This is my 4th year as lead curator for dance at Wassaic Project and I'd love it if you could spread the word or consider submitting an  application to be presented. 

Festival dates are -  August 2 - 4!

Read about the Festival: http://wassaicproject.org/festival/about/#1

Go here to submit an application for Dance @ Wassaic -  http://wassaicproject.org/festival/apply/#1
  
Thanks for all your help with Dance @ Wassaic Project.

St. Mark’s Church in-the-Bowery is historical, and for the most part, one knows what to expect when they walk through those doors.  However, walking into the church for Marjanie Forte’s being Here, a dance event, even before the “performance” begins, we experience a piece of art; a brilliantly reconfigured space.  Three large plastic panels (almost ceiling to floor), crinkled with lace-like holes that are lit from behind and reflect on the ceiling and the back wall (the pulpit) like wings, command the space.  Plus, just in front of the audience is an oversized pillow hollowed in the center and filled with feathers.  The set is by Johann Mittnacht and the lighting is by longtime Danspace Project designer Carol Mullins.  The atmosphere is perfectly framed by composer Everett Saunders’ many sounds. Forte’s dance described as “…a work that narrates a journey towards Mental Health and Addiction Recovery…” soon begins. Built as a lineup of sections (“At First…”, “Mind Fuck,” “Train,”
“Bottoming Out,” “Play Hard” and “being”), the strongest comes at the end in “being.”  For “being” Forte moves
full speed ahead and there was no holds barred.  The entire cast (Rebecca Bliss, Tendayi Kuumba, Jasmine Hearn, Autumn Scoggan, Alice Sheppard and Samantha Speis) are manically fantastic as they polish off Forte’s unceasing sequence with cannons, punctuated with a pumping of elbows and torso into uncontrollable jumps, when they join, replace, or leave the mesmerizing stream of movement from one side of the space to the other.  A strong finish indeed.

There is a lot of Taylor to love.  This season was a celebration of the 50th anniversary of classics including Scudorama, the 25th anniversaries of Brandenburgs and Speaking in Tongues, plus the premieres of Perpetual Dawn and To Make Crops Grow, all by Taylor.  An afternoon program with the delightfully funny Offenbach Overtures replete with myriad characters (a duet of funny drunks), witty costumes (glued on moustaches); the very pretty Perpetual Dawn and the grand Promethean Firewhich never stops offering up exquisite cannons and tableaus, were always anchored by Taylor’s genius as a dance-maker.  Le Sacre Du Printemps (The Rehearsal) first performed in 1980, and one of only a few masterpieces choreographed to Igor Stravinsky’s “The Rite of Spring,” also returned this season with a bang.  In Taylor’s version one must pay attention to the fact that he calls it “The Rehearsal,” but also that it’s a cops and robbers story told in way that it seems only he can—humor and brilliant dancing all wrapped up in one.  How very cool, then, and looking at it now, that Taylor shunned away from the many other versions and created this work.  Kudos and plaudits to the entire company for an excellent season.

My AmNews April 2013 Dance Calendar 
Featured are:

Camille A. Brown & Dancers @ The Kitchen - April 2-6
&
EMoves 14  @ Harlem Stage - April 12 - 20

http://www.amsterdamnews.com/arts_and_entertainment/april-dance-calendar/article_62f01646-97de-11e2-856c-0019bb2963f4.html

Toosee Via Katlehong Dance is a prescription for a good time! The company of seven male dancers Mandlenkosi Fanie, Vuyani Feni, Lemi Fudumele, Mpho Malotana, Vusi Mdoyi, Buru Mohlabane, and Thato Qofela), one narrator (Zolani Qwabe) and the only female, the singer, Nolwazi Ngidi, finishes their two week run of Katlehong Cabaret at Peak Performances this weekend (March 22-24). Walk in the theatre and on stage there are no wings, but milk crates, a clothes line, and a crate and table left for the narrator fill the space.  The performers soon enter the space from the stage or through the audience inviting us to join in on the fun as they shake hands, carry their gum boots, bring props (a djembe drum, a tin garbage can) and of course offer big hellos.  From here begins the journey,“taking us back…back to the original.”  We are brought to the
township of Katlehong where they show us how vibrant it always is with young, old school and traditional dancers moving at lightning speed and singing upbeat songs because their energy seems to never end.  From the dancing in gumboots or tap shoes, to Ngidi’s incredible voice punctuating each scene, this cast spared nothing from beginning to end.  Most memorable was Ngidi’s rendition of Bill Withers’ “Ain’t No Sunshine when she’s gone” framed by the gumboot story-ballet of miners leaving their family for a day’s work.  This stirring section, lit mainly by the light from their miner’s hard hats, was nicely choreographed and danced by way of a processional.  It would not be a Via Katlehong Dance performance without a few light-hearted sections, two of notes were bringing members of the audience to the stage midway to join in the fun, and another which comes at the absolute end…but I won’t spoil that surprise.   Run, don’t walk, but go see Via Katlehong Dance in Katlehong Cabaret!   For more information visit www.peakperfs.org.  

When choreographers, no, artists go beyond their prescribed intention, this almost always gives one pause. Not so with Rashun Mitchell who recreated the studio space at Baryshnikov Arts Center for the world premiere of his Interface.  Huge moveable panels with various black and white sketches span the left and front walls, separated only by equally large (floor to ceiling) windows.  Intentional?  The panels alongside the windows seemed as if they were made for each other.  A sound-mixer (Thomas Arsenault [Mas Ysa]) flanked the right wall with his complicated looking equipment where he too “danced.”  A white Marley floor anchored the space.  Mitchell’s cast, Silas, Riener, Melissa Toogood, Cori Kresge and Mitchell are lions; they are performers who command your attention whether moving singularly or in various groupings as they deliver Mitchell’s non-descript movement vocabulary.  There are many sections where these collaborators’ individual persona shines. For instance, when the stationary Riener is manipulated by the women, they furrow his brow, awkwardly move an arm here,
or a leg there, what we see is a well-trained mover.  Or there is the intimate hair braiding section where Kresge comforts Toogood who sits between her legs, looping her hair ever so slowly, but we see two sleek movers.  As a whole, Interface was a piece of art. 

For his inaugural season as artistic director of Ailey II, succeeding Sylvia Waters who held the post for 38 years, Troy Powell offered up two nicely planned programs.  Yes, the works chosen by Powell are varied and indeed challenging, but what’s exemplary is how the company took on this challenge and mastered it.  In the “All New” program, they glossed through the demanding style (bridging William Forsythe and Crystal Pite) in Malcolm Low’s One Forgotten Moment (2012), and in the same vein, Benoit-Swan Pouffer’s Rusty (2012) which drew lush  interpretations from these not so“young” dancers.  Al Crawford’s lighting for Rusty is especially noteworthy in how his half-shadowed, voyeuristic motif set the pace.  Jessica Lang’s introspective solo Splendid Isolation II (2006) performed by Tyler Brown, and Amy Hall Garner’s up beat  Virtues (2012) rounded out the program.  The “Returning Favorites” program was equally challenging, but the dancers also took that in stride firing out Powell’s no-nonsense The External  Knot (2007), Alvin Ailey’s hilarious Quintet (1968), and Judith Jamison’s demanding Divining.  Kudos to the entire company: Jeroboam Bozeman, Brown, Paige Fraser, David Adrian Freeland, Jr. Gentry George, Jenna Graves, Daphne Lee, Olivier Medus, Anne O’Donnell, Edward Spots and Thomas Varvaro, with special plaudits to Aqura Lacey for meeting the challenge.  

For The Joyce Theater’s “Ice Hot: Nordic Dance Festival,” three companies (TeroSaarinenCompany, Danish Dance Theatre and The Norwegian National Company of Contemporary Dance) brought their brand of “Nordic” dance to us.  TeroSaarinenCompany began the Festival with Scheme of
Things(2009) a group work with an elaborate set (a dance of light bulbs straight down the center of back wall, and other stark and beautiful lights throughout), and very nice dancing, but not much more. Conversely, Saarinen’s signature solo The Hunt danced to Stravinsky’s classic work “The Rite of Spring”was stunning, from his commanding, full-bodied dancing to the ever-changing technical bravado mixing lights, props and costume.  Artistic director, Tim Ruston’s Love Songs for the Danish Dance Theatre was a lovely evening of dances (solos, duets and so on) to jazz standards including “Come Rain or Come Shine” and “My Funny Valentine” to name a few.  To be sure, The Norwegian National Company of Contemporary Dance’s Carte  Blache choreographed by Sharon Eyal and Gai Behar was teasingly hypnotic.  This play on “…the corps de ballet, [where] traditionally the dancers…form the pale backdrop behind the prima ballerina,” lived up to its promise.  Dressed as if all 12 of them were one and the same, in flesh colored unitards, hair slicked in a matching pale color, the dancers, in a wonderful way, pounded the idea of unison, monotony and symmetry into our heads.  But they also managed, here and there to add a comedic aversion to the corps when a tongue would stick way out of a wide open mouth, or when all at once- whoosh--they would shift direction guided by a grunt that sounded like “wok, wok.”  They were simply and technically good at making fun.  

Via Katlehong Dance (South Africa) returns after 4 years with
Katlehong Cabaret
American Premiere - A Peak Commission
March 16 and 23 – 8:00 p.m. 
March 17 and 24 – 3:00 p.m.
March 21 and 22 – 7:30 p.m.
Alexander Kasser Theater - Every seat: $15





Originally formed through an outreach program for youth during the Apartheid era, Via Katlehong’s style is a  blend of Pantsula (street dance) and Gumboot (rhythmic physical percussion). The men of Via Katlehong Dance presents Katlehong Cabaret a "...collaboration with South African vocalists and comedians." 

Produced by Damien Valette Productions.  Co-produced by Via Katlehong Dance, Peak Performances at Montclair State (NJ), Théâtre national de Chaillot, and Scéne nationale d'Orléans.  Supported in part by an
award from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Round trip weekend bus service available from Manhattan available!

For more information http://peakperfs.org/artists/Via_Katlehong
   

The star of the evening was without doubt Ohad Naharin’s Mabul (excerpted duet)  performed by Christopher Bloom and Joanna DeFelice.  This perfectly timed duet meets each dancer where they are and shows their individual techniques in performing—ahh, but this is what Naharin does best, molds the work to each dancer.   Good for Bloom and DeFelice.  Walking as in a squat for most of the work, shaking clenched fists from straight elbows, Blooms’ head eventually meets DeFelice’s chest with a bang, and so goes this fabulous interchange until sadly, it ends.  Also on the program and nicely performed by Bloom, Nikki Holck, Yesid Lopez and Madison McPhail was Sidra Bell’s Vivian & Paul, and Enzo Celli’s story ballet I’m Here.  Igal Perry’s Infinity  and Dwight Rhoden’s Evermore, boasted couples in lively exchanges.  Other dancers on the program were Madison McPhail, Justin Mock, Midori Nonaka, Jerimy Rivera, Micah Savin, Eila Valls, Leigh Lijoi and Aaron Steinberg.