City Center, New York City
October 13 2012

By Katherine Moore.

New York City Center was packed last Saturday, bustling with anticipation for the lively, jam-packed program to come. As the final performance of Fall for Dance’s 12-evening run, spirits were high and the dancing did not disappoint.

Opening the program was New York’s Shen Wei Dance Arts with Rite of Spring, a powerful and physically intricate exploration of Stravinsky’s famous score. The piece included 17 dancers who swirled, twisted, and leaped through the space with striking bodily control. Their movements initiated in one part of the body and sequentially moved to another, like water running through a curving pipe.

Shen Wei created an expansive visual landscape that corresponded with the sophisticated musical backdrop. Even though it grew repetitive after a time, it was a joy to watch the dancers’ movements layer over one another in relation to the multi-layered strains of the music. All was highly structured, carefully placed, and artfully done.

Second on the program was No Comment, the signature piece from Laboratory Dance Project, a 9-member, all-male troupe from Korea.  Using highly physical and acrobatic movement with clear roots in both martial arts and hip hop, these testosterone-pumping men showed the audience what they were made of.

Repetition, again, was a key element to the piece as they stomped the ground, hit their chests, and generally thrashed about the space. At times the piece veered off into a talent showcase instead of concert dance, but the sheer energy and physical capacity of these men kept this writer entertained to the very end.

Following intermission was Circa, performed by the Australian company of the same name.  The piece began with the startling image of a woman in spiky red heels standing atop a bare-chested man. She continued to traverse her way across his body, making sure to dig her heels into his hands, his thighs and his stomach as he moved and contorted to make way for her impressive balancing act.

After this comical, yet remarkable feat, the piece took a definite turn towards an acrobatic showcase as the three men and three women performed balances, lifts, turns, and throws that made the audience gasp and feel their stomachs drop. While lacking some of the seamless transitions and sense of performance that often accompanies a typical dance troupe, Circa offered up an exciting perspective on acrobatics in a concert setting.

The true delight of the piece was the final section where one woman managed to hula-hoop at least six hoops (I lost count) around her body at once, sometimes using her knees, her wrists, and even her neck. She weaved in out of the hoops with an ease and delight that was truly mesmerizing.

Closing the program was María Pagés Compa­­ñía, a flamenco company from Spain, with Desio Y Conciencia (Desire & Consequence). The piece was accompanied by live musicians onstage, and it alternated primarily between solos by María Pagés and ensemble sections with the rest of the dancers.

Pagés changed dresses about four times, each time revealing a slightly different expression of her character, but always with the sensual, emotional flair of flamenco dance. Her dancers seemed a bit more emotionally subdued, as their greyish costumes with red accents intimated, but their footwork was impressive and the true meat of the piece. Even in the final section, as the dancers and musicians sat, clapping, stomping, and cheering, while Pagés danced solo, one got the sense that without the community of all of them on stage, it would all fall flat. My only regret at the end of this long, nearly 2 and ½ hour program of dance was that we, the audience, could not participate from our seats.

Top photo: Circa. Photo by Justin Nicholas ‘Atmosphere Photography’ (2010)

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 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

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.

By Tara Sheena.

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

Ryan Steele. Photo Curtis Holbrook

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

Lydia Bell

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

Trina Mannino

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

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

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

Joyce Theater, New York
March 16 2012

By Stephanie Wolf.

The crème de la crème of New York’s modern dance scene gathered on Friday night to pay tribute to one of modern dance’s most prominent figures as the Martha Graham Dance Company took center stage at the one and only Joyce Theater. It was an evening of drama and dancing, as only Graham herself could envision it. The performance acknowledged the company’s rich history, while welcoming its bright future.

Before the dancers entered the stage, the audience was treated to Beautiful Captives, a video montage by Peter Sparling. It was an endearing multimedia collage with snippets of Graham and cinematic dancing, which appropriately set the mood for the evening. The old-timey ambiance was then greatly juxtaposed by the primitive solo Witch Dance, featuring the choreography of another great modern dance pioneer – Mary Wigman.

Once the audience had fully digested these dancing ‘hors d’oeuvres’ the evening progressed into the more iconic work of the Graham Company, starting off with Graham’s 1939 exploration of a foolish woman’s psyche titled Every Soul is a Circus. Graham’s flair for over the top drama, complicated storylines, and intriguing costumes is not for everyone. And, perhaps, Every Soul is a Circus’s conceptual dialogue goes on a bit too long. But what Graham does show in these early works is how ahead of her time she was, as a choreographer and conversationalist. She tackled complicated storylines, which typically featured a female as the lead character, and created work that was truly original and forced her audience to think and feel.

From a woman’s muddled thoughts in the big ring, the evening took a darker turn with Lamentation Variations. The work is an inspired concept and proved to be a true testament to Graham’s significance in the future of modern dance. Based on Graham’s iconic solo Lamentations, the company commissioned seven current choreographers to create new “variations”. Friday night featured the variations of Azure Barton, Richard Move, and Lar Lubovitch. Each choreographer brought a new and stunning interpretation of Graham’s solo about a grieving woman.

It’s difficult to name a standout from the three because they all highlighted different aspects of the work. Barton created a moving duet for two ladies, which was danced sublimely by company members Miki Orihara and Mariya Daskina Maddux. She focused on the anguish, having the dancers use every fiber of their being to portray the grief. Move chose to keep the piece a solo and created an engaging number on Katherine Crockett – whose superhero strength and extensions hypnotized the audience, as she steadily made her way across the stage towards a bright light. Utilizing the entire company, Lubovitch’s rendition closed out the series of variations and played on Graham’s use of timing and unique costuming.

What better way to close out a night that pays homage to Graham, than featuring her 1947 Night Journey? The work highlights the infamous story of King Oedipus and his tragic prophecy. However, rather than focusing on Oedipus’s demise, Graham placed the emphasis of the ballet on his wife/mother/queen Jocasta; once again making the central figure a woman. Carrie Ellmore-Tallitsch was a wonderful Jocasta, embodying the drama in her every move and facial expression. And Blakeley White-McGuire led the Daughters of the Night with unrivaled strength and confidence. All the dancers performed exceptionally and Night Journey was a perfect representation of why Graham’s choreography and technique still has relevance in today’s society.

All and all, it was a great evening to be out and about, experiencing some of New York City’s finest in dance. Additionally, it’s reassuring to know that dancers, choreographers, and directors will never forget where they came from and who inspired them to pursue this difficult profession. But, at the same time, they all look towards the future of dance and greet its possibilities with open arms.

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

McKittrick Hotel, NYC
September 6 2011

By Leigh Schanfein 

Already heralded as a show completely unique to Broadway theater goers, Sleep No More is a bold Off-Broadway production that does everything but follow the trends of the popular theater scene.  Bright lights, starlets, bustling crowds: what do you expect from your Broadway experience?  Don’t expect that here.  Walk away from the electrical illumination of Times Square down ever more shadowed streets.  Leave the throngs of enthusiastic bright-eyed pleasure seekers, and seek something unknown nearer the dark waters of the Hudson.  Once you’ve arrived at the formerly grand, now transformed, McKittrick Hotel, proceed to experience a show as you never have before.  Experience Sleep No More.

Sleep No More is an immersive theatrical experience developed by the British theater company Punchdrunk, housed in what was several warehouses and then nightclubs in New York City’s Chelsea district.  The entire building, renamed the McKittrick Hotel, is outfitted for the production, each room decorated with painstaking detail to create a true environment for the actors and audience in this modernization of Shakespeare’s Macbeth.  Theatergoers quickly lose their tenuous audience classification when they are shipped to one of the hotel’s floors and thrust into the set of this production that takes over the entire building and all of your senses.  It’s difficult to remember once inside that this is not merely an immersion in a parallel world, it is also a show and you are going to have to seek out the scenes yourself. 

The production feels like a choose-your-own-ending novel in the real, where one must, in real time, walk through and observe an enacted scene and then choose which path to take next at the scene’s end.  You make your decision and continue.  Of course, you want to know how the other choices would have panned out, so you must physically go back and begin following another path, in real time, to its next point of bifurcation.  Then you make a choice again.  It is an amazing concept – the pages are already written, the scenes play out whether you see them or not, and you have to make the right choices to reveal them.  Of course, I did not realize this at first. How ignorant I was! Stepping off the elevator to see a slew of audience members race in pursuit of an actress who looked like she might be a nurse, I promptly headed in the other direction to “explore.”  Well, after an hour or so of exploring the hotel’s various desks, drawers, books, nooks, crannies, closets, ballrooms, bathrooms, living rooms, storerooms, doodads, things, trinkets, and halls, strange smells and all, I realized I was doing it wrong.  I had forgotten it was a show, a low-volume high-intensity show, and I had to create it myself with (only) up to three hours in which to do it.

I began working through the scenes as best I could, trying to catch actors and stay with them along with a handful to a throng on other observers.  In real time, we were trying to follow one of 12 characters (as far as I could tell there were 12, but maybe I never found some..) through his or her own tale, going in and out of other characters’ sequences, sometimes breaking off to follow the newly introduced until his or her sequence similarly became enmeshed with another.  It became clear after some time that the show essentially repeats every 30 minutes and that I likely would not have time in one evening to catch it all. 

By now you are probably a little confused, thinking “actors…but what about the dancing?!”  Well, all of the actors are dancers.  And, they are all superb.  There was not a single moment that was not fully embodied in every way.  Not a moment when I didn’t know them to be their characters, nor a moment that I didn’t feel I should stay half hidden behind a column or doorway because I was an intruder eavesdropping on their lives.  Through it all, I caught five dance sequences: a lusty duet in a storeroom, a frantic duet at hotel registration, a fraught and ultimately destructive trio in the barroom, a fantastical waltz consuming most of the cast in the ballroom, and a powerful duet wrought with brutish beauty and fueled with anguish.  The latter duet was the final act of my experience at the hotel that evening.  It was a gorgeous, ugly fight, a final scene in a strange production that bewitched me.  Two other scenes of note were an exquisitely staged slow-motion climax at a banquet that I watched, exhilarated, three times by chance, and, what was oddly my favorite element other than the final duet of my night, an entrancing, brilliantly acted lip-synch of Peggy Lee’s “Is That All There Is?” by one of the male actors.  I can’t tell you why, but I was mesmerized.

And that’s one of the great things about Sleep No More, I can’t tell you why.  In fact, I really can’t tell you much when it comes down to it.  And, to be frank, I had just about no idea what was going on the entire time. I read and enjoyed Macbeth about 10 years ago, and remember nothing.  I chose not to read any reviews of the show or brush up on my Macbeth prior to viewing it because I did not want to taint my experience.  This too, I believe I did wrong.  I recommend that you go ahead and familiarize yourself at least minimally with the plot so that you feel the magic of realization when elements come together, and so that you don’t feel like you are perpetually missing something.  Of course, no matter how you are when you enter the hotel, it will still be a spectacular show and exquisite undertaking!

Notes:
Don’t worry, I haven’t revealed a thing!  It will all be new to you.
Allow a minimum of two hours, though you’ll probably want to go for 2.5 or 3.
You might be doing a lot of standing and walking (or running) and there are only stairs between floors, so don’t dress for the club.
You must check your bag at the entry point ($3) no matter how small.
You will lose track of time so wear a watch if you need to meet a hot date after the show.
You may view nudity if you are in the right (or wrong) place at the right (or wrong) time.
You may have mild to heavy interaction with a performer.  Let it happen. 

For Information and Tickets visit sleepnomorenyc.com

By Tara Sheena

Summer is officially winding down and the fall season will emerge from the depths of yesteryear faster than Ashley Bouder’s petit allegro. The days of seeing your favorite dance companies light up the innumerable free outdoor venues NYC has to offer are long gone. Now, you have to pay for tickets and brave the chilled concrete jungle to catch a glimpse of your favorite movers and shakers. But, fear not! I have compiled a list of my top five ‘must-sees’ of the season so you can plan ahead and put that rainy-day cash to good use! Here they are, in no particular order:

Launch of NY Live Arts 

This fall brings us the launch of NY Live Arts, the merger between presenting venue, Dance Theater Workshop, and the chronically cutting-edge, Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company. The inaugural season of this historic partnership promises to keep the contemporary dance community on its toes. Established programs like the Studio Series and Lobby TALKS will continue with renewed momentum. New programs, like the Live Gallery and the broadened Replay Series, will allow greater exposure to the over forty performances New York Live Arts will present over the course of the next year. Major highlights I am looking forward to are Rosann Spradlin’s intensely physical vocabulary, the highly unique voices of Zoe | Juniper, and a promising replay of Big Dance Theater’s 2010 Bessie-award winning, Comme Toujours Here I Stand. The season kicks off on September 16, 2011 with a two-week run of Bill T. Jones’ highly acclaimed Body Against Body. What is already a historic event, this collaboration gives insight to where the dance community is headed and the endless collaborative possibilities the future holds for our beloved form.  www.newyorklivearts.org

Yannick Lebrun in Robert Battle's Takademe. Photo by Andrew Eccles

The Metropolitan Opera

The Metropolitan Opera is an amazing opportunity for classically trained dancers to perform alongside some of the world’s best opera singers, on one of the most revered stages, with some of the world’s best choreographers. Not a bad gig, eh? The upcoming season promises to deliver an exciting assortment of, to quote Wagner himself, ‘gesamtkunstwerk’ (AKA some really awesome stuff!) Two particular productions I cannot wait to witness are Faust, choreographed by Kelly Devine, and Manon, choreographed by Lionel Hoche. Devine brings a largely musical theater background to the project, most recently lending her moves to the US tour of Rock of Ages. It will be interesting to see the intersections between her brand of hard-hitting rock n’ roll with this tale of German folklore when it opens on November 29. During the second half of the season, we will see famed French choreographer Lionel Heche take on a fellow Frenchman’s tragic story: Massenet’s Manon. Heche has worked with many acclaimed companies, including the Paris Opera Ballet and Jiri Kylian’s Netherlands troupe, making him one of the most sought-after French choreographers in the world. His neo-classical style incorporates everything from Forsythe to ballet, and it will all be seen through the eyes of Manon when this production receives its Met premiere on March 26, 2012. www.metoperafamily.org

92^nd Street Y Presents the Out of Israel Showcase

It is rare that the United States gets to benefit from witnessing the highly physical, intensely visceral experience of Israeli contemporary dance. That is why I am so excited that the 92^nd Street Y is feeding all of the die-hard fans a dose of their own fanaticism (and saving me a trip to Tel Aviv) by bringing us the Out of Israel showcase in January 2012. Start the year off right with hometown favorite Andrea Miller and her electrifying troupe, Gallim Dance, and then delve into the worlds of Michael Samama, Neta Yerushalmy, Lior Schneior, and others. The entire weekend is devoted to this signature brand of movement, with varying programs and what is sure to be a unique set of shows. www.92y.org

Remembering September 11^th with the NYC Dance Community

Jacqulyn Buglisi has been an important preservationist of modern dance in the US for many years. A featured dancer with the Martha Graham Dance Company, Buglisi’s own company has been an important pillar of site-specific performance, and this September will be no exception. As a tribute to the tenth anniversary of the attacks on the World Trade Center buildings on September 11, 2001, Buglisi and one hundred other NYC dancers will stage a site-specific performance at Lincoln Center’s Josie Robertson Plaza. Collaborating with Ms. Buglisi on the work are Italian artist Rossella Vasta and flautist Andrea Ceccomori. An important day in American history, the dance community will come together to recognize this great tragedy and work to acknowledge the hope that the future holds. The event will begin at 8:20am on September 11 and conclude at 8:46am, the exact time that American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into the North Tower. An amazing way to pay respect and come together as a community, this event will use dance to portray the unfaltering will and determination of the American people.

Top photo: Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company Body Against Body

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.