By Leah Gerstenlauer.

Music and dance — there was a time when the two were inextricably linked as live arts. Music was written for and tailored to movement; movement was created in conversation with that music; and performance was a continuation of the creative dialogue. But with the increasing availability of recorded music, that standard has changed. Choreographers save money by forgoing live music and commissioned scores, and musicians lose nothing by taking on more lucrative gigs.

For New York City-based dance-maker Leigh Schanfein and composer Jonathan Howard Katz, the rift between the two artistic disciplines is cause for concern. “When we showed one of our collaborative pieces at a dance showcase last fall, it was the only one of 11 pieces on that program to feature live music,” Katz recalls. “In a city where musicians are coming out of the woodwork, we had to wonder why.”

Thus was planted the seed for Periapsis Music and Dance, Katz and Schanfein’s venture to bring composers and choreographers, musicians and dancers together in the studio and on the stage. What began as a mere mutual thought last September blossomed into a full-fledged show in February, and will fuel the production of two more performances this month, at the Secret Theater in Queens on May 16 and the Actor’s Fund Arts Center in Brooklyn on May 20.

Leigh Schanfein and Mike Hodge in rehearsal. Photo by Alex Agor.

Though their first collaboration dates back only a year, Schanfein and Katz now find themselves facilitating what they hope will become a large-scale movement to reunite and revivify their artforms. Considering the massive response they gleaned from their initial calls for composers and choreographers, there is more than enough momentum coming from their respective realms to turn their vision into a reality.

“For the February show, I made only a mini call for composers and ended up with a playlist of about 40 pieces for the choreographers to choose from,” says Katz. “Most of the composers had never worked with dancers before, and they were flattered and impressed to see their work transformed into movement.”

Schanfein received similarly enthusiastic responses from the four other choreographers on Periapsis’ inaugural program, all of whom enjoyed some level of interaction with the composers behind their chosen music. A high priority for next year’s projects is to increase coactivity amongst participants, allowing for a more integrated creative product.

“So far, we’ve only worked with previously composed scores,” Schanfein says. “Even Jonathan and I have collaborated only on concepts. He writes the music with our ideas in mind, and I choreograph on top of that. We’d like to move toward a 100% collaborative process. That means extra rehearsal time, more back and forth, a lot of unused music and choreography… It would be really cool and also kind of scary.”

But heightening the artistic intensity of their work will likely prove to be somewhat of a creative release, given the plethora of logistical challenges Schanfein and Katz have faced in the less than six months they spent producing their first show. Of primary concern is, unsurprisingly, funding — an aspect of Periapsis’ well-being that its directors are determined to stay on top of.

“Freelance dancers especially are used to being poorly paid. But we need to have the budget to compensate our artists — all of them — in a reasonable manner,” Schanfein asserts. Katz is equally adamant on the topic of payroll, and with this point in mind, is eager to see through the group’s application for 501(c)3 status. “I seriously want to address the issue of pay with the grant writing we have coming up because we’re working with people who should not just be surviving, but actually making a living as artists.”

Composer Jonathan Howard Katz at the USF Robert Helps Competition and Festival. Photo by Kyle Scharf.

Finding suitable performance venues for Periapsis is another problematic task, considering the various technical requirements of productions incorporating not just one, but two live arts. Quality of acoustics, proper flooring, availability of less transportable instruments (pianos, drums), soundproof rehearsal rooms, warm-up studios — Katz and Schanfein take all of these details into account when scouting venues. And when the pair is not scouring the city for the perfect performance space or piecing together a non-profit budget, they are making moves to cultivate an audience and get more people involved in their cause. The greater their following, they believe, the greater the opportunities for their fellow artists.

“We don’t just want to produce our own shows; we want to help other musicians, dancers, composers and choreographers to collaborate,” Schanfein says. “If a music group wants to have dance in its next show, we can help them make connections. We want to see these visions realized.”

To learn more about Periapsis Music and Dance, or to find out how you can become a part of its next season, head to periapsismusicanddance.org to snag a ticket to one of the group’s spring shows.

Photo (top): Dancer Robin Gilbert in a Periapsis Music and Dance rehearsal. Photo by Alex Agor.

By Leah Gerstenlauer.

Josh Beamish is on the move — again. The industrious young choreographer, who recently completed a triple-stop teaching tour in South Africa and India, has traveled the world with his work, and will likely circle the globe more than once again before he reaches the age of 30. But this spring, Beamish will stay stateside as he prepares for the premiere of two new pieces created in collaboration with some of North America’s most revered ballet dancers. The road from small-town Canada to a Manhattan rehearsal studio with New York City Ballet principal Wendy Whelan was certainly less than straight. But Beamish seems to embrace the unpredictability of a career that has been surprising much of the dance community — and the choreographer himself — since he was in his teens.

“I started off making almost urban hip-hop influenced contemporary dance pieces,” he relates. “I was young, and I figured this was just a temporary thing — I was going to go dance for Janet Jackson in Los Angeles. But I got my first commission on a ballet company when I was 19, and that work was, at the time, my most well-received piece. It peaked my interest in making more of a focus on ballet.”

Beamish formed MOVE: the company in Vancouver at the age of 17, establishing the perfect forum in which to experiment with different ideas and styles of movement. Though he developed most of his balletic work through external commissions from groups such as Canada’s Ballet Kelowna, the School of American Ballet (in conjunction with the New York Choreographic Institute), and the University of Missouri, Beamish has enjoyed recent opportunities to bring his creations back to MOVE: the company — and to bring the restructured company to its new home base, New York City.

“Originally, I wanted to have a full-time company in Vancouver, to have all the resources to train my dancers every day, and to give them health care and benefits… But I wasn’t given enough grants and support to build that there,” he laments. “So when two projects with Wendy [Whelan] came up, and I got my three-year 0-1 Visa, I elected to put having a full-time company on hold.”

Josh Beamish and Wendy Whelan work together in the studio. Photo courtesy of Josh Beamish.

Today, his group of dancers operates as a rotating collection of guest artists from other companies around the continent. This format allows Beamish to focus more on the creative process and less on the logistics of sustaining a year-round business. Difficult as it was for him to leave behind the city of his professional beginnings and his initial vision for MOVE: the company, he knew that he could not continue to challenge himself and grow as an artist while attempting to provide a consistent sense of stability for his dancers.

Beamish’s latest project, a new full-length ballet called Pierced, brought him into rehearsal studios throughout North America to work with top-tier artists such as Whelan, her fellow NYCB principal Robert Fairchild, Pacific Northwest Ballet principal Carla Korbes, and Royal Winnipeg Ballet principal Jo-Ann Sundermeier. “I’ve been developing this piece since August, 2011, and it’s turning out to be very interesting,” he says of Pierced, which is scheduled to debut at the American Dance Institute in Rockville, Maryland on May 18^th and 19^th. “It’s a full-length ballet with no narrative, and with a movement vocabulary that is juxtaposed against the classical technique of the dancers. In the past couple of years, I’ve figured out how to retain an aesthetic of classical technique while incorporating intricate limb coordination and rhythmic challenges that are usually only seen in contemporary dance.”

The pioneering dance-maker’s creative instincts have proven quite powerful so far, drawing the notice and praise of critics and other artists alike. Whelan showed her appreciation for Beamish’s ingenuity when she invited him to choreograph a pas de deux for her first self-produced show, Restless Creature, set to open at Jacob’s Pillow this August.  This yet to be named piece, which will preview at the Guggenheim on April 14^th and 15^th, will join the creations of three other male choreographers — each enlisted to craft a duet specifically for himself and Whelan — on an international tour to take place over the course of the next two years.

“It’s really exciting to be using her in two very different contexts — classical and contemporary — in my work. It’s quite fun,” he glows. “Of course, when you’re hiring dancers who are under contract with another company, you have to be their second priority. Sometimes, I don’t know if we’re going to rehearse until the day before, but it’s worth it to work with artists of such high caliber.”

For Beamish, it is this “work” — time spent in the studio imagining, experimenting, refining — rather than the presentation of a finished product that propels him through scheduling hurdles and the many other obstacles a freelance career in the arts world inevitably poses. A choreographer to the core, he declares that he “never wanted to be a dancer. It didn’t interest me at all. I like choreographing way more than I like dancing, and I like dancing in the studio a lot more than performing. Many dancers live for being on the stage, but for me, that’s a necessary byproduct of the process in order for people to see what I do.”

With his ever-growing all-star roster of dancers and his endless drive to create, Beamish will undoubtedly have plenty of eyes on his work for years to come.

Photo (top): Josh Beamish. Photo by David Cooper.

Gerald Lynch Theater, NYC
March 13 2013

By Tara Sheena.

Rarely in ballet do I find the same smaller and more intimate showcases so prevalent to modern dance. The reasoning for this is, admittedly, unclear to me. Perhaps, the work in its grand tradition and even grander costumes, sets and live music harkens to the vast world provided by larger spaces. Perhaps it is the fact that pick-up companies are less common in the world of ballet as compared to the common freelance format of many modern dance companies. Perhaps it is that almighty elephant in the room: funding. Whatever the reason, anytime I am privileged to see a classical ballet company in a more intimate space, I jump at the chance.

This was the case on Wednesday, March 13 with Tom Gold Dance at the Gerald Lynch Theater in New York City. Mr. Gold’s troupe of nine dancers is a mixed bag of ballet artists, many of them currently dancing with New York City Ballet where Gold was a company member for 21 years. Noted for his straightforward style and comedic timing, his company’s New York season was a wonderful blend of ballet’s classicism, jazz’s rhythm and a touch of multimedia that worked to contemporize the evening.

The performance opened with Faure Fantasy, named for the composer of the work, Gabriel Faure. Dancer Gretchen Smith entered the stage first in a rose-pink tutu and took great care with the light, melodic music, which was played wonderfully live on piano by Susan Walters. Gold’s choreography is in its most classic sense in this piece: seven dancers traversed the stage in snappy piqués and briskly moving glissades. The bodies moved back and forth, revealing a soloist, then a pas de deux, then everyone en masse in a dizzying effect of fluffy, pink lightness.

Tom Gold Dance. Photo by Eugene Gologursky

Gershwin Preludes offered a much-needed theatrical break from the action. Luciana Paris and Stephen Hanna engaged in a playful duet set to an excerpt of the Gershwin Preludes. Hanna was especially captivating right from his first playful leap on to the stage; he has a boyish charm and sincerity that was completely effective. Paris was with him every step of the way—so trusting in their partnership as she effortlessly leapt toward his arms and allowed herself to put her full weight into their promenades, maintaining lightness and a pure lack of hesitation.

The centerpiece of the evening was also the least exciting piece of the performance: the world premiere of La Plage set to music by popular avant-garde composer John Zorn and made for the entire company. The video backdrop of various natural environments (first a forest then a beach scene) was largely drowned out on the vast Gerald Lynch stage. Though the musicality was most fine-tuned in this work, the bland costumes did nothing to complement the dancers’ bodies and the finale section, which harkened to a 60s beach party, seemed entirely contrived and overdramatic.

The final piece, Mad About the Boy, closed out the evening and fittingly showcased Gold’s theatrical flair. In a ballroom scene, the dancers entered the space clad in jewel-toned ballroom gowns for the women and classic tuxedos for the men, depicting a distinctly classy affair. Sara Mearns entered in a flowing black gown and engaged in a playful duet with Gold, jauntily chasing him around the stage in her coy, sly way. Her natural grace set against his nerdy charm was both heartwarming and hilarious. However, the exciting Likolani Brown stole the show as the lonely maid of the house, so precise in her steps and ever confident in her role. It was wonderful to see her fly around the stage and not miss a beat. For being portrayed as the hired help, she was, by no means, a lesser character. Brown allowed the final piece to end on the upbeat note it needed.

I appreciate Gold’s flair for the theatrical (how wonderful is it to laugh at the ballet?!), but through it all, I did not see a distinct voice that was all his own. Gold sacrificed many small vignettes in lieu of a larger, more developed work and it all lacked the innovation I was so desperately longing to see. I look forward to future performances where Gold embraces his cinematic theatricality and leaves the rest on the cutting room floor.

Photo (top): Tom Gold Dance performs Faure Fantasy. Photo by Eugene Gologursky

By Leigh Schanfein.

He knew that this was what he wanted to do. Not for a few years, not until the money ran out or until he’d made a name for himself, but indefinitely. He knew. And now, 30 years later, Igal Perry and the flourishing community of Peridance Capezio Center celebrate a milestone as one of the largest open dance studios in the U.S.

Dance students, teachers, and choreographers come from all over the U.S. and internationally to train, share, and perform at Peridance, with more than 700 individuals walking through the doors each day, choosing from a myriad of diverse dance styles, from ballet to tap to hip-hop and everything in between. It wasn’t an easy road to take; building a dance studio from the ground up requires a vision, dedication, support, and an excellent faculty.

“He took something from nothing…he’s a visionary,” shares Graciela Kozak, one of Peridance’s beloved instructors who has been teaching on the ballet faculty for 28 years. Graciela and Igal have known each other for about 40 years, a lifetime of dancing and working together. In fact, she danced in the first piece he ever choreographed at Bat-Dor Dance Company in Israel, and performed as part of the original Peridance Contemporary Dance Company (then the Peridance Ensemble) founded by Igal in 1984. She began teaching at Peridance the next year and has since found it to be a second home to her.

Igal Perry with a student from the School at Peridance. Photo by Jaqlin Medlock

“You feel like you’re part of a family. So many people have come through the doors here and come together. It’s the way that the place is run… it’s the open door policy. We have focus. It’s a place where people come to be a dancer.  There is consistency, stability. It’s like a generation who have been coming, and it’s kind of amazing.”

Igal Perry came to the U.S. from Israel in the 1970s when he worked as a dancer, ballet master, choreographer, artistic director, and repetiteur. And while founding a dance studio was not his first endeavor in the U.S., it had been on his mind.

“When I came here, there were not actually any big schools with open classes. There were some but on a small scale, and most of them were not for different styles; they had a concentration, for example mostly ballet. There was a need, and when I had the opportunity I jumped on it.”

He then went around to various studios in NYC to recruit the best teachers he could get, who brought with them their excellent reputations and student base. Of course, Igal taught as well. “My first class, the first day Peridance opened, I had two students! They knew me from having taught at another studio before. I think my next class had four, so that’s pretty good growth!”

The first ten years found the Center operating in the red, and Igal turned to his parents for support, some financial but mostly encouragement and advice. Leaving it’s first high-rent location and moving into a new building on 13th Street just south of Union Square in NYC’s East Village helped turn Peridance’s financial situation around. Eventually, in 2010, Peridance moved into its third and expectedly permanent home, a historic landmark building also on 13th Street just east of its previous dwelling and still in the vicinity of Union Square. Throughout its 30 years, Peridance never left the neighborhood, and this helped make the area a destination for dance.

A dance class at Peridance Capezio Center New York. Photo by Anna Sednova.

“We always struggled with getting the students to come down here. We sort of fell between the cracks…but we kept going forward with quality. Once we moved to [our current location] we did become a focal point, not just in this area but in the whole of New York and nationally. Now people don’t consider it out of the main stream.”

It may be Peridance’s local, national, and international blend that makes it so unique and contributes greatly to its longevity.  Students literally come from all over the world to take open classes and workshops at Peridance, and students enrolled in it’s various international professional training programs hail from more than 30 countries. Igal himself comes from Israel and is based in NYC, and keeping his home at Peridance allows him the opportunity to choreograph and teach around the world, and to then bring the world back to Peridance. He takes what he sees, hears, and feels in other places and gives it back to his students. Igal’s perspective is that art is not something local, it is global.

“Peridance brings in artists from all over the world. We are a hub of international art and are not just aware but a part of what is happening in the world.  Peridance was the first school that had formal classes in hip-hop. Same thing with workshops with international choreographers and master teachers. We started that trend. Now everyone does it, and we do it better! We don’t look to imitate others. We look for originality and ask, what is it that is needed now?”

Another artist who has benefitted greatly from Igal’s international sensibility who is now an integral part of the Peridance family is Yarden Ronen, Director of Development and PR and Executive Director of Peridance Contemporary Dance Company.  Yarden has known Igal for about 13 years, since Igal was invited to be a guest choreographer once again at Bat-Dor where Yarden was dancing.

“He chose me to do a principal role in his piece and we became friends. That role really affected my life, so I’ve always had a really warm place in my heart for Igal,” he said.

When Yarden was dancing in NYC, he guested with Peridance Contemporary Dance Company several times and, in 2008 when Yarden was ready to stop performing, he called Igal for advice about moving on to a career after dancing. Their collaboration led to a new career path that kept Yarden within the field of dance but off the stage. “I did not want to teach and choreograph. I felt like I could contribute to the dance community, to dance education, to the artistic endeavor of dance overall much more as an arts director and administrator. I am very lucky because Igal lets me express myself, find my own voice and get creative. And now [as Executive Director] with the dance company it’s a lot of work but it’s quite amazing.”

And, what can we expect for the next 30 years?  After a huge Gala and festivities in the coming year, Peridance Capezio Center will continue to expand upon the definition of the dance studio.  They will strengthen the continuum from children’s program to pre-professional training to professional collegiate-level training to professional company.  They will expand the reaches of its resident Peridance Contemporary Dance Company, and make a name for its in-house Salvatore Capezio Theater.  Of course, Igal will continue to teach his open ballet classes each weekday morning and rehearse his company in the afternoon.  When asked about how many more anniversaries Peridance might have, Igal responds, “It’s really very fulfilling.  Another 30 years would be great!”

To find out more about Igal Perry and Peridance Capezio Center’s offerings as well as events for the 30th Anniversary, visit peridance.com.

City Center, New York City
October 6 2012

By Tara Sheena.

Fall for Dance descends annually in the wake of the cold air’s return to New York City to present dance spectators old and young with a smorgasbord of satiating performances. One rule: come hungry. Taking place at City Center since its inception in 2004, this year’s festival included 12 evenings of dance and 20 companies spanning over 10 countries with 5 uniquely matched programs. I had the privilege of attending Program 4 on October 6, 2012 featuring Bharat Natyam performer Shantala Shivalingappa, a pas de deux from Pacific Northwest Ballet, a quartet from postmodern choreographer Jodi Melnick, and the Hawaiian dance ensemble Ka Leo O Laka I Ka Hikina O Ka La.

The renowned Bharat Natyam performer Shantala Shivalingappa opened the evening’s performance with incredible grace and fluidity that was truly mesmerizing. Shivalingappa was the sole performer of this classic Indian dance form, but was accompanied on stage by three musicians and a vocalist. This contained world enacted rumination on Shiva, the Lord of Dance, and Ganga, the Goddess of the sacred river Ganges. Shivalingappa began her solo with a traditional offering that begins most Bharat Natyam performances. This gestural acquaintance is highly meditative and is directed at both her accompanying musicians and the audience, gently ushering us into her magical world. The highly articulate hands that welcome us into these conceptual etudes on Shiva and Ganga constantly whirled and twisted over highly percussive, grounded legs. In this traditional Indian dance form, the music and movement mimic each other in a completely engaging manner; stomping of the feet and twists of the head and torso power the musical elements to follow suit, and vice versa. It was never completely apparent who was leading who, but the result managed to avoid an all-too-literal interpretation of music and movement. By the end, boundless knee spins led Shivalingappa around the stage and the audience roared in applause—enamored by her disciplined movement but, more so, by the sacred experience she provided.

One classical form was followed by another in a pas de deux from Christopher Wheeldon’s Carousel (A Dance) by Pacific Northwest Ballet’s Carla Körbes and Seth Orza. Körbes depicted a hesitant, submissive female figure to Orza’s urging comfort, alluding to the “poignant, doomed nature of the couple’s relationship”, as explained in the program notes. Set to the familiar, show-tuney music of Richard Rodgers, Orza seems to cushion Körbes’ constant falling at every chance. Both a literal movement and figurative statement, Körbes slid across the floor en pointe and before it looked like she could hit the deck, Orza was there to prop her back onto her legs to keep going. These moments were exciting. They happened with precision and abandon, but grew old fast when the promenades and overhead lifts started to become overwrought. Wheeldon seemed to exercise these fall-and-catch mechanisms too much, so they lost their initial excitement by the end of the piece. In fact, so did this fictional relationship. The game of cat and mouse that Orza and Körbes engaged in became more of an overly dependent farce; Körbes’ submission was lost to Orza’s ambivalence and the performance did not leave me wanting more.

I have wanted to see the work of Jodi Melnick for a long time. As a descendant of powerful postmodernists Trisha Brown and Twyla Tharp (among others) and a recent recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, I have wondered what kind of work she would produce under this myriad of influences. Melnick along with performers Jon Kinzel, Hrisotula Harakas, and Kayvon Pourazar, as well as acoustic-electronic music group People Get Ready made up Solo, (Re)Deluxe Version. The top of the work found Melnick onstage alone, red hair slightly disheveled, in a metallic silver jumpsuit. Was this the postmodern dancer of the future? Maybe not, but at least an imagined version of such. Not surprisingly, Melnick’s movement was at its most clear and engaging when she performed it—she has an unblemished sense of articulation that is never forced. This relaxed motion makes it as if water is running through her bones, unobstructed, in a gentle, steady stream. Joined by Harakas and the pumped up musical styling of People Get Ready, the movement was amplified in this beautifully oxymoronic meeting of post-rock and postmodern dance. The movement’s stripped down, casual quality was further supported by the removal of the upstage scrim, completely gutting the usual masking of the large City Center stage. Even on this massive scale, Melnick found a way to keep her detailed work intimate and personal.

As someone who was not familiar with traditional Hawaiian dance forms before this night, I can now say that I am definitely a fan. The ensemble of dancing men and female musicians that make up Ka Leo O Laka I Ka Hikina O Ka La, led by Artistic Director Kumu Hula Kaleo Trinidad, ushered me into this energetic world. Wearing nothing more than green loin cloths and flowered headpieces, this eleven-man army moved with the groundedness that resembled many African dance forms, while maintaining the precision and physicality of trained Olympic athletes. Even the female musicians were perfectly choreographed in their synchronization of the traditional ipu, a pear-shaped instrument made from gourds that provides a clear beat to most Hawaiian dance forms. Repeated squats, deep lunges, and wide stomping found vibrant, rhythmic patterns against the ipu’s percussive accompaniment. The movement and music seemed like a ritual performance that was uprooted from its traditional setting for the proscenium stage. This high-energy performance was quite the crowd pleaser and a perfect conclusion to the night. We feasted on dance and were all full. ‘Til next year.

Photo: Pacific Northwest Ballet, Wheeldon. Photo ©Angela Sterling

By Stephanie Wolf.

The New York dance scene is saturated with burgeoning choreographers and dance companies, giving Manhattinites an overwhelming catalogue of dance happenings to attend on any given night.  With so much established and new dance in the city, how is an ambitious choreographer to stand out?

Recognizing this surplus of dance, former New York City Ballet Soloist Tom Gold has decided to follow a less conventional approach to showcasing his choreography. By building an international touring company, Gold has succeeded in establishing a global presence with his troupe of dancers and avoided getting lost in the crowd. Now, riding on recent momentum from sold-out performances at the Guggenheim in Bilbao, Spain, Tom Gold Dance is evolving rapidly and ready to make its balletic mark on American soil.

Tom Gold Dance's Russell Janzen and Likolani Brown

The origins of TGD are almost out of the movies; glamorous and serendipitous. He formed the troupe in 1999 when he was invited to bring a group of dancers to the South of France. Word spread quickly and, shortly after, acclaimed international ballerina Alessandra Ferri asked Gold to help her assemble dancers to tour Italy.  From there, the Guggenheim in Bilbao extended an invitation to TGD and the company just completed its fourth year of performances as part of the museum’s Works & Process series. One opportunity led to the next, including tours to Bermuda, upstate New York, and more recently, Israel. Now Gold had a fledgling company. He enjoys the process and being “in charge of his life…and able to call the shots”—rather than at the mercy of an artistic staff’s creative will.

Yet founding a ballet company has not always been Gold’s ambition. He began experimenting with choreography in his high school years at the Chicago Academy for the Arts. But when Gold moved to Manhattan to join the New York City Ballet, “choreography took a back seat.” He asserts, “I’ve always loved dancing and choreographing,” but he was fully focused on dancing during his performing career. It wasn’t until well into his time with New York City Ballet that the choreographic itch came back into his life.

In a trend of edgy, contemporary dance, Gold sticks to what he knows best, classical ballet.  His company performs “ballet at its best [with] beautiful movement and beautiful dancers.” The repertoire is a “nice range of American ballet,” including works by George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, Twyla Tharp, as well as Gold’s own choreography. There’s usually a narrative because Gold loves to use movement to tell a story, and he often pulls his choreographic inspiration from music. “I always try to do something that is challenging, educational, but entertaining for the audience. I want the audience and dancers both to have a great time,” he says enthusiastically, “like sugar, but it’s educational. It goes down easy but it will teach you something.”

Currently, the company is mostly comprised of dancers from major companies like New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, and Pacific Northwest Ballet. But Gold hopes to build his own roster of dynamic artists and, eventually, bring in more emerging choreographers. It’s still in “the infant stage,” but prospering rapidly. Recently TGD gained its nonprofit status and is now actively fundraising to enable more domestic performances and expansion.

The company is based in Manhattan, using the city as a “springboard.” And while Gold intends to build a stronger national presence, particularly in New York, he loves travel and believes “global growth” will always be at the heart of Tom Gold Dance.

Down the road, the company has a lot to look forward to. At the beginning of November, it tours to Cuba for the International Ballet Festival of Havanna, performing works by Tharp, Balanchine and Gold. It’s a huge honor for the troupe as the festival is one of the oldest of its kind in the world and occurs only every two years. Additionally, Gold plans to expand the company’s New York performance season and there is the possibility of a tour to Hawaii in 2014. Energized and excited for the future of his company, Gold’s passion for choreographing, his dancers, and the art form in general shines through. His infectious attitude will surely take the troupe far.

Top photo:
Tom Gold Dance’s Amanda Hankes, Sara Mearns and Abi Stafford. Photo by Arthur Elgort.
Photos courtesy of Dan Dutcher Public Relations.

By Tara Sheena.

Dance Geeks unite! The New York performance season is kicking off this month with many exciting happenings in store. Last year, I told you my top five shows to see for the year. But, for a city with so much dance busting at the seams, I decided to widen my focus for this year’s top picks. This year, to ease the daunting anxiety of having to choose just five things I am looking forward to, I bring you the five venues that have the shows I am pumped and passionate about. From Brooklyn to Queens and that island in between, there is so much happening. So, see one, see them all…see something! And, I will see you in the audience!

My top five, in no particular order:

Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM)

BAM has long been revered for world-renown cultural pillars right in the eclectic and resounding Ft. Greene, Brooklyn area where it resides. However, this year marks the opening of their 250-seat black box Fishman Space. That means more possibilities, more programming, and even some late night performances for you nocturnal folk. In this late night sector, I am most looking forward to Miguel Guttierez’s latest, “And Lose the Name of Action”. The work, for dancers aged 33 to 62, explores what otherworldly states can be accessed through improvisation. He cites ghosts and highways amongst his latest inspiration for this undoubtedly surreal work.
www.bam.org/#Dance

Danspace Project

With the 50^th Anniversary of the infamous Judson Church Movement (a move into postmodern dance that rejected the classicism and form of ballet), many dance organizations, like Movement Research, are putting this celebration into effect with various events, lectures, and performances (many of them free!). Danspace Project is devoting their latest Platforms series to this movement, calling it “Judson Now!” I cannot wait to see what Trajal Harrell shows us when he opens up the first day of his production residency to a free event for all to see a junior size version of his “Twenty Looks” series, “Antigone Jr.” Also, in a new form of interactive performance, Clarinda Mac Low not only invites you to her show but also invites you to have a meeting with her before the show. Audience members can sign up and meet with the artist before her performances of “40 Dancers Do 40 Dances For the Dancers.” Every night of this performance run is different…even more reason to see it all! www.danspaceproject.org

The Chocolate Factory

The Chocolate Factory has long been a Long Island City, Queens mainstay for cutting edge collaboration and innovation. Artistic Director Brian Rogers is an obvious dance lover and often has his choreographers in residence for years before they present on the Factory’s stage. If you are looking for something out of the box (and out of Manhattan), venture to the delectable offerings of the Chocolate Factory’s upcoming season. My top pick? The adventurous performance stylings of Big Dance Theater in their latest work, “Ich, Kurbisgeist”. Co-commissioned by Performance Space 122 and working with emerging playwright, Sibyl Kempson, the company presents a work set in medieval times with their signature (at times zany) blend of text, movement, and visual media. With a complete invented language (a combination of English, Swedish, and German) you may not understand what the characters are saying, but you will definitely feel it. And, get your tickets now! There are only 30 seats available for each performance, so they are sure to sell quickly. www.chocolatefactorytheater.org

Doug Varone and Dancers 'Boats Leaving'. Photo by Richard Termine

The Joyce

New York City’s preeminent dance institution brings another packed and ready season of, well, dance. Ranging from contemporary ballet to postmodern, the Joyce’s upcoming season looks to be one of their best yet. If you have to see one show, make it Doug Varone’s. Celebrating its 25^th anniversary season, Doug Varone and Dancers brings the New York premiere of “Carrugi” to the stage, as well as the Bessie-award winning “Boats Leaving.” I am most looking forward to “Ballet Mecanique”, set to a George Antheil score from 1925! Twenty-five years after its founding, it looks like Varone and his intrepid dancers are still going, strong as ever. www.Joyce.org

Baryshnikov Arts Center

The programming at Baryshnikov Arts Center has grown to be more diverse and unexpected each season. This year is no different, with the venue presenting exciting works ranging from international puppeteers (The Bolshoi Puppet Theatre of St. Petersburg) to NYC-based chamber music ensembles (St. Luke’s Chamber Ensemble). However, Doug Elkins and his charismatic crew are definitely leading on the dance front, presenting a collage of works including the New York premiere of “Mo(or)town Redux.” Think Shakespeare’s Othello meets Motown tunes meets physically eccentric modern dance. Or, don’t think at all. Just go to the show and see for yourself.
www.bacnyc.org

Top photo: Big Dance Theater’s Ich, Kürbisgeist. Photo by Paula Court. www.bigdancetheater.org/images_ich_kurbisgeist.html
In body photo source: Doug Varone and Dancers – www.dougvaroneanddancers.org

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.

By Tara Sheena.

Like many dancers with aspirations to perform professionally, Catherine Coury moved to New York City after graduating from the University of Michigan in May 2010. A woman who wears many hats, she is currently the Development Associate for Gallim Dance, founded by Artistic Director Andrea Miller, as well as Director of Development for the Playground, co-founded by Loni Landon and Gregory Dolbashian. However, her distinct performing talents are reserved for her work with Amanda Selwyn Dance Theatre (ASDT). The New York-based company will be celebrating their twelfth New York performance season at New York Live Arts later this month.

A lean, compact dancer with a remarkably lyrical presence, Coury honed her training in Michigan dancing with the Mack Avenue Dance Company at a young age and moved on to dance the works of Paul Taylor and Laura Dean while in college. Since moving to New York, she has enjoyed working with Darcy Naganuma and Spark(edIt) Arts, among others, but has found a singular home with ASDT.

Coury has come full circle with the company, serving as an apprentice for last year’s New York Live Arts season and joining as a fulltime company member this past fall. Attracted to the welcoming energy and group dynamic of the company, Coury considered her transition into a fulltime member as a seamless progression. Of her involvement with the company, she notes, “[the] support and positivity can be felt and seen embedded into Amanda’s work.”

Catherine Coury. Photo by Simon Lo

A large aspect of ASDT, Coury explains, is collaboration. All of the artists involved with the company, from scenic designers to composers to dancers, serve the creative process on an equal level. She explains that every role is seen as essential to the success of the company. “Witnessing the progressive stages of lighting, costume, and design is exciting—to watch how they too evolve and refine with the shape of the dance,” she says. “To see the sketches and the blueprints, to hear ideas bounce off of one another—I like that!” Coury makes it clear that all of the artists collaborate and all of their efforts are easily seen in the final work.

Because of this all-parts-equal brand of creating, she describes rehearsals as being a very fast-paced environment, forcing her to think on her feet and trust her instincts. “Amanda has made me more appreciative of following my gut instinct rather than psychoanalyzing every tiny gesture – to not judge, just act,” Coury states. When developing the choreography, the dancers pass along movement to one another until they get different variations. Like the childhood game of telephone, these variations keep getting passed along until they reach an endpoint that fulfills the particular concept of the piece.

This season, these variations of movement will come together in Detour, an evening-length work for the entire company. Detour examines what it means to subvert any chosen path; as Coury puts it, an exploration of the “roundabout way to get us to where we’ve always been going.” Coury explains that the company has abstracted the role of a detour into something personal for each of them, and cites a duet she has with fellow dancer, Robert Vail, as an example. In their duet, titled Reflect, they act as mirror images of each other. Exploring questions like, “what does it mean to look at yourself in the mirror?” and “how do you interact with that reflection?” propels this physical, dynamic duet to display their personal reactions to these prompts.

It is clear that the performers of ASDT are a tightknit community of talented artists. This creative energy is reflected in the dancers’ outside endeavors as well. In a company of seven, five of the performers are currently pursuing their own choreographic projects and maintain their own work outside of dancing for ASDT. Coury notes that the sense of community and distinct theatricality is something that is noticeable in everyone’s work, both inside the company and out.

This camaraderie will undoubtedly come through later this month at New York Live Arts, where Coury and the other dancers of ASDT are excited to present the work in its entirety for the first time.

Amanda Selwyn  – Detour
Jun 21 – 23
New York Live Arts
www.newyorklivearts.org/event/Detour.

Dancers: Alexander Dones and Catherine Coury at the Amanda Selwyn Detour preview at Dixon Place. Photo by Christopher Duggan

By Deborah Searle.

It’s no secret that Broadway Dance Center is one of the most renowned dance studios in the world. With over 3000 students visiting the studios every week, you may have been lucky enough to take a class at BDC in the past.  If so, it’s time to visit again, as BDC has just undergone a huge studio expansion!

Opening new studios within the last month, BDC now has a designated tap studio, with tap classes all day, and another new, large all-purpose studio that also works as a performance space/casual theater. That equals seven large state of the art studios for BDC! The popular studio’s expansion is welcomed with open arms by the American and international dance community who are excited to see Broadway Dance Center thrive.

“It has been a great honor to be so closely involved with Broadway Dance Center’s facility expansion in the heart of the NYC Times Square Theater District. I’m delighted, that in 2012, BDC acquired adjoining space to our current facility and built two additional studios to accommodate the growing needs of dancers and performing artists”, says Reese Snow, Associate Executive Director.

Guests at the Studio Unveiling Party in BDC's new studios

With an unveiling reception on Sunday April 29, the new studio space was filled with excited guests and media all eager to see BDC’s new studios. Guests were treated to hors d’oeuvres and drinks as they watched the new space evolve into a theater with performances by Parsons Dance Company, dancers from SMASH, and the young, eager students of BDC’s AIM and Professional Semester programs. Dance Informa joined in the fun and was delighted to also see the new BDC shop, which is much larger than the studio’s past merchandise area, with an expanded range and street level frontage. The new store is bound to ensure that even more dancers are clad with BDC sweatpants as they walk around New York City!

The new expanded dance area is an expertly designed, purpose built space that makes any dancer excited about class. “Great care was taken to ensure that the new space maintained our dedication to a friendly, welcoming, and positive learning environment. With areas for stretching and cooling down, large viewing windows, a welcome desk to greet new students of all ages, and plenty of space to mix and mingle, this is not only a premier training facility, but also a ‘home away from home’ for dancers, performing artists, and all dance enthusiasts”, explains Snow. “With two additional studios, along with an expanded store front, BDC is approximately 30,000 sq ft. and now offers even more classes in diverse styles and levels with top-notch instructors and guest teachers.”

With the expanded space has come a class schedule change that has kept the administration staff at the studios very busy. BDC now offers 335 classes a week in an array of levels and dance styles from more than 100 permanent and guest faculty members. “We are so thrilled to be able to open two more studios and provide our students with even more choices in dance education. We’ve carefully crafted our schedule to offer an even greater variety of disciplines and levels”, shares Diane King, Executive Director.

And tap lovers are excited with the new range of tap classes, all day! “I am extremely thrilled that we now have one of our studios dedicated extensively to tap and other percussive styles of dance”, says Snow.

Congratulations Broadway Dance Center. I personally can’t wait to get back to New York to take a class in one of the two gorgeous new studios!

Top photo: Josh Bergasse’s (choreographer of the hit series SMASH) ongoing class at Broadway Dance Center. Photo by Vanessa Pomiechowski.