Dancing Colleges
The Juilliard Dance Division, performed at the Peter Jay Sharp Theater at Lincoln Center in two productions, "Composers and Choreographers ...Plus," December 8, 9 and "New Dances at Juilliard, Edition 2006" on December 14, 15, 16, and 17. It was a stupendous undertaking that went off with energy, enthusiasm, and smooth execution.
Created in the Composers and Choreographers Workshop, taught by Elizabeth Keen of the Dance Division Faculty and Daniel Ott, of the Music Faculty, in a program established in 1989, it brought the school's dance division and Artistic Consultant of the Graduate Music Faculty, Pia Gilbert together to produce new music and new dances.
First seen in 2003 during Director of the Dance Division's Lawrence Rhodes' 2nd year, the project has reached a pinnacle of college dance excellence. In "Composers and Choreographers...Plus," choreographers from the third year of the dance program teamed with composers enrolled in the master and doctoral music degree programs. Rhodes comments that: "The relations with music keep improving thanks to concerted effort on the part of many in the school's divisions."
Choreographers for this project were: Kendra Samson, Collin Baja, Carolyn Rossett, Timothy Ward, Adam Hewlett Weinert, Chanel DaSilva, Amaker Smith, Lucie Baker, Shamel Pitts, Naomi Reid, Leon Kupferchmid, Anthony Bryant (who was his own choreographer), and Antonio Brown. Outstanding works in this group were Bryant's, in his "Calling for the Sunrise," "Slow Burn," a moving pas de deux created as an independent project for Carlye Eckert and Kyle Robinson by Baker; and "III" by Shamel Pitts for Doug Letheren, Pitts, and Kevin Shannon. Forty-eight dancers appeared in this program.
"New Dances at Juilliard, Edition 2006" is a project that brings students of the Dance Division into direct contact with a professional choreographer whose work is then presented as a world premiere. The entire dance division, 91 performers, appeared in this project. David Parker, artistic director of The Bang Group, a rhythm-based theatrical dance troupe serving his fascination with the percussive possibilities of the dancing body, presented his "About 15 Minutes," to percussive sounds using a combative approach with humor, for this class of 2010. "Otono," by Matthew Neenan, who has had a total of 6 commissions by the Pennsylvania Ballet, as well as other major companies, used stimulating excerpts from Alberto Ginastera's Quartets performed with live musicians. It is a well-constructed work with 28 class-of-2009 dancers, using steps from ballet vocabulary. It was a highlight of the evening.
A John Adams work for 2 pianos was chosen by Doug Varone for his "The Constant Shift of Pulse." Varone, a world-renown choreographer, brought his insight into the emotional atmosphere of a group performing his work into his world premiere. Without avoiding the typical acting-out of anger of this age group, he built a propulsive, internal atmosphere for the 19 dancers in the work. This class-of-2008 responded with the highest level of technique.
The program closed with "Still" using a piano quintet by Alfred Schnittke, choreographed by Aszure Barton, a graduate of the National Ballet School in Toronto, created an unrewarding finale to the program. Schnittke deserved better.
The works were presented largely in street-wear, since expensive costumes or elaborate production values were not part of the budget. However, providing live music for two of the four dances is one of the school's unique contributions.
Rhodes reports that: "We are now at capacity in terms of performing. Composers & Choreographers and Senior Production are the student-driven projects. New Dances is all about creations and Spring Dances about repertory." There are studio workshops throughout the year...and more to come.
The projects were dedicated to the Centenary of Bessie Schönberg, foremost educator and icon in the downtown experimental New York dance world. She had studied Dalcroze Eurythmics and was a performer as well as mentor, guide and inspiration to generations of dancers and choreographers.
Elsewhere, Mino Nicholas, continuing his residency at Goucher College included Doris Humphrey's classic, "The Libation Bearers," for the school's fall dance program. His "The Art of the Solo" performing program includes the staging of solo works created by past legends such as Loie Fuller, Valerie Bettis, Hanya Holm and many other pioneering modern dance choreographers.
The program is performed by local Baltimore and Washington, D.C. artists as well as others from New York and Europe. Reaction has been glowing, nostalgic and appreciative of the minute details in the restaging, costumes and lighting. The Baltimore program included Ruth St. Denis's "Incense," (danced by Cynthia Word); Ted Shawn's "A Priest of Knossos" (Matthew Heggem); Humphrey's "Scherzo Waltz" (Elizabeth Lowe Ahearn); Shawn's "Bailerina Real" (Dana Martin); Pola Nirenska's "Exuberance" (Laura Schandelmeier); Wigman's "Hexentanz" (Jessica Stephenson); Eleanor King's "Air" (Ahearn); Maslow's "Dust Bowl Ballads" (Amanda Thom Woodson); Solokow's "Forgotten Melodies" (six dancers); Humphrey and Limón's "The Sleeper" (Heggem); and Duncan's "Marche Slav," (Jeanne Bresciani). Bravo!
The program now travels and will appear at The Kennedy Center, Terrace Theater in April. Performances in Saratoga's National Museum of Dance, Baltimore Musum of Art and elsewhere will follow in 2007. For more information: info@theartofthesolo.org or www.theartofthesolo.org/performances