By Stephanie Wolf.

As the dance community continues to debate over how to bring dance to a larger audience, some individuals are making strong efforts to etch the art form’s way into mainstream culture. With hit television shows like ABC’s Dancing with the Stars and FOX’s So You Think You Can Dance, the average Jane and Joe are becoming interested and gaining awareness of the blood, sweat, and tears that dancers pour into the profession. Starting this summer, Ovation TV – the nation’s only “multi-platform network” devoted entirely to arts culture – is taking this cause to the next level. In collaboration with television juggarnauts, Simon and Nigel Lythgoe, Ovation is gearing up to premiere a brand new kind of dance on television experience called A Chance to Dance.

Excited to be an integral part of arts advocacy in America, Ovation’s Senior Vice President of Programming Kris Slava claims that A Chance to Dance will further prove “how art makes for compelling TV with mass audience appeal.” Slava is also “jazzed” to work with two of television’s most recognizable reality TV personalities, siting Simon and Nigel’s combined commitment to the arts and “a track record for making addictive TV.”

Michael Nunn and William Trevitt

The feeling is mutual. “Simon and I are thrilled to be working with Ovation, a network that truly speaks to our artistic passions,” says Nigel Lythgoe. He and his son Simon have a close relationship and have been working together for over 20 years. They have already experienced huge television and ratings success with shows like American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance. Now, they plan to use their respective production companies, Nigel Lythgoe Productions (NLP) and Legacy Productions, to continue to “tap into an insatiable craving for dance on television.”

However, A Chance to Dance is different from any other dance series currently on television, offering a documentary feel versus the reality show competition formula Americans have grown accustomed to. It follows former Royal Ballet dancers Michael Nunn and William Trevitt of BalletBoyz as they audition hopeful dancers, narrow down the talent, and launch an American dance company. “The show is based on exactly what [Nunn and Trevitt] do for a living,” explains Simon.

Simon met Nunn and Trevitt a few years ago through a mutual friend, while visiting North London. He had the pleasure of observing a BalletBoyz rehearsal and says, “I knew instantly they were something very special.” And special they are…they have experienced great success around the world, but have yet to tap into American talent. The idea for the series came from Nunn and Trevitt, but incorporating the Lythgoes and their years of television expertise will surely help make the show a huge success.

Dancers audition for the company.

Every episode will be unique, showcasing the very real “trials and tribulations of forming a dance company under extreme conditions.” Viewers will witness the two work with “a limited amount of time and resources” to nurture young, talented dancers and produce a final performance.

The series starts with Nunn and Trevitt scouring the country for dancers. Dancers will go through a rigorous audition process, without the typical glamour of a series produced in a television show. If the dancers show promise in the open auditions throughout the country then they will move on to New York City, where they will be put to the test with an “intensive dance boot camp.” From this crop of dancers, Nunn and Trevitt will select twelve to perform in a finale gala, a charity event for the arts. Out of these twelve individuals, only eight will tour with the BalletBoyz. The final eight will make up the American company, which will be based out of Manhattan and perform a variety of dance styles all over the country.

Simon speaks passionately about furthering the arts in America because, ultimately, all parties involved hope to see more results from the show than merely high ratings. “Sadly in these tough times, the first thing that gets cut is arts funding. I’m hoping this show will highlight how talented American dancers are and ensure the next generation has the same opportunities for success.” Through series like A Chance to Dance, as well as organizations such as the Actor’s Fund and Dizzy Feet Foundation, Simon hopes to help the arts continue to thrive. But he also emphasizes the potential of a united front within the dance community. “Combining strategies, staying ahead of the curve, using every means possible to promote companies through new media…and old media — it’s the only way dancing will flourish. The public needs to be informed about the arts in order to watch and appreciate dance.”

A Chance to Dance will premiere on August 17, 2012 on Ovation TV. For more information, visit Ovation at ovationtv.com.

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

By Laura Di Orio.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ailey Citigroup Theater, NYC
October 15 2011

By Tara Sheena.

In its fifth year, the Dance Gallery Festival has presented the works of seasoned choreographers such as Patrick Corbin, Camille A. Brown, and Pascal Rekoert, in addition to having a Texas contingent as well. Presented by the choreographic sister team of Astrid and Mojca von Ussar, the festival aims to address the scarcity of affordable venues available for presentation of modern dance and showcase the work of emerging and established choreographers from around the United States.

Taking place at the Ailey Citigroup Theater, the final night of the festival included works from eleven choreographers, who came together to create an authentic smorgasbord of works. Festivals such as Dance Gallery happen frequently in NYC, especially during the fall season, and it is always a pleasant to experience such a collage of viewpoints and artistic voices in a single program. It would be near impossible for me to reflect on each piece with the detail it deserves, so I will focus on three stand out works from the evening.

Mojca Ussar, dancer Andreja Sraj. Photo by Yi-Chun Wu

After a slightly distracting smoke machine filled the stage with a pseudo-fog, Spencer Gavin Hering’s 4Ward & 4Gotten showcased a quartet of fearless, virtuosic movers. The ambiguously clichéd title and fake smoke effect can be easily forgiven, in this case, because of Hering’s sophisticated and highly developed movement vocabulary. The port de bras moved with effortless grace while sturdy legs twisted, extended and turned to full potential. His bold use of dynamic fluidity and constant juxtaposition of body parts make his work consistently exciting.

Set to music by Wendy Sutter, the movement and music took turns overpowering each other. In a piece that allowed the physical qualities of the movement speak for itself,  the music sometimes overshadowed the idiosyncratic flicks of the wrist or subtle head ticks that were so wonderfully executed by each performer. Conversely, the movement was so rich and kinetic, that the music, at times, did not live up to this constant motion. This undying movement paired with a distinct classicism (turned out legs, striking releves, high extensions) drew connections to the work of Jiri Kylian or William Forsythe, where the lower body serves as this virtuosic playground for the upper body to float on top of. Hering stretched the limits of all of his dancers, with standout performances from Lindsey McGill and Andrea Dawn. Most of all, the work gave me a sense of Hering’s creative process and his singular aesthetic—a hard feat to accomplish in a piece that was less than ten minutes in length.

After a short intermission came Roundabout, an ensemble piece by Andy Noble and Dionne Sparkman Noble of NobleMotion Dance. I was especially taken by this piece because of the choreographic effort that was immediately evident. Witnessing the work, I could not help but think about how their creative process was conducted. Did they set the movement on the dancers? Were the dancers allowed some creative liberty? Was that step first a mistake? How long did it take them to get it to this level of performance? I had an enjoyable time exploring these questions as the piece unfolded. Nobles’ work had so many intricacies and illusions that were very pleasing to watch, that I could not help but muse over how it all came together.  

The ensemble partnered well together. Lifts ascended with ease, transitions were smooth and not overwrought, and there was a joyous lift supporting every movement. Soaring through the air, both assisted and not, the dancers created a space that extended beyond the confines of the stage. At the same time, as one structure was created in this mass of moving bodies, it was destroyed just as quickly, producing a constant cycling and recycling effect. A wonderfully expansive and intelligently constructed piece, it was certainly one of the most impressive of the program.

The final work of the night came from Sarah Stanley and her company, Sarah Stanley Dance. Set to a version of Philip Glass’ ‘Metamorphosis Four’, the piece, titled Inscriptions, capped off the evening on a calm and cool note. The program had no specific music credits, a very disappointing oversight, but the familiar languid quality of Glass’ work echoed as great as ever in the Citigroup Theater. The dancers responded in a flurry of windswept movement that nicely mimicked the gentle swells of the music. I was pleasantly surprised at numerous points throughout the piece, thinking the dancers were going to overshoot a distinct cue in the music, and startled to find that they were keeping up with the score in unexpected ways.  I welcomed this with the gentle bouncing motif, or a small gesture that hit just the right note—literally and figuratively. Light as air, a breath of fresh air, brisk as the night air—yes, it covered all of those bases.

Top photo: CorbinDances, Photo by Yi-Chun Wu © 2011

By Tara Sheena

Last spring, Brandon Cournay had to answer that one, eternal question that plagues freelance dancers on an all-too-often basis: Do I go to class or go to the audition? The comfort and freedom a class allows is undoubtedly a tempting option in comparison to the potentially stressful and uptight environment often found in an audition. Class seemed like the logical choice for Cournay, but something inside him said otherwise that day. “I didn’t even want to audition,” he recounted to me on a sunny September day in Washington Square Park. That brand of self-doubt is no secret to dancers in NYC, but Cournay quickly amended that statement by admitting, “But I knew that if I didn’t go, I would regret it”. Regret it, he did not. A week later, Cournay got the call that he was one of eleven dancers who would be brought on for Morphoses’ Joyce season this month, with their world premiere of Luca Veggetti’s Bacchae.

A dynamically fluid dancer with a background in everything from jazz, to tap, to ballroom, Cournay has tirelessly been committed to being, as he jokingly puts it, “the best little freelance dancer in NYC” since graduating from the Juilliard School in 2009. Scoring gigs with everyone from Puma to the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, to Mark Morris, he views this opportunity with Morphoses as a pivotal point in his diverse career.

Brandon Cournay. Photo by Tyler Matkowski

“When I hear ‘contemporary’ and ‘new’ this is what I think of,” Cournay explained as something that first attracted him to working with Morphoses. This idea of the “new” is something Cournay described as a concept that consistently offered a point of confusion while he was a student. “There was always this difference between ‘uptown’ and ‘downtown’ dance, but no one ever told me what that meant,” he remembers, “I feel like Luca [resident Artistic Director of Morphoses] attempts to offer a definition for ‘uptown dance’ and it’s awesome that it is premiering at the Joyce.”

A premiere Joyce season is not only a big moment for Cournay, but for Morphoses as a company. With past seasons at City Center and as a mainstay at the Vail International Dance Festival, the company has consistently been met with mixed reviews and a critical eye from audiences and reviewers alike, who approach Morphoses’ constantly transforming structure with skepticism. Founded in 2007 and originally spearheaded by famed choreographer Christopher Wheeldon, Morphoses has maintained a refreshingly fluid approach for the organization of a dance company. With an ever-changing cast of directors and dancers, the company is committed to renewing their artistic vision and being a product of the fast-paced, high-tech world we live in today. Cournay explains that the company really is “Morphoses all around.” From strict classical ballet to postmodern training, this varied group of artists is one of the most appealing things about the company for Cournay. “I like figuring out how to piece [all those elements] together,” he said.

This flexible structure also feeds in to the creation of works, as is the case for Bacchae. “We have an eclectic group of dancers with Morphoses, all of us coming from completely different paths and experiences, which I believe allows a hybrid of movement to be created,” Cournay explains. It is a movement sensibility that is technical and fluid, but still very aware of the classical ballet style from which it is derived.

Of the work, Cournay joked that the creation process made him the most sore he has ever been, but he found comfort in the physicality of the movement. “It’s an extremely physical piece, but you also must be very keen and aware of your surroundings,” he said. 

Based on the Greek playwright Euripides’ famed tragedy, Bacchae will step away from a mere retelling of the narrative in favor of a present-tense consideration of technology and communication in order to shed new light on this movement narrative. “The collaboration with visual and audio technology that is going into this piece is revolutionary,” Cournay noted. “It’s the 21st century, and our lives have become immersed in iPads, Wi-Fi hot spots, and email. Why not take advantage of the technology that has become such a huge part of our society and use it in our art?” With the melding of so many exciting technological elements– including a simulcast and the use of recording devices on stage– the sheer intention to push boundaries is what Cournay hopes the audience can see in the performance.  As Morphoses’ reintroduction in the New York dance community, he sees this performance as an opportunity to increase audience accessibility to the work. “I want people to be affected by specific moments that made them think or go ‘ah ha!’” he stated. “In my observations, when seeing an evening length work it’s easy for audience members to become so enveloped in the work that they tune out to the specificities. So many minute nuances go into such an elaborate work.”

The passion for the work is more than evident in Cournay’s explanation. He relishes in the opportunity to share his first Joyce experience with Morphoses and makes a point to state that the team involved with the production is a “very determined bunch.”

A refreshing take on a conventional dance story and a forward-thinking perspective is something that is creating a lot of buzz for the company, especially in a moment when technological worlds are continuously colliding on a daily basis. It is no wonder Cournay’s excitement is downright palpable during our conversation. “We’re fired up,” he stated, simply. And, after speaking with him, so am I.

Check out the spectacular Brandon Cournay and the rest of Morphoses later this month for the world premiere performance of Bacchae, October 25-30, 2011 at The Joyce. www.joyce.org

Top Photo: by Kyle Froman

Dancing their way home.

In an unprecedented double couple elimination So You Think You Can Dance judges sent four contestants home in Season Eight’s first elimination round.  America didn’t have much time to enjoy the dancing talents of breaker Wadi Jones, tapper Nick Young, ballroom champion Iveta Lukosiute and jazzy  Missy Morelli, but do doubt we’ll see these dance stars again as they develop their careers and look to the future. Dance Informa spoke with Wadi, Nick and Iveta the morning after their shock departures.

Were you surprised to be eliminated?

Wadi
I wasn’t anticipating anything really, because anything happens. Last week nobody expected all of us to stay, and nobody expected the bottom three to be who they were.  This week I never expected even Ryan or Ricky to be bottom three, so it was shocking, in general. I went in with the mindset that whatever happens it’s really meant to happen and to be prepared to be bottom three and maybe go home.

Iveta
I was surprised because I thought this show was about versatility and showing different genres of dancers.  I was the only ballroom dancer, Nick was the only tap dancer and Wadi was the break dancer.  It was strange to me that on the first elimination they got rid of all these different styles.

Nick
I 120% agree with Iveta.  But you never really know who is going to be in the bottom. I think it is kind of ironic that the bottom three this week were completely different than the bottom three last week.  But the judges did what they thought was right. I’m a little disappointed.  I definitely thought I was going to get a little bit farther than the first week.

Nick

How do you all feel about the judge’s decision to not send anyone home last week?  Do you think the twist was fair?

Wadi

What was the most difficult dance style for you?

Wadi
Obviously, the Cha-Cha was really hard for me because of all the technical parts about it, like making sure I had strong arms and my feet were doing what they were supposed to do while keeping my head up. It was just complicated because I am way more laid back and don’t think so much about structure.

Nick
I’d have to say it’s the one I got eliminated on.  Bollywood is really, really intricate, with all the intricate hands that you have to do and all the footwork.  It was definitely hard to keep my stamina up the whole time.  But I had a lot of fun doing it.  I don’t regret anything about the way I performed it.  It’s just that America didn’t really like it.

Iveta

The different dance styles have such varied degrees of difficulty. Should this be factored into the judging?

Nick
I love that they keep it random.  Just this past week, we got Bollywood by chance.  But it is hard, for me especially, to have danced out of my style twice in a row, with two of the hardest dances the show has ever had, when at the same time you have a lot of people still dancing in their own styles. I don’t want to be bitter, but it is hard to get eliminated on a week where a lot of people were still dancing in their own styles.

Who was your favorite choreographer?

Wadi
I can’t pick a favorite because each one has such different styles and such different ways of teaching. Each choreographer, from Jean-Marc to Sonya and Tyce had something inspiring to say that had more to do with life than just dance and they taught us how to be better dancers and better people.

Nick
I loved working with Sonya.  The passion she puts into her dancing and the passion she wants you to put into it, is just amazing and it says a lot about the kind of person she is. Working with Tyce was just a lot of fun.  He’s just a really genuine guy and you know he means everything he says.

Iveta
I enjoyed working with Jason Gilkison. He is a great choreographer and it was an honor for me to work with him. I thought every choreographer was great and unique in their own style. I learnt so much from how much passion they put into their work, how much they get done in such a short time. They inspire the dancers to believe in themselves and to be better.

What was the highlight of being on the show?

Wadi
The highlight, honestly, was being able to connect so well with other dancers because where I’m from, unless I’m in the city or at a dancing event, there are not really any other dancers around me because my home town is very small. It was great to be in front of so many talented and amazing dancers who I can learn from, because you can only get better from being around people who are better. The other contestants were really the highlight for me. Also the choreographers were so amazing, and being in front of millions of people was great.

Nick
I think a highlight would have to be the family we created.  We’re past friendship, we’re past best friendship; we’re family. We’re the family called Season Eight Top Twenty and we’re going to be the only ones that will ever be able to say that.

Iveta
For me, it was amazing to see how the dancers can do so much more than they can imagine.  I could not have imagined learning the most difficult choreography within only six hours and then performing it in two days on a stage in front of millions of people. Every single day I was thinking ‘how can we possibly perform this? It’s not possible’.  But every single dancer learnt the choreography, perfected and performed it at their best.  That was amazing.  Every single performance was magical and having all the fans support you was a highlight.

Wadi and Missy dance Cha Cha

Who do you think will win the competition?

Wadi
Every week is a surprise and you never know who is going to be on the top or bottom or who America is going to vote for, so you can’t ever really say.  There are no favorites because we all are such a big family.

Iveta
I think everyone deserves to be a winner on this show because everyone works so hard and everyone is extremely talented.

Nick
Anybody could win.  We could have won the show a couple of weeks ago, so you never know.  Whoever wins, I’m going to be their biggest fan.  We’re all a family and I don’t want to favor anyone over anyone else.

Nick and Iveta dance Bollywood

What do you have planned for the future?

Nick
I am not 100% positive of what I want to do, but I’m hoping to move out to New York City to try to start up a Broadway career. We’ll have to see what happens over the summer.  I’m just going to take it one day at a time.

Iveta
I am planning to open a ballroom studio this year in New York City.  I was planning to do this even before I got on the show. I also enjoy all the television camera work so maybe I would like to try dancing on television.  We’ll see…

Wadi
Tadd Gadduang, another friend and I started a company before we went on the show called Dance Touch Collective. What we do is promote drug and alcohol abstinence for kids. We teach them about how to handle abuse and how to use dance, art or basically anything they love as an outlet instead of doing drugs.  We started doing workshops with kids. I want to continue to do that and continue to reach out and inspire kids to go out and do what they love.

Photos: Portraits by James Dimmock/FOX, Action shots by Adam Rose/FOX

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