project, CATCH at The Chocolate Factory, Luciana Achugar at Abrons Arts Center, the Movement Research Spring Festival, and Eiko & Koma’s The Caravan Project at Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center (for those in the DC area).”
Lydia Bell
Development Associate at Danspace Project
Co-Editor of Critical Correspondence

Trina Mannino

“To my surprise one of the highlights [for me] of this year’s dance season was New York City Ballet’s evening of Christopher Wheeldon’s works. The dancers, costumes, live music and choreography kept me in rapt attention till the very end. I wish I had seen Martha Clarke’s Angel Reapers at the Joyce. From what I read and was told, it was an exhilarating glimpse into religious awakening. Other dances that made my heart sing were Shannon Gillen’s Botlek [at Dance New Amsterdam], and David Dorfman’s Prophets of Funk [at the Joyce Theater].”
Trina Mannino
Dancer, Anabella Lenzu/DanceDrama
Contributor, Dance Europe Magazine and The Dance Enthusiast

Photo: Christopher Wheeldon rehearsing dancers for Les Carillons, which premiered during New York City Ballet’s 2012 Winter Season.

Published by Dance Informa digital dance magazine – dance news, dance auditions & dance events for professional dancers, dance teachers and dance students.

By Laura Di Orio.

This summer, The Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) USA will offer its first ever Performance Course, a two-week program that will allow students to focus on learning choreography and preparing for performance. The RAD USA will also offer additional summer programs for students and teachers following this course.

The Performance Course will be held at California State University in Long Beach, California, from July 9 to 21. This special program is designed to give students a taste of what it feels like to be a part of the creative process, as they will work with professional dancers and teachers to create original works in preparation for a public performance.

The RAD in London already holds a similar course each summer, and it has proven to be a very popular program, according to Patti Ashby, the National Director of the RAD USA.

The Performance Course will accept up to 80 students between the ages of 12 and 22, and classes will be limited to 25 dancers per class. Each day students will take classes in ballet technique, choreography/performance, musical theatre and modern. There will also be evening lectures on stage make-up and stagecraft.

“In the past, the RAD Summer School consisted of the typical summer school classes with a strong focus on improving technique – ballet, modern and jazz,” Ashby says. “While the classes will certainly emphasize clean technique, the focus will be on learning new choreography and performing.”

Students will work with the RAD USA’s faculty who are all former professional dancers who have also completed teacher training programs through the RAD. This year, the faculty includes: Tracey Alvey, artistic director of the Alabama Ballet; Nicholas Mishoe, a former dancer with Boston Ballet and Dutch National Ballet; Nichelle Bane, an award-winning choreographer; and Diana MacNeil, artistic director of PostHouse Dance.

Ashby says she hopes that students who attend the Performance Course will “come away with more self-confidence as a performer, feeling they have had a unique, challenging and enriching experience.”

From July 23 to 28, immediately following the Performance Course, there will be a six-day Vocational Graded Syllabus Intensive for students who are preparing to take vocational graded examinations. The intensive will be open for students ages 11 to 22.

“This is an opportunity for students to fine-tune their technique, work on picking up free enchainments quickly and also build strength and stamina through the daily classes,” Ashby says.

Each day, students will take classes in examination syllabus technique, pointe, free enchainment, Pilates and modern.

At the completion of the intensive, students may choose to take the RAD exam immediately following the intensive week or during the regular spring session. “Students who stay on to take the exam right after the session always say they feel confident and well-prepared after the six days of intensive coaching with our very highly-qualified faculty,” says Ashby.

The third of The RAD USA’s summer programs offered this year is the Courses for Teachers, from July 23 to 31, when participants will be exposed to the RAD teaching methods. They will have the opportunity to review the RAD examination syllabi, learn the new Grades 1-3 and study Benesh Notation.

Ashby expects about 50 teachers to attend the nine days of teaching courses this summer. The courses are open not only to RAD-registered teachers, who can fulfill their Continuing Professional Development hours that are required each year, but also to anyone who is interested in learning about the RAD teaching methods.

“For anyone who is attending to learn more about RAD, they will find that our teaching courses are possibly the most intensive they have ever attended,” Ashby says. “Our tutors are trained to go into depth about teaching technique, musicality and performance at every age.”

Teachers who attend the summer courses will receive a certificate of attendance from the RAD. In order to become certified through the RAD, however, teachers must complete one of the RAD’s certification or degree programs, which take at least two years of intensive study, according to Ashby.

The RAD USA does offer accommodation on the university campus for summer participants. There are also parent and teacher chaperones for students.

For more information on any of the RAD USA summer programs call 661-336-0160 or  visit www.radusa.org

Capezio, celebrating 125 years in 2012, has launched a much anticipated new DanceSport range. Here Capezio’s designers share their vision behind these gorgeous new footwear styles.

Tell us about your new DanceSport range.

Dancing has really become a huge phenomenon in pop culture.  We see a variety of competitions and shows on TV dedicated to performance and dance as well as its influence on the streets and in night clubs.

Capezio set out to change the landscape of DanceSport footwear.  Our Dancesport Collection was focused around two main goals.  First, we wanted to elevate the performance and the style of the shoes. Second, we wanted the shoes to appeal to a wide audience.  We wanted to bring attention to the shoe and, whether it is for competition or a night out, the shoe finishes the look and is essential to the performance of a dancer.  These elements have always been at the forefront of our design process at Capezio.

Capezio's BR159R Crystal Nadia

Are your DanceSport shoes just for professional dancers?

The Capezio Dancesport Collection is broad in scope to appeal to a wide audience of dancers.  We thought about the recreational or occasional dancer as well, and a conversion piece is available in our collection so that the dancing shoe can be worn at special occasions, night clubs or wherever your dancing feet may take you.

From where did you draw the inspiration for your designs?

Designer Michelle Binienda dreamed of a misty outdoor ballroom under a canopy of leaves and a gothic filigree bridge.  Characters come to life in this setting where they dance the night away with their shoes glimmering in the moonlight as they travel across the floor.  This is a setting perhaps reminiscent of the tale of “The Twelve Dancing Princesses” by the Brothers Grimm.  This is a story she often read as a young girl.  The Silhouettes featured in the collection are a mix of vintage, romantic details and modern ideas of foot covering.  There is a strong essence of a garden party, a feeling that is translated through color and material, silhouettes and appliqués.

Capezio's BR209 Francesca

What is different about this new collection?

For this collection we mixed unconventional materials and colors with the traditional; we incorporated functional elements and enhanced design without sacrificing the beauty or necessity of either one.  The subtle details elevate the styling and truly set our collection apart from the others.  For example, we use like colored Swarovski Elements, engineered crystal patterns, and different buckle sizes and finishes.  We accomplished all of this and still remained true to the dancer – complimentary lines to enhance the foot and the leg line and built-in functionality for high performance and comfort.

How do you make a shoe comfortable and practical for dancers’ needs, yet attractive?

The key idea here is that the beauty of the shoe is not more important than its functionality.  Before it is a beautiful shoe it is a dance shoe.  The Collection has a variety of footwear for different abilities and uses.  We have structured uppers that create support for the entire foot and elasticized straps that offer the right amount of stretch where it is needed.  We incorporate multiple straps to relieve tension and/or provide adjustability for comfort, performance or aesthetic.

Capezio's BR145 Crystal Mia

We have listened carefully and analyzed the needs of Latin and ballroom dancers.  Asking them questions is the best way to understand what they want and need in a shoe.  We have heard from a range of dancers including professionals, World Champions, 50+ year old dancers shopping in Capezio stores or at the Dancesport competitions.

We have also tested our shoes for many hours in the studio. The feedback of our wear testers is a very important step in our development process.  If wear test results deem “not comfortable” then our job is not done. All of our shoes have a performance foam insole. This foam has a memory quality that allows the foam to “bounce back” to its “pre-dance state” after long and repeated use.  The foam is also non-toxic, moisture absorbent, anti-fungal and made of recycled content.

We have 3 heel heights and two heel styles.  The toplift has two layers. The bottom layer is softer and provides shock absorption.  The top layer is hard and grooved for stability and traction.  The shoes have narrow or wider straps, and there are styles where the straps are only on the top of the foot.

Capezio's BR02P Standard Oxford

How can these shoes give dancers a competitive edge?

All of our Dancesport shoes include the Capezio Signature Construction that enhances the natural movement of the foot with engineered articulation points.  Capezio Signature Construction incorporates a 3/4 layered shank thinning towards the forefoot. A beveled insole, a suede forefoot sole and a leather breasted heel are built into this construction.  Some of the shoes have strap channels on the sole under the arch.  They are there to keep straps in place enhancing fit and performance.

Most of the styles have speed buckle closures, a feature used across the board of Dancesport brands because it allows the dancers to easily put on and remove the shoes without fumbling with itty bitty buckles.

We use deluxe satin, resistant to snagging as well as oil, water and dirt. Other than satin we use quality leather, vegan leather, and fabric. We make sure to carry colors desired and requested by the dancers.

Capezio's BR201 Alicia

How does Capezio stay at the forefront of DanceSport fashion?

In order to stay at the front of Dancesport fashion we attend competitions as well as observe and talk to the patrons.  We also pay attention to fashion trends and shop the market.  We get inspired and allow it to translate into our shoes.  It isn’t one thing that we do.  It is the whole package of how we put it together.

Where can dancers purchase these shoes?

There is an ever-growing list of authorized Capezio Dancesport retailers. Click here to view.

Top image: Russ and Katusha Wilder wearing ‘Xavier’ and ‘Valentina’.

By Laura Di Orio.

The members of Urban Dance Collective, a dance company based in Brooklyn, New York, had no idea how much things would change for them as they prepared to perform at NY’s FLICfest in January 2012 at The Irondale Center. As the dance festival approached, UDC was rehearsing its latest evening-length work, “Summer of Hate/15 Steps”, choreographed by Niles Ford, the company’s director and a choreographer who had been a force in NY’s downtown dance scene since the late 1970s. Ford was making final musical and artistic choreographic adjustments to the various solos, duets and trios within “Summer of Hate/15 Steps”, a piece, that like much of Ford’s work, speaks of social issues, this one specifically of race and media.

Royce Zackery, who has danced with UDC for eight years, recalls a morning, just days before the work was to premiere, when Ford contacted a few dancers to come into rehearsal early to learn new movement phrases to be added to “Summer of Hate/15 Steps”. Zackery says that Ford never made it into rehearsal that day, as he felt sick.

On January 14, 2012, Ford had a heart attack and passed away in his sleep at the age of 52. He would never live to see his artistic vision of “Summer of Hate/15 Steps” come to life, but Zackery and the entire UDC family ensured that Ford’s creation be represented in the best possible way and that Ford be honored for his life’s dedication to the dance community.

Urban Dance Collective's Royce Zackery (center) will take over as artistic director of the company. Photo by Liz Liguori

UDC’s performance at FLICfest served as a tribute to their leader. Hundreds of people came out in support, leaving standing room only, and a video montage of Ford’s work and childhood images was shown.  DJ Eddie S spun music for a two-hour dance party after the show. “Niles wouldn’t have wanted it any other way,” Zackery says.

Zackery, who will move into the director position of the company, says that “Summer of Hate/15 Steps” would have been the first work in UDC’s repertoire in which Ford would not have appeared as a dancer and that it felt strange to perform the work without him there. “Things definitely didn’t feel the same,” Zackery says, “but, to me, the bond of the company felt stronger in a sense, and has continued to be that way. We are mentally and physically connected with a heightened awareness of one another on and off the stage.”

“There was a notable hole in the theater without Niles there that day,” adds dancer Cara Robino, who has been a part of UDC since 2001. “I felt his presence before I went on that stage. The house was sold out and the energy in that theater was nothing but love for him. The amount of applause before the show almost had me in tears. The company danced our hearts out for him that night, and we will continue to do so.”

Ford fostered a sense of a supportive community during his days with UDC, a company that consists of a diverse group of people from different specialties and artistic backgrounds. Ford’s love, spirit, humor and passion definitely ring strongly through the words of his dancers, collaborators and loved ones.

“He bridged the gap between teacher and student in a way no other dance teacher had ever done,” says Robino, who first met Ford while she was studying at Skidmore College. “I hear his voice in my every movement. The decisions I make while dancing, and the way I hear and react to the music, are completely 100 percent his influence.”

“Niles championed everyone,” says Marilys Ernst, a videographer who worked closely with Ford on a few projects and who contributed the tribute video in January. “If you were in a room with him, he was celebrating you. He pushed himself and others to actualize their work and dreams. He had an uncanny ability to unleash the best stuff you had to give. He laughed out loud at you in the warmest, most loving way.”

In what seemed a natural shift for all involved with UDC, Zackery has been named Artistic Director of UDC since Ford’s passing. Zackery was already the company’s assistant rehearsal director and lighting designer, so after a series of company and staff meetings, it was unanimously decided that he would take over Ford’s role.

“I want UDC to keep growing, informing, inspiring, motivating, moving and evolving, touching people’s lives one thought, one gesture, one phrase at a time,” Zackery says.

Before UDC’s January appearance at the Irondale Center, the company premiered another of Ford’s evening-length works, “In Search of the Invisible People”, at NY’s Dixon Place to a sold-out house during a two-week run, so momentum has been building for the company.

“The standard is being set and my personal bar is very high,” Zackery says. “As the new Artistic Director of UDC, I plan to work together with the Collective to reach that bar and surpass it.”

Already, Zackery and members of UDC are preparing three of Ford’s evening-length works for future engagements, such as a performance at NY’s SummerStage, an appearance in St. Petersburg, Russia, in October, and a two-week run at the Irondale Center next April.

In order to complete and polish unfinished repertoire, Zackery, Robino and Ernst will review video footage and refer to Ford’s notes.

“I think that they owe it to themselves and to Niles to share his last incarnation of his work with others,” Ernst says of UDC. “Niles taught everyone to go for it. He would not have wanted anything to stop now. His dancers and all their supporters share that sentiment.”

Ford is survived by his wife, Jenny; sons, Isaac and Malik; his sister, Stacey; and mother, Clarice. For more information on Ford and UDC, visit http://nilesfordudc.info.

Top photo: Choreographer Niles Ford, who passed away in January 2012. Photo by Anne Staveley
Published by Dance Informa dance magazine – dance news, dance auditions & dance events.