September 28-29, 2012
Steps On Broadway

By Laura Di Orio.

For the first time, Steps Repertory Ensemble, the resident contemporary dance company of Steps on Broadway in New York City, presented an evening of 11 new works created by members of the Ensemble themselves. What came to life was an evening of these talented young dancers dancing with each other, for each other and performing work by each other.

Each dancer had a moment to speak before his/her choreography. Some took this time to explain the piece or his/her intention, and some said little and chose to let the work speak for itself. There seemed to be shared themes of love and quirkiness; motifs probably prevalent in these young people’s lives. All in all, the evening showcased some definite up-and-coming dance talent and also introduced some new, interesting choreographic voices.

The Ensemble dancers are undoubtedly lovely performers and excellent technicians, but this performance became more about their skills as dance makers, which, for some may have been a first.

Emily Schoen, a dancer who draws you in with her presence and smile, presented the evening’s first work, Banjo Suite, a playful, quirky, all-female “mini ballet” set to folky bluegrass music. The dancers, all in country frocks, moved with ease as they seemed to have a dialogue with each other and with the music. Here, Schoen and her dancers seemed to portray the layered woman – graceful and “girly”, humorous and smart, and, by incorporating moments of partnering between the women, strong and capable. With this first glimpse of Schoen as a choreographer, and through watching her dance over the course of the evening, she is surely someone to follow.

Photos by Grace Courvoisier

It May Not Be Here, Gabriel Malo’s story about love told through dance and the Brazilian prose over which it was performed, was a highlight. Marielis Garcia and Ricky Kuperman were luscious together as the couple in subject. The dancers were well-suited for one another. Individually they had freedom and ease, and together they were unified in movement and partnering. Malo’s work continued to build, encasing a story of heightened love and passion, until Kuperman was left onstage alone, left to ponder and the audience left to wonder.

Another memorable piece on the program was Kuperman’s own, Tit for Tat. It was a work for four men with music by Mark Korven. Kuperman described his piece as one about trusting relationships and surveillance. The men began to move over background street noise, then progressed to more dynamic movement and very impressive partnering sequences. They all captured a type of “breathy” strength, and it was very rewarding to see this group of men dance with such fearlessness and commitment. The partnering that Kuperman developed was especially hypnotic. The men were able to use their natural physical strength to create interesting, statuesque snapshots and hold them for a long moment. Overall, Tit for Tat was a very enjoyable and well-structured piece.

Lane Halperin also embraced solid partnering interactions in her Romp, set to electronic music, interlaced with wind chime-like sounds. Both dancers, Halperin and partner Clinton Edward, were dressed in summer attire and socks. Romp was playful. The dancers high-fived with their elbows, and toes and hands became an important choreographic tool. Edward has such a striking look, that it was hard to not watch him.

Another playful piece was Victor Larue’s La Vie en Rose, set to the famous song by Edith Piaf and danced beautifully by Ensemble rehearsal director Mindy Upin. Larue introduced his piece as one’s “own story” and encouraged the audience to interpret it as they wanted. Upin resembled a curious young girl in the piece. She’s a petite woman and she wore girly lace socks. Her character danced as though she was always on the verge of falling; trying to be cool and calm but always aware of people watching. Upin is a likeable, theatrical performer and undoubtedly was a natural choice for this role

The closing piece of the evening, Modnar is Random, was Upin’s own creation on the Ensemble. She prefaced the work by saying she was motivated by the oddities she saw during the summer in NYC. This was the first time we saw the entire Ensemble onstage together, and it was refreshing to see so many talented bodies, all unique in personality and movement quality, complement each other so well. The dancers started as a collective walking mass traveling through space, all dressed in some variation of cut-off jeans. One by one they left and changed into shiny, colorful leggings.

Modnar is Random was a well-crafted, enjoyable piece. As New Yorkers, the work brought out familiar gestures and made us recognize what Upin observed during the summer months. The dancers traveled through random pathways and came together for dynamic unison phrases. They finished in a slow motion clump downstage, where Halperin acted as though she was rocking out to her headphones, and the audience was left with a smile.

It was exciting to see so much dance, so much movement, in one evening. It was apparent that the dancers had all spent a considerable amount of time on their creation, and while some may have been more successful than others, it was inspiring to see so many ideas and voices in such a young crowd.

By Laura Di Orio.

The sun is out, the heat is on, and there’s no better time than the summer for dance. With New York City’s numerous outdoor performance venues, it seems as if there’s always a show to catch. Here, Dance Informa highlights some of summer 2012’s dance happenings and directs you to where you can see tons of dance (often for free!).

SummerStage Dance
June 8 – August 18
www.cityparksfoundation.org/summerstage/
SummerStage brings over 100 performances of music, spoken word, theater and dance to NYC parks. This year, 23 dance companies will perform at SummerStage venues throughout the five boroughs – all for free. Preceding many of these shows will be a free, hour-long, all-ages dance class led by one of the many participating performing companies. This summer’s highlights include the world premiere of a special collaboration with the Limón Dance Company and Cuban composer Paquito D’Rivera to celebrate the company’s 65^th anniversary, and also a commissioned work by Camille A. Brown and Dancers with live music by Imani Uzuri.

Other companies on SummerStage Dance’s performance roster include Decadancetheatre, The Legendary House of Ninja, Jamal Jackson Dance Company, VON USSAR danceworks, MoralesDance, Koresh Dance Company, BalletX, WHITE WAVE Young Soon Kim Dance Company, DoubleTake Dance, Niles Ford/Urban Dance Collective and more.

Kimmo Pohjonen and Helsinki Nelson: Accordion Wrestling, to make its U.S. debut during Lincoln Center Out of Doors. Photo by Klaudia Weber/Stalker

Lincoln Center Out of Doors
July 25 – August 12
http://lcoutofdoors.org/

This year marks the 42^nd annual Lincoln Center Out of Doors, a free outdoor summer festival. On August 3, at Lincoln Center’s Damrosch Park Bandshell, the festival will present Accordion Wrestling, a multi-media dance theater piece created by accordion composer Kimmo Pohjonen and Helsinki Nelson, a group of Finnish Olympic-style wrestlers, with choreography by Ari Numminen.

Other performances include New York’s Heidi Latsky Dance, Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble and Heritage Sunday, an event that will showcase Haitian performing arts. All of the Lincoln Center Out of Doors events will take place on the Lincoln Center campus and are free to the public.

Lincoln Center Festival
July 5 – August 5
www.lincolncenterfestival.org

This year’s Lincoln Center Festival will feature a run of 12 performances by the Paris Opera Ballet, which returns to NYC after 16 years. The company will present the U.S. premiere of Pina Bausch’s dance opera, Orpheus and Eurydice; a program of three one-act ballets by French choreographers and composers: Suite en blanc, L’Arlésienne and Boléro; and its current production of Giselle, choreographed by Jean Coralli and Jules Perrot. All performances will take place at Lincoln Center’s David Koch Theater from July 11-22, and tickets start at $25.

The Lincoln Center Festival will continue with performances by Beijing’s TAO Dance Theater, a company founded in 2008 by modern dance choreographer Tao Ye and dancer Wang Hao, a specialist in Mongolian folk dance. The company will present two works: 2, a duet developed from the rhythms of the performers’ own conversations; and 4, a dynamic piece for four women. Tickets for the two performances, on July 25 and July 27 at Alice Tully Hall, start at $30.

Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble, who will perform during Lincoln Center Out of Doors, in Milton Myers' "Arranged". Photo by Sue Daniels

River to River Festival
June 17 – July 15
http://rivertorivernyc.com/events/calendar-Dance

River to River Festival offers a variety of showings in music, dance, theater, visual art and film in areas of Lower Manhattan. This year’s dance events will take place at Mannahatta Park, Piers 15-17 at The Seaport, South Ferry, the World Financial Center Plaza, on Governor’s Island and more.

Some highlights on this year’s River to River agenda include: Montréal-based choreographer Sylvain Émard’s Le Grand Continental, with a cast of 200 New Yorkers of all ages and backgrounds; open rehearsals and discussions with The Trisha Brown Dance Company; a work-in-progress by Tere O’Connor Dance; and a 300-person tap chorus presenting Tap It Out. All of the festival’s events are free of charge.

Downtown Dance Festival
August 11-18
www.batterydanceco.com/ddf_festival.htm

The Downtown Dance Festival (DDF) was started in 1982 by Battery Dance Company and has since been one of Lower Manhattan’s summer outlets for showcasing dance companies from around the world and also within NYC. The festival is free to the public and will take place throughout the week of August 11-18 at locations in Battery Park, One New York Plaza and indoors at Dance New Amsterdam.

DDF is known for featuring dance companies within an expansive range – from classical ballet to post-modern, Indian classical to Afro-Cuban. DDF will also offer workshops led by leading American and international choreographers participating in the festival. The workshops will be open to the public to allow both professionals and beginners an opportunity to learn from these dance makers.

Top photo: BalletX, one of the many companies offering a free performance during SummerStage Dance. Photo by Alexander Iziliaev

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

Support and promote the arts by getting involved with a local dance organization.

By Laura Di Orio 

Being a member of the dance community – be it as a student, professional dancer, teacher or choreographer – is an important role. There is the potential to inspire, challenge and educate other dancers and, on a grander scale, the world beyond the dance industry. Dance councils and organizations exist as a means to increase dance awareness and opportunities, and they allow anyone to take part in their mission. Here, Dance Informa gets the scoop on some regional and national organizations and how dancers can get involved.  

Dance organizations seek to support and promote the dance arts and to increase dance exposure on a local, regional, national or even international level. While most organizations have this similar mission, each has its own set of programs for reaching this goal. Some of these programs may include:

• Scholarships: Organizations like Dance Council of North Texas (DCNT) offer scholarships to talented young dancers to attend prestigious summer programs and workshops. Last year alone, DCNT awarded $26,000 in such scholarships.
• Professional Development: Dance/USA is one organization that focuses heavily on the professional development of both the artistic and administrative sides of the dance world. Members of Dance/USA have access to conferences, newsletters and networking opportunities. Membership to some organizations is free or to others can be as little as $30/year for students.
• Dance Listings: DanceATL and other organizations provide listings of auditions, classes for students and professionals, and community performances.
• Advocacy and Research: Dance/NYC, among other organizations, serves as a spokesperson for the dance field to the media and local or state governments. It also conducts research on the field’s contributions and needs. 

Participants in The Dance Council of North Texas' Adaptive Dance Program. Photo courtesy of Pam Deslorieux

Dancers not only can benefit directly from these organizations’ services, but they can also be a part of the dance discussion and learn to take leadership roles in the field they love by volunteering their time.

“Dancers should be involved in their local organizations because dance is one of the most overlooked art forms, and dance service organizations are there to be a useful tool for overcoming isolation as individual artists, to gain traction and facilitate awareness of dance in a larger way than one artist or company can do alone,” says Claire Horn, co-founder of DanceATL, an organization servicing the Atlanta dance community.

“Supporting dance in all its forms can only serve to strengthen the entire dance community,” says Athena Baschal, president of Colorado Dance Alliance (CDA), the statewide organization with the motto “Your Home for Dance in Colorado”.

CDA welcomes involvement from everyone. “There are many volunteer opportunities such as serving on the board, chairing a committee, hosting an open stages event, coordinating and publicizing special events, writing and/or editing articles, writing grants, maintaining our databases, graphic design and production of marketing materials, website administration or being our Facebook and Twitter guru,” Baschal says. “The list is endless!”

Likewise, DanceATL accepts support from dancers on a variety of levels. “A dancer can become involved on a superficial level, by browsing our website or blog, and by joining our enews list,” Horn says. “The next step in involving themselves would be to attend the bimonthly meetings we hold. They could also become more deeply involved by volunteering as dance table staff. This role involves informing audiences at events about upcoming dance events across the metro region.”

Participation in a dance organization can keep you well-informed of the goings-on in the dance world. “The more knowledge you have, the better,” says Baschal. “Being an active member of a dance organization gives you many resources to call upon during your journey as a dancer, teacher, choreographer and so forth. It also lets parents, students, studio owners, administrators and others know you are serious about your dance career.”

Bascal recommends browsing online for a local dance organization and contacting them via email or phone to find out what volunteer opportunities are available.

Here are just some of the many dance organizations across America:

Dance/USA, the national service organization for the professional dance field, provides dance-related research and information, professional development and advocacy to its members.
For more: www.danceusa.org

Dance/NYC, the New York branch office of Dance/USA, services the NY dance community by promoting tourism and education, conducting research in the field’s changing needs and offering consulting services for dance managers. Dance/NYC also honors independent performance artists through the Bessie Awards.
For more: www.dancenyc.org

DanceATL focuses on Atlanta’s dance community by providing a dance calendar of performances, classes and workshops in the area, bi-monthly meetings to discuss ways to increase dance awareness, and opportunities for professional development.
For more: www.danceatl.org

Colorado Dance Alliance (CDA) aims to enrich the lives of the people of Colorado by supporting and promoting the dance arts. CDA offers professional development workshops for teachers, networking events, open stages for choreographers and scholarship programs for young dancers. 
For more: www.codance.org

Dance Council of North Texas (DCNT) hopes to increase exposure and accessibility to dance within the community. DCNT’s programs range from scholarships to dance classes for children with disabilities to free public dance showcases.
For more: www.thedancecouncil.org

Top photo: Participants in Colorado Dance Alliance’s Dance Education Workshop during a Creative Movement class. Photo by Athena Baschal

The New York Dance and Performance Awards or “Bessie Awards” (in honor of dancer and teacher Bessie Schonberg) acknowledge outstanding creative work by independent artists in the fields of dance and related performance in New York City.

After a two year wait the Bessies were back this October, now produced under the umbrella of DanceNYC.  The Bessies were held at Symphony Space on Oct 18^th and attended by the who’s who of dance in NYC.

 For the full list of winners visit http://www.dancenyc.org

Catch the highlights in this video.