By Tara Sheena.

You’ve seen his smooth moves gracing promo events for the high-school-hopefuls on Oxygen’s The Glee Project; you’ve caught his tightknit choreography on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition featuring beloved Broadway beauty, Kristen Chenoweth; you may have even witnessed the exciting chatter erupting after his class at Broadway Dance Center (BDC) on a Tuesday afternoon, but do you know the man behind this diverse spread of choreographic terrain? It is none other than Jim Cooney, Broadway vet and master teacher, who currently spreads his knowledge and know-how four days a week at Broadway Dance Center. Cooney not only teaches four high-energy classes weekly, but he advises the elite Professional Semester training program as well as the Summer Intern program.

Given all his roles within the BDC community, it is evident that Cooney is passionate about teaching students of all levels. In one week, he can encounter up to 200 different students at the busy NYC studios and says it is “seeing them succeed is the most rewarding and gratifying experience.” In particular, it is the students in the Professional Semester and Internship programs that fuel this joy. Cooney works intimately with them to acquire skills to sustain a career in dance. Those skills range from technical training to developing audition prowess, but the most important, according to Cooney, is developing performance skills.

“It’s the way the dancer interprets and executes the movement that matters most,” Cooney explains. “I often tell my dancers that your face is indeed part of your body and that their dancing doesn’t happen from the chin down.” One of his methods is to encourage his students to approach dancing like an actor would approach interpreting a script. This means asking questions like, ‘Who am I?’, ‘What do I want?’ and ‘How do I get what I want?’ Cooney feels it’s essential to know why you are doing each step before you do it; he encourages his dancers to think about their personal connection to the steps he gives them— “only then will it be organic and true,” he notes.

Being a former dancer himself (he’s been a dance captain for eight major productions!), Cooney understands what a vulnerable experience this approach can be for many aspiring professionals. For this reason, he strives to ensure the classroom environment is as safe and supportive as possible so the “students feel secure to let go.” Cooney also believes this environment enhances what it means to be a professional dancer.  “The more we work together, the more we can create,” he states, “Being cutthroat or negative does not in any way help you get a job. More importantly, it doesn’t feel good to have that animosity in your heart.”

Cooney’s classes are more than physical training or an amalgamation of repertoire. His views and approaches reflect important life lessons that any individual, dancer or non-dancer, can benefit from. One of the largest pillars of his approach is the lesson of gratitude. He knows pursuing a career in professional dance is a tough business that can be made more difficult with competitiveness in class, rejection, and the relentless toll that performance can take on the body and mind. To thwart this oftentimes-unpredictable lifestyle, he tells his students to think of ten things they are grateful for every night. “It puts you in the practice of knowing how many wonderful things you have in your life, and also let’s you fall asleep in peace,” he says.

Cooney conducts a rehearsal at Broadway Dance Center

Remembering gratitude, maintaining professionalism, and giving an authentic performance each and every time, sounds like the ideal performer to me. And, it works. Cooney’s students have gone on to win leading roles in Broadway and national tours, and professionals consistently pop into his weekly classes.

“We’re blessed to be able to do what we love for a living everyday,” Cooney states. And, for the students and professionals who have taken class with Cooney, I am sure they all agree.

Catch Jim Cooney’s classes weekly at Broadway Dance Center.

Photos: All photos courtesy of Jim Cooney.

Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger – Marlena Wolfe is making it big and helping others make it too.

By Leigh Schanfein.

Marlena Wolfe is living the quintessential American dance dream.  She has performed the works of many of the last century’s notable choreographers, was a member of a popular and large dance company, was a featured dancer and then rehearsal director and repetiteur of that major dance company, choreographs for her own group of freelance dancers, is a master teacher and guest instructor, coordinates an international professional training program for pre-professional dancers, and continues to perform.  She seemingly uses every moment of every day to continue reaching for the working dancer’s goal, not only forging the tracks towards her own improvement but also contributing to the development of other artists.  She strives for something greater while navigating a seriously vigorous schedule full of rehearsal, education, performance, administration, and a social life to boot.   And, believe it or not, she has done all of this before the age of 30.

I’ve been impressed with Marlena since the day we met, and have discovered since then how determined she is as a person and as an artist.  It seems that we often expect high-level dance educators and administrators to have had years upon years of experience because professionals and students will glean from that by default.  Yet, Marlena turns that notion on its head as someone who can put her youth and current status in the professional dance world to exquisite use.  I asked Marlena to share some of her background, her decision to go to college, her experiences with choreographers such as Robert Battle (Founder of Battleworks Dance Company and current Artistic Director of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater), and her current work as Coordinator of the two-year Certificate Program at Peridance Capezio Center, an international dance hub in New York City.

You were a member of Robert Battle’s Battleworks.  What was it like to work with Robert?

I joined Robert’s company in 2007. To work with Robert was a blessing. Robert had many muses, his foremost being Erika Pujic who was with him for 20 plus years. However, I was honored and privileged to be the creative tool in seven critically acclaimed ballets that he created during my four-year stint with the company. The first ballet was a solo he created on me called Ella.  In this process, I immediately learned of Robert’s sensitivity to the individual and humanity. Any dancer he intimately works with in the creative process is a muse; he cares about the dancer as well as the person within the dancer. Robert told me after the process of creating the solo that after he first met me, he knew I was a person capable of multi-tasking, doing 1000 plus things at once. That I was a dancer who liked to move fast, relishing in the challenge, always wanting to take the risk, was a perfectionist, caring for and desiring to fulfill Robert’s choreographic vision, and overall believed in his work … most of these characteristics describe every dancer who ever danced with Battleworks and for Robert. Don’t be mistaken, with all the work created, Robert maintained a sense of humor that never failed to bring about that laughter with the tears, belly ache, and that overall, cannot contain yourself feeling. That was always one of my favorite parts when working with him!

How did you transition into serving as Robert’s rehearsal assistant?

The transition was a quick one! My first project with Robert was at The Juilliard School where I assisted him on creating a 33-minute ballet called No Longer Silent. For the process, I spent five months with him and he would translate choreography to me, from movement to staging, imagery, etc. The cast was large, 18 dancers in total. He would literally translate each dancer’s part, sometimes two-three minutes worth of choreography. I would do the movement for him and scribe the staging for when I went into the next meeting with him or once rehearsals started, for the next rehearsal. He wouldn’t come in for the first hour of the rehearsal with the dancers and I would set the choreography he had set the week before with me. You can imagine my nervousness with so much trust and faith put into my abilities to assist him in this way and in consideration of the importance of this project to his choreographic voice. I hadn’t been with him more than five months when I took this project on. He taught me so much that I couldn’t begin to explain how valuable that experience was, as I believe it led to where I am at now in my career. He was one of my greatest mentors and I continue to learn from my experiences I had with him.

You recently began working with choreographer Camille A. Brown.  Tell us about it.

Camille hired me into Camille A. Brown & Dancers in February 2012, so I have only been with her for a little over two months. Working with Camille has been invigorating; her work is her own and Robert’s work is his own, but in my bold opinion the two are cut from the same cloth when it comes to being curious about humanity, which fulfills me as an artist. Robert helped me find security in my voice and Camille has given me the opportunity to reinvent, continue to explore, and grow within that voice. This is the continuous and endless cycle of the evolution of an artist, and I couldn’t be more grateful to be given the opportunity to continue on this path with Camille. As far as being indulgent in my dancer-self, her explosive and physically demanding movement as well as her innate musicality is satisfying.

Marlena with her sisters

Tell me about growing up and dancing in Ohio.

I grew up in a small town called Champion. My Dad had a dairy farm with my grandfather, which was great-grandfather’s in the early 1900′s. We had over 300 cows, which I treated as my pets. I was a country girl. I was dramatic at a very young age and my sisters would call me Queenie. When I wasn’t playing at the farm or swimming in our swimming pool, I was creating plays and shows in my basement; anyone home had to attend. I would hire my willing neighborhood friend to participate and would direct her. Mostly, I trained at a competitive dance studio, Studio L Dance Centre, for 15 years before I went to Marymount Manhattan College. My sister, Amanda, was one of my teachers there and it’s from her that I cultured my work ethic. She challenged and encouraged me as she saw me develop and knew that I had potential to seek a professional career. She believed in me and will always be one of my greatest teachers alongside my teachers before her, Linda Poniewasz and Tracie Lenox.

You are still an active performer, but in 2011 you took the position of Certificate Program Coordinator at Peridance Capezio Center, working with pre-professionals in a collegiate-type program.  What led you to take this job?

I have always had the need to teach. I had always dreamed of being more than a teacher in the studio. I thrive on connecting with students, being on their level and helping them find their way through the haze that exists between themselves and their ultimate goals as aspiring artists. I have always had an open mind and heart. I do my absolute best to stray from what’s typical and uncover what’s unique when offering advice to students. I wanted to instill my sense of practical, yet holistic training, so that the students don’t get caught up in academia and are truly prepared to be artists in the real world. Igal Perry, the Program’s Director, has had this vision. With his grace, he’s allowed me to share in this vision and make it a reality. I am a nurturer, but I also have a firm hand. I believe in professionalism to the utmost. Professionalism is about respect. Respect is about honor. Honoring our art as dancers is the only way to truly be fulfilled, successful, and have our voices be heard.

Top photo: Marlena Wolfe, by Jaqlin Medlock

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

Teachers, it’s time to start ordering costumes for your upcoming recital. Here’s some helpful advice from Costume Gallery:

1)   Read the Ordering Instructions to avoid surprises. Be familiar with things like return and exchange policies BEFORE you order!

2)   Order Early! There are fabulous discounts for orders paid in full and placed by January 9^th.

3)   Measure your students carefully using the Costume Gallery size chart. (They vary from company to company) If possible, have only one person doing the measuring – don’t accept size suggestions from parents!

4)   Order online! This eliminates the risk of order entry mistakes.

5)   CHECK YOUR CONFIRMATION against your original order.  Its easy to forget a child or a class.

Costume Gallery Dazzles!

One peek at the costume runway show video from the NYC Dance Teacher Summit this past summer explains the buzz about Costume Gallery! The company distinguished itself with a dazzling array of stones, feathers and sequins on amazing, fashion forward styles.

Check the tag of the first costume you wore as a child (we know you still have it stashed somewhere!) and chances are good that it came from Costume Gallery.  With half a century of manufacturing know-how, the company has reinvented itself and is bringing pop culture and style onto recital stages around the world.

Teachers, kids and audiences want fresh, fun costumes– not something  rehashed from the 70’s.  They expect little Susie’s dance classes to culminate in a Broadway like extravaganza, and the outfits can make or break the show.  That’s why Costume Gallery incorporates elements from the fashion world and makes them eye popping as well as “danceable.”

Creating recital styles that are hip, cool and edgy, bearing in mind that granny and neighbors are in the audience, presents unique challenges for designers. “Age appropriate” is a huge element.

“There’s no question that kids are getting larger,” says Kimberly Keller, Chief of Design at Costume Gallery “and its critical to acknowledge that in our design process. We create styles that look fabulous on all the dancers, even those with less than perfect bodies.“

“You’re not just buying costumes, you’re buying peace of mind,” is the watchword at Costume Gallery.  Their customers are dance instructors, who already have challenging jobs! The last thing they need is to stress over costumes! That’s why the company has a customer friendly website, www.costumegallery.net, which makes ordering simple.  There are videos of every costume, showing details in the fabric, as well as how the costume looks on a dancing body.  “The videos augment through motion, what we could never achieve through a catalog alone.”

The website also features another treat – “A New View”, showing the style on a different size dancer than the one featured in the Costume Gallery catalog.  “Sometimes it hard to visualize what a style shown on a child will look like on an adult, but often, they’re amazing. “A New View” takes the guesswork out of ordering for classes with a wide age range. It’s startling how you gain a completely different perspective on an outfit just by seeing it on another size model!

Costume Gallery stands alone in its efforts to help the dance community. Over $45,000 has been awarded to dancers age 12-21 over the past four years through the company’s Beverly Miller Scholarships.  Winners must put their grants toward their dance education.  The company also supports breast cancer research by designing and selling a Dancing Toward a Cure tee shirt each year.

What remains unchanged at Costume Gallery is its commitment to producing quality costumes in the United States.  The company employs a stable and qualified workforce at its headquarters in Burlington, NJ, right outside of Philadelphia.

What’s clear is that this rising star of the dance costume industry will continue to Dazzle the dance community for years to come!

Advertorial

By Stephanie Wolf.

Eight years after the unfortunate collapse of the Dance Theatre of Harlem, the world-renowned institution is ready to re-launch its full time dance company. Founded in 1969 by New York City Ballet alum Arthur Mitchell and former Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo member Karel Shook, DTH was pressed to temporarily dissipate due to difficult economic times. Now, after strategic rebuilding and reorganizing, the organization is scouring the nation, looking for a crop of energetic, talented dancers to kick off its return in the fall of 2012.

In December, DTH made the official announcement that it would be reinstating its full time dance company, providing some of the nation’s top dancers a stable artistic home in the heart of New York City. DTH Artistic Director Virginia Johnson stated, “I am grateful to be able to continue the work, artistry, and traditions established by our founders. The story that I hope [DTH] will tell again is the power of the arts to transform lives.”

Transform lives indeed. The company will employ dancers for a full season, giving them the opportunity to grow artistically and dance classical and Balanchine repertoire, as well as experience working with some of the best contemporary choreographers currently creating innovative dance. Interested dancers have two options for applying: submitting an online application or attending an in-person audition.

To apply online, dancers should visit the DTH website and have until February 20, 2012 to submit their reels, resumes, and a $20 application fee. Details on the required video content are also available on the website.

DTH’s audition tour kicks off January 14, 2012 in San Francisco. From California, the artistic staff will travel to Miami (January 28^th), Chicago (February 5^th), and New York City (February 25^th), auditioning dancers for full time positions.

Executive Director Laveen Naidu is thrilled to see DTH back on track. “Returning the company on stable footing is a tremendous undertaking,” he said in a press release.  Thankfully, DTH didn’t have to go about their rebuilding alone. Chairman Kendrick Ashton Jr. led the reconstructing of DTH’s board of directors, while the organization engaged in proactive fundraising and worked diligently to strengthen educational programs. Organizations, such as the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone, The Rockefeller Foundation, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Bloomberg, LLP, and The Ford Foundation provided additional funding and resources to aid DTH’s mission towards stability and growth. “We are grateful to our donors, large and small, who value this organization’s unique role in the community and around the world … we are set to have an exciting year.”

Having DTH back on solid ground is a huge achievement for the New York arts community. With a full performing season, educational programming, and more assertive fundraising tactics, the company has the potential to accomplish great feats for New York’s dancers, advance the art form, and reach new audiences.

January 2012 will kick off the momentous 80th Anniversary of Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, a National Historic Landmark, National Medal of Arts honoree, and America’s longest-running international dance festival. Founded in 1933 by modern dance pioneer Ted Shawn as a retreat for his company of Men Dancers, Jacob’s Pillow has been a mecca of dance for eight decades. Nestled in the beautiful Berkshire Hills of Western Massachusetts, “the Pillow” is acclaimed for its rich history, unique and beautiful location and atmosphere, and forward-thinking international programming of the highest quality. The international celebration of dance, music, the visual arts, and culture begins June 16 with the 80th Anniversary Season Opening Gala and continues through August 26.

The 80th Anniversary Season includes an impressive blend of world premieres, U.S. premieres, live music, company debuts, legendary dance companies, emerging choreographers, and more than 300 ticketed and free events, talks, performances, classes, exhibits, and tours hosted at the Pillow’s 163-acre National Historic Landmark site.

Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company in Story/Time. Photo Paul B Goode

Executive and Artistic Director Ella Baff comments, “The 80th Anniversary Season celebrates Jacob’s Pillow’s history-making contributions to dance over eight decades, beginning with early 20th century pioneers Ruth St. Denis, Ted Shawn, and the Men Dancers. This year’s Festival also affirms the Pillow’s steadfast commitment to new and important dance-makers and performers, as well as unique presentations that give artists and audiences opportunities to discover new things about dance. There is no other place like Jacob’s Pillow; it is truly unique. It is a destination – a nexus for dance that generates inspiration and is enjoyed by people from all over the world as well as right down the road. We look forward to welcoming everyone to this year’s particularly special Festival.”

Baff affirms her dedication to presenting dance of many forms and styles from around the world with an 80th Anniversary Festival that features companies spanning nine countries and five continents: Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Finland, France, Germany, Israel, and the United States. The Hong Kong Ballet, Morphoses, and Vertigo Dance Company are among many troupes that will make their Jacob’s Pillow debuts. Companies with historical connections to Jacob’s Pillow include The Joffrey Ballet, returning for the first time in nearly 50 years, and Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet, which made its 1964 U.S. debut at the Pillow.

Once-in-a-lifetime engagements will also be presented. A weeklong homage to Ted Shawn and his Men Dancers will feature a 20-member cast of some of the greatest male dancers and choreographers of today including Lar Lubovitch, Jason Samuels Smith, Arthur Mitchell, David Neumann, Trent Kowalik, Cartier Williams, and Jock Soto, among many others.

Historic Ted Shawn Theatre at Jacob's Pillow. Photo Christopher Duggan

Three specially selected “Back by Popular Demand” productions will be discovered anew by audiences. Ella Baff comments, “I hope to encourage the public to consider more contemporary dance works as classics, to be revisited in the same way that we enjoy and deepen our appreciation for classic works of music, theatre, and the visual arts.” This series includes Tero Saarinen’s powerful Shaker-inspired Borrowed Light, which premiered in the U.S. at the Pillow in 2006; 2011 Jacob’s Pillow Dance Award recipient Crystal Pite’s stunningly accomplished work Dark Matters; and Doug Elkins’ insightful and hilarious Fräulein Maria, first performed at the Pillow in 2009.

At The School at Jacob’s Pillow, faculty includes an extraordinary range of master artists: Michael Corder formerly of the Royal Ballet; Judith Jamison, Artistic Director Emerita; Ariel Freedman of Batsheva Dance Company; Jose Manuel Carreño, recently retired from American Ballet Theatre; Cynthia Harvey, former star of The Royal Ballet and American Ballet Theatre; tap legend Dianne Walker; and many others.

While the Festival is a centerpiece of the 80th Anniversary Year, programming takes place year-round. Throughout the year, new additions are constantly contributed to Virtual Pillow, an ever-growing online collection including PillowTalks, educational resources, Jacob’s Pillow Dance Interactive, and contemporary and archival dance videos, which have amassed more than 800,000 views to date worldwide. Artist residencies bring the innovative Jacob’s Pillow Curriculum in Motion® program to schools, using movement to advance and enhance classroom learning for students and teachers. Visiting scholars and fellows from around the world use the Jacob’s Pillow Archives as a vast and unique resource for significant dance research.

Wei Wei and Jin Yao of the Hong Kong Ballet. Photo Gordon Wong

Year-round Creative Development Residencies support artists as they create new work in the Pillow’s retreat-like setting; these new works often premiere at the Pillow. On March 24 and 25, the Pillow and MASS MoCA will co-present Australian contemporary company Chunky Move in their newest production, Connected.

A signal Anniversary celebration includes the release of Never Stand Still, a feature-length documentary about dance, dancers, and Jacob’s Pillow by award-winning director Ron Honsa, narrated by Bill T. Jones. The film will make its New York City premiere at the 2012 Dance on Camera Festival on January 27.

www.jacobspillow.org

Top photo: Erica Essner Performance Co-Op performing as part of the free Inside/Out performance series at Jacob’s Pillow. Photo Christopher Duggan

So You Think You Can Dance is back, kicking off its ninth season with auditions beginning Thursday, January 5 at the historic Fox Theatre in Atlanta, GA. The show will then continue its hunt for ‘America’s Favorite Dancer’ with audition stops in Dallas, New York, Salt Lake City and Los Angeles.

So You Think You Can Dance will search for the most talented and loveable young dancers in the country. Those who shine during auditions will once again be given a ticket to Las Vegas for callbacks, where they will work with top choreographers to learn and

Excited contestants during last season's auditions. ©2011 Fox Broadcasting Co. Photo by Adam Rose/FOX

then be judged on multiple styles of dance. Dancers will then be chosen to compete in the series and dance for audience votes.

Last season’s winner, Melanie Moore of Georgia, danced off with a $250,000 cash prize and was featured as a Gatorade athlete on Gatorade.com and in Gatorade’s G series FIT print campaign. Moore also participated in the 32-city So You Think You Can Dance Tour 2011.

“For the past eight seasons, So You Think You Can Dance has been a huge part of our success. We are excited to bring the series and an incredible set of new dancers back for another fantastic season,” said Mike Darnell, President of Alternative Entertainment, Fox Broadcasting Company.

Last summer, So You Think You Can Dance ranked No. 1 in its time period among Adults 18-49, Adults 18-34 and Teens.

Get to an audition near you for a chance to be named ‘America’s Favorite Dancer’.

Atlanta, GA                      
Thursday, Jan. 5             
The Fox Theatre
660 Peachtree Street, NE
Atlanta, GA  30308 

Dallas, TX                        
Friday, Jan. 13                 
McFarlin Memorial Auditorium
6405 Boaz Lane
Dallas, TX  75275

New York, NY                  
Monday, Jan. 23              
Manhattan Center
311 W. 34^th Street
New York, NY  10001

Salt Lake City, UT           
Thursday, Feb. 23           
Capitol Theatre
50 West 200 South
Salt Lake City, Utah  84101

Los Angeles, CA              
Friday, March 2              
Orpheum Theatre
842 S. Broadway
Los Angeles, CA  90014

Please note that venue information may change. For the latest information visit www.fox.com/dance.

Registration will begin at 8:00am at each venue. Auditioners traveling to cities for the open calls should make arrangements to stay for at least two days following their initial audition in the event of a callback. Dancers must be either a U.S. citizen, legal permanent resident of the U.S. or possess a current legal Employment Authorization Card enabling him/her to seek employment freely in the U.S. (i.e., without restrictions as to employer) by the date specified in the eligibility rules. Dancers must be no younger than 18 or older than 30 years of age on the first day they register for auditions. Any dancer who is a minor in his/her state of residence must also have a parent or legal guardian sign all required documents. Dancers must provide legal, valid proof of age when they register for auditions.

For more details on auditions for season nine, as well as eligibility requirements, go to www.fox.com/dance.

The School of Visual, Media and Performing Arts at Brooklyn College is partnering with the Martha Graham Dance Company to offer two unique and intensive classes at the Brooklyn College campus in Flatbush, New York, January 9-26, 2012.
 
The two classes, ‘Technique’ and ‘Composition,’ will give undergraduate students of Brooklyn College and other institutions an opportunity to immerse themselves in the dance technique of the legendary Martha Graham. Each of the classes will accrue three credits. Faculty from the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance will work alongside guest artists to introduce students to the basics of the Graham technique and how to construct a dance.
 
The technique class runs Mondays through Fridays, 9 a.m.-noon. The composition class runs Mondays through Fridays, 2 pm-5 pm. These two winter intensives are specifically designed for students who wish to progress rapidly in the Graham technique. Classes may be taken concurrently or separately. Registration is open to undergraduate students from Brooklyn College and other colleges and universities.
 
The Martha Graham Dance Company, which will be practicing for its next tour at Brooklyn College’s Walt Whitman Auditorium during the week of January 23, has agreed to open its rehearsals to students every day that week. The general public will also have an opportunity to attend rehearsals on Tuesday, January 24, from 2 pm to 3:30 pm and on Wednesday, January 25, from 10:30 am- noon.
 
For tuition information or to register, students can visit www.brooklyn.cuny.edu or call 718-951-3180.

TenduTV and Dance Films Association Join Forces

By Stephanie Wolf.

In our digital world how can dance stay relevant and expand its audience? Luckily, there are dance innovators in New York City, who are doing more than breaking choreographic barriers in the dance studio. These individuals are technology-savvy and possess a knowledge and appreciation of dance. Combining technology and dance performance, TenduTV and Dance Films Association (DFA) are collaborating to bring more awareness to the New York City dance scene.

The two organizations have announced plans to create three high-definition, three-dimensional feature dance films; with a goal to make these films available all over the world for both public and in home viewing. Additionally, they will launch a new collaborative project titled NYC Dance Export. Backed financially by the Rockefeller Foundation’s Cultural Innovation Fund, the initiative will highlight selected New York City dance companies as they undertake the process of producing a dance film.

TenduTV is an online network dedicated to providing digital dance-centric content to people all over the world. The company has been working with Dance Films Association “slowly and steadily since TenduTV was created,” explains Founder and General Manager Marc Kirschner. After a 3D collaboration with the New York City Downtown performance troupe 3-Legged Dog (3LD), Kirschner wanted to expand on this experimentation of performance and technology. Because TenduTV is a for profit organization, Kirschner needed to seek out a nonprofit partner to help spearhead his idea. He approached Dance Films Association, an easy choice for him due to the history between the two organizations. European dance companies are already tapping into advanced media and incorporating it into their work, but this type of dance/technological undertaking has yet to exist anywhere in America.

Based on a similar advocacy for dance and digital media, Susan Braun founded Dance Films Association in 1959. She brought together some of dance’s biggest contributors to form the first Board of Directors, including Jose Limon, Ted Shawn, and Alicia Markova. Today, DFA Executive Director Christy Park carries on Braun’s mission through the preservation of dance films and creation of new, innovative content by collaborating with some of dance’s finest artists and companies on both a national and international level. Park believes the partnership with TenduTV has enormous potential. She deems it, “a catalyst for future innovation and preservation of dance on camera.”

Both Park and Kirschner are particularly excited to present the beauty of dance in 3D. “Dance in 3D if it’s done right is gorgeous, it’s an organic fit,” said Kirschner. However, shooting dance in this format presents many challenges. Elements such as fast movement, stage lighting, set design, and raked stages can be problematic for filming in 3D. Kirschner also pointed out that the standard film frame rate of 24 frames per second is too slow to capture dance adequately. They hope to shoot at a much faster rate, in the range of 48 to 72 frames per second.

In terms of an overall distribution plan, DFA and TenduTV intend to follow a ‘Hollywood model’, broadcasting the films in theaters, on television, in festivals, and, eventually, making them available in both 3D and 2D on Bluray, DVD, and digital download. They are in conversation with potential partners in all of these ventures.

Each of the two organizations plays a distinct role in the projects. While Dance Films Association supervises and guides companies through the process of creating and producing the films, TenduTV chooses the company or artist to highlight and distributes the final product. Everything will be easily accessible through popular media distributors, such as iTunes. The media can be found by a search for TenduTV in the iTunes store.

With a constant shortage of finances and resources, TenduTV and Dance Films Association demonstrate how much stronger the arts can be when united. International organizations are taking note of this concept and transitioning into similar alliances. Kirschner thinks it’s an essential move in order for American dance “to survive and thrive in this new paradigm.”

The organizations already have an outline of the first production in mind. If the proper funding can come together in the near future, then filming will begin at the end of November. Additionally, funding efforts are already underway to nationalize and expand the programs. “This is not just about great New York City dance companies. There are great companies throughout the country. We want to make sure American dance can be competitive throughout [an international] marketplace,” expressed Kirschner.

The response from the local dance community is optimistic. Dancers, directors, choreographers, and companies will keep a hopeful eye on the partnership, tracking its evolution and reception. This could be a huge leap into a new direction for the dance profession.

Atlanta Dance Connection

Maynard Jackson High School, Georgia
October 28-29, 2011

By Rebekah Bennett.

I love to be surprised; but let me tell you, it is not easy to surprise me and it is not easy to impress me. I am also, (and I am embarrassed to admit this to the world), of the belief that male dancers have it much easier than their female counterparts. Do you know what else I love? I love to be wrong. Allyne D Gartrell, thank you for not letting these male dancers off the hook.

Let me tell you about the men of Atlanta Dance Connection. Their technique was astounding, their bodies, strong and powerful. These men moved through the space, soaring through the air one moment and rolling to the ground the next with flawless controlled power. They seemed contained and in control of the movement but only barely. There was an underlying current of caged energy that pulsated from ever perfect extension and movement.

While I am on the topic of male dancers, I need to give props to one in particular, Xavie Demar. I asked him how he managed to get that tall body to the ground so quickly and then manage to have his legs to his ears the next second! “In my training,” he shared, “I danced with a lot of shorter people. My ballet teachers would tell me, you need to move as fast and as big as that person, that little girl, standing next to me. That was my push. I wanted to be a professional dancer from the time I started training and I can’t hide.” Hide he cannot, however, he fits in this company. He blends in and only adds to the beauty of the whole picture.

There where beautiful moments through the whole show. The different choreographers showcased the dancers’ incredible abilities with gorgeous turning sequences and a wonderful fusion of ballet, modern and jazz movement.

The gem of the show was Movement III from My Inspiration, dedicated to Talley Beatty, a great pioneer of Jazz dance. The dancers, robed in stunning velvet dresses, moved quickly and flawlessly through the fast paced, joyful movement. These dresses, by costume designer Maurice Smith, perfectly showcased the dancers’ diverse and beautiful body types. It was obvious that they loved performing the choreography as much as I loved watching it. That is because it was everything that I as dancer, love about dancing – hard core modern-jazz fusion moves wrapped in an air of sassy groove. It was nearly impossible to stay in my seat! It was pure dance happiness.

So, Mr. Gartrell, thank you again for a night of surprises and of great dance. Your dancers of Atlanta Dance Connection are incredible artists who, in their own words, can’t imagine dancing anywhere else. Thank you for bringing your style to Atlanta. We are lucky to have you here.

Honoring the 10th Anniversary of 9/11 in New York City

By Katherine Moore.

September 11th, 2001 was a tragic day we will all remember forever. Now, 10 years later, New Yorkers honored the anniversary of this tragic event in a myriad of ways. Some chose to stay home with their families. Others attended church services and memorial events. Artists of all genres produced work and organized their own events to reflect upon and remember 9/11, and the dance community was no exception.

Uptown to downtown, dancers and choreographers honored those who died on 9/11 with the movement of their bodies. Jacqulyn Buglisi, artistic director of Buglisi Dance Theater, orchestrated The Table of Silence Project at Lincoln Center Plaza in partnership with Dance/NYC and The September Concert.

Beginning at 8:15am on Sunday, September 11, 2011, 100 dancers from various dance institutions, including Buglisi Dance Theatre, The Julliard School, STEPS on Broadway, and several others, performed this site-specific work. The dancers, all dressed in flowing white costumes, moved in geometric patterns surrounding the fountain, using intermittent gestures of pain and prayer, until they finally found themselves seated with arms raised.  At 8:46am, the exact time the first plane flew into the World Trade Center’s North Tower, the dancers  were entirely still with their arms lifted to the sky.

The Table of Silence Project was a collaborative work between Buglisi and Italian artist Rosella Vasta.  Vasta’s sculpture 100 Terra Cotta Plates, a work symbolizing the banquet table that unites humanity, gave Buglisi inspiration for this piece. According to Buglisi, the dancers at Lincoln Center Plaza were intended to be the personification of the plates. “I wanted to create a work where people could come to the table to listen,” Buglisi said.

Buglisi hoped that through her movement, she could bring about healing energy to the community of New York and beyond. “I have a very strong, powerful belief in the universal language of movement to promote peace and tolerance,” she said.  “The energy we send out can change the world.”

Farther downtown, The Joyce Theater, one of New York’s premiere dance performance venues, presented two concerts at Nelson A. Rockefeller Park on September 10^th and 11^th at 5:00pm. These commemorative performances featured the Limon Dance Company with Voices of Ascension and the Paul Taylor Dance Company with the Orchestra of St. Luke’s. Also on the program were Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s Matthew Rushing, and a world premiere by choreographer Jessica Lang featuring dancers Clifton Brown and Jamal Roberts with musicians Yacouba Cissoko and Sam Dickey.

Lang said that it was an honor to have been asked by The Joyce to choreograph for this event. “I think it is a wonderful opportunity for the audience to recognize how important the presence of art is in the efforts to rebuild the community,” Lang said.

Lang mentioned that this piece was very important to her, and she also noted that choreographing a commemorative work like this had altered her typical approach to choreography. “I want to carry the message of hope, but I also want to be respectful to all the emotions that come along with the memories of that day.   Most of the time when I make a piece it might be something of a personal idea to me that carries universal images which speak to the audience.  But this time, it is a universal event that everyone experienced and there is a different sort of responsibility I am feeling.”

Taking her work all over the city, choreographer Sarah Skaggs presented “9/11: A Roving Dance Memorial” at Union Square Park, Washington Square Park and Battery Park. These 11-minute dance installations occurred at various times throughout the afternoon on September 11. The installations, based on a solo Skaggs choreographed after the attacks in 2001, also took place in Washington D.C. and Shanksville, PA.

Dance New Amsterdam, one of New York’s most progressive and prominent downtown dance centers, moved to their current location shortly following the 9/11 attacks 10 years ago. Part of their larger mission was to revitalize the Lower Manhattan community after 9/11. DNA commemorated the 10^th anniversary by asking dance artists how 9/11 affected their work and then showcasing their video submissions on a flat screen in DNA’s lobby.

Dancers all over New York found ways to use their art form as a way to honor the victims of 9/11. Amalgamate Dance Company even honored working dog teams, veterinarians, and VMATs who served during 9/11 with their work In the Beginning at Liberty State Park.  Dancers and dogs alike were affected by the tragic events 10 years ago, and the anniversary offered an opportunity for dance artists to reflect and remember how their lives and their work has changed.

Jacqulyn Buglisi was in New York when the towers fell.  “Artists here in New York have a deeper appreciation of our freedoms since 9/11,” she said. “Art always reflects the time in which we live. We are making that imprint in many different ways. “

Top photo: Buglisi Dance 9/11 Tribute. Photo by eveningsongserenade