October 2, 2007Interview with Fran KirmserWhen you need to look at the arts from a lot of different angles, it's helpful to have someone like the versatile Fran Kirmser in your corner. I spoke with Fran last Friday about the many roles she has played in her distinguished career as a performer, choreographer, theater producer, master fundraiser, a consultant to dance and theater companies, and a founder of Manhattan Theatre Source. This radiant, seemingly tireless advocate of dance and theater has a grand vision and the practical tools to back it up, and she'll be sharing her expertise with artists in a series of workshops this fall at The Field. Listen to interview with Fran Kirmser (MP3 - 30 minutes)
Dalia Carella as Kuan Yin in Search of a Goddess: Inspirations of the Divine Enchantress Ruth St. Denis, produced by
Fran Kirmser Productions at The Duke on 42 in 2004. Photo credit: Jeff Betz Fran Kirmser Bio Fran Kirmser has worked for over twelve years, producing, promoting and fundraising for dance and theater. Collectively she has raised millions of dollars in institutional funding and corporate sponsorships for hundreds of companies. She has held positions in Development, Public Relations, Management, or Booking and Representation with the following organizations: Lincoln Center Avery Fisher Hall, Doug Varone and Dancers, Sandra Cameron Dance Center, Pentacle. She is a founder of Manhattan Theatre Source where she served as Producing Artistic Director. Fran produced August Wilson's Radio Golf on Broadway, nominated for four Tony Awards. Recently she founded Made to Move, Inc.--a non-profit dedicated to the advancement of public knowledge of the art of dance and theater and co-created and produced the commercial musical SIDD based on the novel "Siddhartha" by Hermann Hesse. Additionally Fran has worked on the development of new theatrical works with Circle in the Square Repertory Theater and Musical Theatre Works among others. She is a graduate of Skidmore College with continuing education at NYU Tisch School of Dance and Columbia University. Posted by Eva Yaa Asantewaa at 10:17 AM - Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0) September 28, 2007Interview with Choreographer and Performer Camille A. BrownLast week, I met with Camille A. Brown, who recently made a huge impression as the choreographer and performer of her solo, The Evolution of A Secured Feminine, and we talked about the steady evolution of her remarkable career. She has won rave reviews for her appearances with Ronald K. Brown/Evidence, and now she's setting an ensemble piece on the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, one of the world's most celebrated dance troupes, for its upcoming season at City Center. Camille is a young artistic star on the rise. Listen to interview with Camille A. Brown (MP3 - 27 minutes) Multimedia Guide
Video interview of Camille Brown interspersed with rehearsal clips of The Evolution of A Secured Feminine on New York City Center Site:
Camille A. Brown Bio (From New York City Center website) Camille A. Brown received her early dance training at both the Bernice Johnson and Carolyn Devore Dance Studios. She attended the High School of Performing Arts and later, received a scholarship to the Ailey School. She completed her B.F.A. in Dance at the North Carolina School of the Arts. Ms. Brown was a member of Evidence Dance Company, under the direction of Ronald K. Brown. She has also performed with Roger C. Jeffrey, Matthew Rushing, Earl Mosely, Debbie Allen and Dancers, Darrell Grand Moultrie, Nathan Trice, Hope L. Boykin, and Bridget L. Moore. Continue reading... Posted by Eva Yaa Asantewaa at 8:20 AM - Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0) September 25, 2007Interview with Chris Elam of Misnomer Dance TheaterChris Elam, who recently became the first recipient of the Summer Stages Dance/Baryshnikov Arts Center residency, is truly a dance artist for the 21st Century--a brilliant, probing maker of dance that expresses the protean nature of the human body, mind, and spirit; an explorer of the myriad ways in which people communicate; and an innovator of Internet community-building and artistic marketing. I had a wide-ranging talk with Elam, founder and artistic director of Misnomer Dance Theater, about the origins and intent of his unusually powerful choreography and about his latest and upcoming projects. Listen to audio interview with Chris Elam (MP3 - 38 minutes) Misnomer Multimedia View this annotated photograph on Flickr of Misnomer rehearsal at The Yard this July:
A rehearsal video of The Yard performance work (Misnomer blog post): Video documentary of rehearsals at The Yard showing how Misnomer captures video of rehearsals in real-time (Misnomer blog post): View following video excerpts of Misnomer performances on their website: Chris Elam Bio Chris Elam graduated magna cum laude from Brown University and received his MFA in Dance from New York University Tisch School of the Arts. Since founding Misnomer Dance Theater his work has been performed in over 100 theaters across the USA, Cuba, Brazil, Indonesia, and Turkey. Elam's work has met critical acclaim including a featured article in Dance Magazine, interviews in The New Yorker and The New York Times, and reviews in numerous publications. Elam had been a guest faculty and choreographer at numerous schools and universities, and is presently teaching at Brown University, and is guest choreographer at both Manhattanville college and Hoftra University. (Read complete bio...) Posted by Eva Yaa Asantewaa at 9:30 AM - Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0) September 4, 2007Interview with Choreographer Miguel GutierrezSomewhere in the middle of my interview with Bessie Award-winning choreographer Miguel Gutierrez, I realized that I could listen to him talk forever. (I've had that feeling about watching his dances, too!) Even after we wrapped up our recording, we kept talking, and he never ran out of interesting and vital things to say about art, community and the often sorry state of discourse on dance. I definitely want to talk with Miguel again, and I'm delighted to share with you today some insight into his life and work. Listen to interview with Miguel Gutierrez (MP3 - 47 minutes) Photos Miguel
Gutierrez and the Powerful People in Everyone © Alex Escalante, photographer First picture is of Miguel Gutierrez (Click below images for larger pictures)    Miguel Gutierrez BioMiguel Gutierrez is a dance and music artist from Brooklyn, NY who has created several evenings of work: enter the seen (2002), I succumb (2003), dAMNATION rOAD (2004), Retrospective Exhibitionist and Difficult Bodies (2005) myendlesslove (2006) and Everyone (2007). His emotionally-driven work concerns itself with the phenomenon of existence and the body's ability to move between the mundane and the transcendent. He is interested in how the presence of the audience creates a space of attention and extraordinary perception. His work has been presented in venues such as Dance Theater Workshop (New York), ImPulsTanz (Vienna) and the Springdance Festival (Utrecht). He recently created a new work entitled I HATE OUTSIDE for BalletLab, a Melbourne, Australia based company. Miguel worked as a curator for The Kitchen's Dance and Process program, and the infamous but now defunct SHTUDIO SHOW. He has worked with a wide variety of contemporary dance artists, such as John Jasperse, Jennifer Lacey, Jennifer Monson, Ann Liv Young and Deborah Hay. He is currently working with Alain Buffard. He teaches workshops in technique, composition and creative process around the world. Posted by Eva Yaa Asantewaa at 9:23 AM - Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0) August 30, 2007Nolini Barretto InterviewPresenting site-specific dance in the bustling financial, commercial and historic environment of downtown Manhattan is not without risk but can yield considerable excitement and rewards. Producer-curator Nolini Barretto and the artists she selects for her annual Sitelines series bring imagination and vision to this challenge and opportunity. We spoke about past productions and current highlights of this well-regarded summer festival, a project of the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council running now through September 21. Nolini Barretto  Images from Sitelines (click images for larger pictures) Nolini Barretto BioHeidi Duckler's Collage Dance Theater in Laundromatinee (watch video) at Laundromat at 168 Elizabeth Street, Sitelines (summer, 2006)  Ellis Wood Dance in Fire on Wall Street (watch video) on the balconies at Cipriani's at 55 Wall Street, Sitelines (summer, 2006)  Accounting for Customs by choreographers Reggie Wilson and
Andréya Ouamba on the steps of the U.S. Custom House at 1 Bowling Green, Sitelines (summer, 2007)  Nolini Barretto has long been part of the New York arts community. She worked for the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance for thirteen years, the last few years as Administrative Director of the school. She was a founding Director of the Emergency Fund for Student Dancers and continues to serve on its Board and the advisory Board of Buglisi Dance Company. She was the Director of Marketing for Dance Theater Workshop in Chelsea, helping it transition into its new building, managing its rebranding efforts and launching its Inaugural season. At DTW she received the National Arts Marketing Project's Advanced Audience Development Training. Nolini was originally a classical dancer in India and received a Masters degree in Arts Administration from Teachers College, Columbia University. In 2005 CEC Artslink sent her to lecture on Public Art in St. Petersburg, Russia and Novosibirsk, Siberia. Nolini began working at the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council in 2003, where she founded the site-specific performance series, Sitelines, which she continues to curate and produce. Posted by Eva Yaa Asantewaa at 8:05 AM - Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0) August 28, 2007Ashleigh Leite InterviewMy interview with dancer-choreographer Ashleigh Leite is a reminder of how critically important it is for emerging creative artists to have the support of organizations like Joyce SoHo. As an artist-in-residence at Joyce SoHo's Mercer Street studios, Ashleigh was provided with ample time, rehearsal space, guidance and helpful feedback as she developed Crawl Space, her new evening-length, multi-media ensemble premiering at Danspace Project in November--a major step forward in her career. I hope you'll enjoy my talk with this interesting and thoughtful artist. Listen to interview with Ashleigh Leite (MP3 - 25 Minutes) Ashleigh Leite on YouTube
Autopsy
Flawed
Ashleigh Leite  Ashleigh Leite, originally from Scottsdale, Arizona, graduated (cum laude) from SUNY Purchase with a BFA in Dance Performance in 1997. Upon graduation, Ashleigh joined Stephen Petronio Company, where she served as Assistant Director/Rehearsal Director and a dancer for over eight years (1997-2005). While maintaining a full schedule with Stephen Petronio Company, Ashleigh began to pursue her own work as a freelance choreographer. In March 2006, at Joyce SoHo in New York City, she premiered Autopsy for which she received a Lower Manhattan Cultural Council Swing Space Award. During the fall of 2006, Ashleigh was an Artist-in-Residence at Dance New Amsterdam and premiered flawed in December; this year, she has been an Artist-in-Residence at Joyce SoHo. She is a current member of Pavel Zustiak's Palissimo and has performed in works by Jamie Bishton, David Allen Harris and Jeremy Nelson. She has taught technique and repertory at conservatories all over the world and guest teaches regularly at Dance New Amsterdam in New York City. Posted by Eva Yaa Asantewaa at 6:52 AM - Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0) August 16, 2007Interview with Gina GibneyGina Gibney's choreography--which I've been watching for quite a while--always reminds me of what's most important to me about art: serious attention to craft and an equally serious concern about human connection and communication. Gina is a thoughtful spokesperson for the art of dance. I've always enjoyed our encounters and usually go away feeling a little more focused and motivated as a result. I hope you'll be similarly inspired by our discussion today about her work, including her development of a new piece--The Distance Between Us--which will premiere at the Ailey Citicorp Theater in November. (Visit Gina Gibney Dance and their MySpace page). Listen to interview with Gina Gibney (MP3 format - 26 minutes) Gina Gibney’s Bio: Gina Gibney’s choreography has been widely presented and commissioned in the United States and abroad at such venues as Danspace Project, White Bird Dance, Yale Repertory Theater, The Duke on 42nd Street Theater, WORKS & PROCESS at the Guggenheim Museum and elsewhere. In response to her growing concern about the status of women in the professional dance world, she reorganized her company as an all-female ensemble in 1997. Since that time, she has created six evening length works exploring the humanity and physicality of women. In 2000 she launched the Domestic Violence Project, a groundbreaking project that offers dance and creative expression to women who are survivors of domestic abuse. She is the founder of Studio 5-2, an officer of Danspace Project's Board of Directors, and a trustee of Dance/USA. Gibney graduated with honors and received an MFA in Dance from Case Western Reserve University. Multimedia Highlights Here are photographs from the work in progress The Distance Between Us. Click on thumbnails below for larger images:  
Video excerpts from The Distance Between Us: Posted by Eva Yaa Asantewaa at 9:49 AM - Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0) July 25, 2007Interview with Dancer-Choreographer Nadine HelstrofferNadine Helstroffer is one of dance's treasures--a poetic, luminous performer whose choreography reflects her insight into life, nature and spirituality. She has been a good friend for many years, and I'm pleased to present an interview we recorded in the home she shares with filmmaker John Bush. Among other things, Nadine and I talked about their experiences filming in Tibet, and I urge you to follow the links for more information about all of John and Nadine's projects. (Nadine's bio is included at the bottom of this post). Listen to audio interview with Nadine Helstroffer (MP3 format) Background Materials for Audio Interview Nadine provided us with video excerpts from her upcoming film Shimmer (working title), which we discuss toward the beginning of the interview:  Vajra Realm Vajra Realm is a 12-minute dance film performed outdoors at sacred Tibetan sacred sites. Here are two screen shots:   Vajra Sky Over Tibet Trailer Vajra Realm is a special feature on the DVD for the film Vajra Sky Over Tibet. You can watch a video trailer:  Nadine Helstroffer Bio Nadine Helstroffer, French-born, has been presenting her choreography in the U.S., Canada and France since 1981. Her work includes Clock Lock, Threshold and Earthbound. She has taught dance and directed workshops in France, Korea and the U.S. Since 1998 she has been leading the BodyResonance Workshop which explores the link between meditation and movement. She has been presenting her workshop at the Zen Center of NYC, the New School University, New York Insight Meditation Society and Bowling Green State University. Ms. Helstroffer obtained a doctorate in philosophy under the direction of Daniel Charles of the Sorbonne (Subject: An Innovative Approach to Dance) at Nanterre University/Paris-X, France, in 1980. Her academic interests in Eastern philosophies and her exposure to the East through her dance career have guided her toward an integration of Eastern philosophies and Western movements. She collaborated with composers Yas Jaz from Sankai Juku Company, Philip Fraser (devotee of Shri Shri Ravi Shankar) and David Hykes, founder of the Harmonic Choir. In New York, the Rubin Museum of Art commissioned her 30-minute solo piece, Absence Presence, performed in the gallery of the exhibition "Handprints and Footprints of Buddhist Art" in 2005 and filmed by John Bush. She was also invited by the museum to dance her choreography as part of a performance by Hykes's Harmonic Choir. In collaboration with filmmaker John Bush, she is preparing a 40-minute dance film--working title, Shimmer--shot entirely outdoors in New York City. An excerpt--"Portal"--has been screened at Galapagos Art Space, curated by the experimental film group Ocularis, and has had a special screening at the 2006 High Falls Film Festival. Vajra Realm, a dance pilgrimage with Nadine Helstroffer filmed in Central Tibet, was released in January 2007 as a special feature on the DVD Vajra Sky Over Tibet, the third film of the Yatra Trilogy by John Bush. It is distributed by WGBH Boston. For additional information on Vajra Realm and all of Ms. Helstroffer's work, you can visit Direct Pictures. Posted by Eva Yaa Asantewaa at 8:45 AM - Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0) July 11, 2007Interview with Japan Society's Yoko Shioya and Multimedia Preview of their Fall 2007 Performing Arts SeasonNow celebrating its centennial, Japan Society has announced Turning Japanese, its far-ranging fall season of contemporary performing arts (PDF press release with detailed performance listings). Festivities planned include a remounting of puppeteer Basil Twist’s Bessie Award-winning Dogugaeshi, a birthday tribute to legendary butoh performer Kazuo Ohno, and much more. Numerous performance venues around the city-–such as P.S. 122, Dance Theater Workshop, Danspace, HERE and the Brooklyn Academy of Music–-will present works by Japanese and American artists who cross time and cultures.  I spoke with artistic director, Yoko Shioya, at Japan Society’s beautiful center on East 47th Street. She shared her thoughts on the far-ranging influence of contemporary Japanese performing arts and on the origins and significance of butoh. Listen to audio interview (MP3 format - 33 minutes)  Yoko Shioya discusses fall performing arts season at Japan Society press luncheon yesterday. Yoko Shioya became Artistic Director in 2006, overseeing the Society's Performing Arts and Film Programs. Since joining the Society in 1997, she has expanded collaborative projects with American cultural organizations and universities to introduce Japanese performing artists and also launched new initiatives, including an artists’ residency project and a workshop series. Also known in Japan as a writer/researcher on the public and private arts support systems in the U.S. and Japan, Ms. Shioya has been invited to speak at numerous symposia, lectures and TV programs presented by the Agency for Cultural Affairs of the Japanese government, Keidanren, the Academy of Cultural Economics and the Japan Council of Performers' Organizations, among others. In 1998, her first book, New York: How the City and Its Artists Coexist, was published by Maruzen Publishing Co. She has been a regular contributor to arts columns on performing arts and exhibitions for the Asahi newspaper, and is currently a committee member of The Bessie Award and the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council’s Fund for Creative Community in dance. Ms. Shioya holds BAs in musicology and dance history from Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music. Images from the Fall 2007 Performing Arts Season Click on any of the below pictures to see larger images:  Choreographer Makoto Enda (right) in Makotocluv's Nipponia-Nippon © Non Takagi Upcoming Performance: 11th Annual Contemporary Dance Showcase Phase II: Japan + East Asia - January 18 & 19, 2008  Sun-Shier Dance Theatre from Taiwan; Choreographer Pi-Jung Wu (center) © Sandy Ou-Yang Upcoming Performance: 11th Annual Contemporary Dance Showcase Phase II: Japan + East Asia - January 18 & 19, 2008  Akira Kasai © Christa Cowrie Upcoming Performance: Butoh America, October 25-27, 2007  Left to right: Koma & Eiko © Jaroslow Brezezinski Upcoming Performance: Eiko & Koma with Margaret Leng Tan Mourning, October 18-21, 2007  Naomi Muku in Yupiters, choreographed by Yuko Kobayashi © Junichi Matsuda Upcoming Performance: Kazuo Ohno 101: 3-Week Butoh Parade, October 9-10, 1007  Yoshito Ohno © Naoya Ikegami Upcoming Performance: Yoshito Ohno Butoh Marathon curated by CAVE + Yoshito Ohno, October 27, 2007 Video Highlights from Turning Japanese Click on either of the images below to watch video excerpts: Upcoming Performance: Tiger's Cave: Butoh Boot Camp: Tora no Ana, October 9 & 10, 2007 Upcoming Performance: Butoh Marathon curated by CAVE + Yoshito Ohno Posted by Eva Yaa Asantewaa at 11:50 AM - Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0) |
| ||||
|
© 2007 Great Dance. All rights reserved. |