Various Artists
Cathy Weis’ “Sundays on Broadway”
April 28
Weis’ "Sundays on Broadway," an ongoing series of performances, film screenings, and discussions continues with Eva Karczag and Vicky Shick, plus Weis on this program described as “An evening with a solo that feels like a duet and a duet that feels like a solo.”  Karczag and Shick return to “Sundays on Broadway” to present a reworking of their duet, your blue is my purple. Karczag and Shick are longtime colleagues dating back to the 1980s in the Trisha Brown Company. “To this day, they are often mistaken for each other on the street and even on stage. In this duet, they continue to investigate their curiosities, similarities, and differences.  Weis performs Jury Duty. As she moves onstage, Weis tells stories about being called for jury duty and describes what it’s like for her to move through the world. A live image of Weis is projected behind her, adding a new layer of meaning to her musings,” according to the release.  This “Shared evening” is curated by Weis.  Find out more here
 
Maria Valencia
The Chocolate Factory Theater
April 18 – 27
Created and performed by Valencia, Bouquet “examines authorship within the premise of transmission, relation, alliance and ensemble. Her body is the main archive as she quotes dances by Alvin Ailey, Trisha Brown, Frank Conversano and nia love, as well as Eurhythmics and Garifuna dance forms…[and]… invites the audience to traverse a dense field of collective reference,” according to the release.  Find out more here
 
Tendayi Kuumba and Samita Sinha
Danspace Project
April 25 – 27
Choreographers Jasmine Hearn and Tatyana Tenenbaum, with Danspace Project Associate Curator Lydia Bell organized “collective terrain/s,” a collective research process on the relationship between voice and the body.  Kuumba and Sinha performs in the first of this two-week event.  Hearn and Tenenbaum will present works May 2 – 4.  Along with performances by Hearn, Tenenbaum, Kuumba and Sinha, there will be a workshop led by the collective, and a launch party (April 26).  Find out more here
 
ZviDance
Joe’s Pub
April 25 - 26
ZviDance's On the Road, by artistic director, Zvi Gotheiner, “inspired by Jack Kerouac’s novel of the same title, is a multimedia dance piece that contemplates the upheaval of the 1960's and that generation's startling notions of social rebellion,” notes the release.  Find out more here
 
Yanira Castro
New York Live Arts
April 26
Castro will offer a studio showing of her work, Last Audience, a piece made with the audience, as part of New York Live Arts’ Live Feed creative residency and commissioning program. Find out more here
 
Nimbus
BAM Fisher
April 26 – 28
Under artistic director, Samuel Pott, Nimbus will premiere Pott’s Hollow Square and Dawn Marie Bazemore’s The After Party, plus repertory works Dew Point 68, by Darshan Singh Bhuller and Glare From These Horizons by Pott.  Find out more here
 
La Mama Moves! – Various Artists
La Mama
April 26 – May 26
The month long series, La Mama Moves! returns with an international lineup that includes Gruppo Nanou, Colleen Thomas, Mia Habib, Yin Mei Dance, Hari Krishnan/inDANCE, Bobbi Jene Smith, Dan Safer, Sin Cha Hong and Jesca Prudencio.  Find out more here
 
Dancing The Gods – Various Artists
Symphony Space
April 27 – 28
The program will include performances by Kalanidhi Dance in Kuchipudi dance-theatre, Sujata Mohapatra & musicians in Odissi.  Rajika Puri opens each evening with a slide lecture on what makes a great Indian dancer. Find out more here
 
Lotus Music & Dance
George Washington Educational Campus
April 28
Lotus Music & Dance will present the third annual “World Dance Passport,” this year’s title is World Dance Passport: Let the World Come to You through Dance! On the program is Flamenco y Sol with Sol “La Argentinita”, Ajna Bollywood Dance and Lamine Thiam – Senegalese Dance and Drumming.  This is a FREE event. Find out more here
 
“Works & Process at the Guggenheim” – Various Artists
Guggenheim Museum
April 28 – 29
The performing arts series at the Guggenheim, presents a dance and costume commission by Reid Bartelme and Harriet Jung with new choreography by Christopher Williams and Netta Yerulshamy in collaboration with NYU's Institute for the Study of the Ancient World's exhibition, Hymn to Apollo: The Ancient World and the Ballets Russes.  Find out more here

Venezuela, by former artistic director, now “house choreographer,” Israeli-born Ohad Naharin of the Batsheva Dance Company premiered at BAM (March 27 – 30).  The 2017 work is split into two 40-minute sections, there is no break in-between for the dancers or the audience, the second section is literally a repeat of the first. Venezuela is good, and the pairing of the dancer’s sureness in delivery with Naharin’s soundtrack, makes it powerful.  Even more intriguing is the way Naharin tenders each section.  The costumes and his gaga-fluid movement remains the same in both sections, but his soundtrack plus the slight differences he skillfully guides, is food for thought.  His mix of Gregorian chants, tango, hardcore rap, rock and more, encourages this thinking.  Avi Yona Bueno’s lights also shifts and assists with the tenor of the move from one section to the other.  Dressed in dark and formalized costumes against the white floor and bare wings, at first, the dancers sway back-and-forth, in a close clump to the low hum of Gregorian chants—almost expressionless.  But it builds.  After all, this wouldn’t be a Naharin work without the signature slow and deliberate walks, bodies falling or catapulting into the air, knees awkwardly falling inwards, hyperextended ribs, impromptu and repetitive running, or this time, skipping.  Standouts this time was that gut wrenching scream, or when three dancers sit in a deep squat on top of three others as they crawl on all fours, moving gingerly forward towards the audience with a dead stare.  The first time was eerie, but the second time was dark. Or is it the reverse? There was also the rhythmic march of the flags, from one side of the stage to the other. The first time around, we don’t know that they are flags or that they represented nations because they are plain, and when everybody gets one, they swing them and smack them into the floor.  But the second time around, they are revealed, and we pause and maybe identify which nation is represented.  And while Naharin makes room for this deep thinking, he jolts us back to the now when on a microphone, dead center, dancers scream lyrics from Biggie Smalls or convulse to music from Rage Against The Machine. The back-and-forth recall within those 40 minutes are quizzically endless. Venezuela is epic. 

Japanese-born and New York–based choreographer Kota Yamazaki wants to spread his version of Japanese Butoh far and wide. Butoh originated in post-war Japan and is defined as “dance of darkness.”  However, company member, and Yamazaki’s wife Mina Nishimura who often translates for him, explains that Butoh is not traditional Japanese dance, but instead an “underground, avant garde dance form.” With his company Kota Yamazaki/Fluid hug-hug, now a New York staple since making a home here in 2002, Yamazaki has made three installations of the dance series Darkness Odyssey inspired by the words of French philosophers Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari, and Butoh pioneer Tatsumi Hijikata’s notion of “dance of darkness.” Yamazaki continues his exploration of what he calls “the vaporizing body, or the extremely fragile body” which helps to realize his vision in presenting Butoh in a different way. 
Darkness Odyssey Part 3: Non-Opera, Becoming (April 3 – 6) presented at New York Live Arts (NYLA) is Yamazaki’s latest installation.  In this version, like the others, the cast is made up of a diverse group of contemporary dance artists: Jennifer Gonzalez, Kotze, Taketeru Kudo, Nishimura, Sinandja (Alain) Dakonyéme, Connor Voss and Yamazaki.  For the New York Times Gia Kourlas wrote, “In his dances and in life, the choreographer Kota Yamazaki believes that a person needs to be fluid, like water…You have to keep flowing, so people of different backgrounds can have a freer exchange,” Yamazaki said.  Nishimura, added with a laugh, “It’s very Japanese.”  Following this, in Darkness Odyssey Part 3… Kudo, a Butoh performer embodies an animal in his movements, the Togolese Dakonyéme is remembered for his fast footwork, Gonzalez and Voss for commitment, Kotze and Nihimura their deep concentration, and Yamazaki for his sublime presence.  For example, at the top, without knowing that the show officially began, Yamazaki darts into the bare space, cutting and piercing through the air; he is mesmerizing. Also, for a really long time, midway through the evening Yamazaki holds magically still against the back wall, while duet partners change and rearrange continuously downstage. Throughout the evening the others offer versions of quick or slow solos, jaws relaxed, and may mumble sounds as they move trans-like throughout the space.  Every once in a while they might join and sweep through a unison duet, or share moments of discovery in their personalization of Yamazaki’s vision.  But the truth is they borrow from each other, and blend into each other while holding their own individuality.  And, as is Yamazaki’s intention, in each of their bodies, the possibilities seem endless.
Darkness Odyssey Part 3: Non-Opera was commissioned as part of NYLA’s Live Feed residency program. Darkness Odyssey Part 1: Expose Your Feet To The Dry Lights premiered in 2016 in Japan. Darkness Odyssey Part 2: I or Hallucination premiered in 2017 at Baryshnikov Arts Center (BAC) during a BAC Artist Residency with contemporary dance artists Julian Barnett, Raja Feather Kelly, Joanna Kotze and Nishimura.  

Ailey Extension presents The Global Impact of Alvin Ailey Legacy Panel on Monday, April 29 at 7:30pm at the Joan Weill Center for Dance. Moderated by Ailey II Artistic Director Emerita Sylvia Waters, panelists and former Ailey stars George Faison, Linda Kent, and Renee Rose will share their personal stories, experiences, and lessons that Mr. Ailey rooted in his dancers and his ability to reveal emotions in a way that teach us something about ourselves. During Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s 60th Anniversary, which is currently being celebrated with a 21-city North American tour, these renowned artists’ will share first-hand accounts that illuminate the universal impact of Alvin Ailey and how he made his mark on modern dance around the world.
 
Date/Time: Monday, April 29 from 7:30-9:00pm
Location: The Joan Weill Center for Dance (405 West 55th Street, New York, NY 10019)
Sign-up/more information: www.aileyextension.com
Event cost: $25

Step Afrika! is looking for fresh, creative talent to join our amazing cast of artists. Step Afrika! was founded in 1994 as the first professional company dedicated to the tradition of stepping. It now ranks as one of the top ten African American dance companies in the United States.
The Company blends percussive dance styles practiced by historically African American fraternities and sororities, African traditional dance and influences from a variety of other dance and art forms. Performances are much more than dance shows; they integrate songs, storytelling, humor, and audience participation. The blend of technique, agility, and pure energy makes each performance unique and leaves the audience with their hearts pounding.
Auditions will be held in Washington, DC at the Garnett-Patterson School (2001 10th Street NW Washington, DC 20001) on SATURDAY MAY 18 at 5pm. Callbacks will be held on SUNDAY MAY 19 at the same location (invitation only).
Step Afrika! offers competitive salaries, and extensive national/international touring.  The Company hires both Full-Time and Part-Time company members for annual contracts, commencing August 2019. New hires must be willing to relocate to Washington, DC. Accomplished performers in Stepping, Tap, West African, Modern, Hip-Hop, etc., and those with strengths as drummers are encouraged to apply.  
For more information, click here. 

Step Afrika!
c/o Atlas Performing Arts Center
1333 H Street, NE
Washington, DC  20002
Phone: 202-399-7993 xt. 111
Fax: 202-399-6761
Email: info@stepafrika.org
Website: stepafrika.org

George C. Wolfe(Angels In America, The Normal Heart, Bring in 'Da Noise..., Jelly's Last Jam)will receive the SDC Director Award for exemplary collaboration with choreographers on Broadway at the 2019 Chita Rivera Awards (www.ChitaRiveraAwards.com),taking place at NYU Skirball Center for the Performing Arts (566 LaGuardia Place, off Washington Square Park) on Sunday, May 19 at 7:30pm. Joe Lanteri, Founder and Executive Director of the New York City Dance Alliance Foundation (www.NYCDAFoundation.net) produces the Chita Rivera Awards in conjunction with Patricia Watt.

The SDC Director Award is presented annually to a director for their exemplary collaboration with choreographers on Broadway. Mr. Wolfe was selected by an SDC committee of choreographers and will be presented the award by choreographer Camille A. Brown (Once On This Island, Choir Boy, Magic Mike: The Musical).

Read more here

Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation (SDCF), the not-for-profit foundation of Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC), has appointed Rebecca Hewett as its Executive Director beginning May 13, 2019.
 
Ms. Hewett comes to SDCF from The Shubert Foundation (TSF), where she worked as Senior Program Associate since 2014. At TSF, she conducted site visits nationally, made funding recommendations, and represented TSF at national conferences and play festivals. Prior to her tenure at TSF, Hewett was a Program Specialist with the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA). There, she oversaw a portfolio of 150 non-profit organizations across the five boroughs, conducted site visits, led funding panels, and served as the department’s point person for CASA, an after-school arts education initiative. Hewett holds an M.A. and Ph.D. in Theatre History and Criticism/Performance as Public Practice from University of Texas, Austin, where she also served as lecturer, and a B.A. in Theatre, with a Women’s Studies minor, from The College of William and Mary. Additional professional experience includes Virginia Shakespeare Festival, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and Williamstown Theatre Festival.
 
As Executive Director of SDCF, Hewett will lead the Foundation’s efforts to create access to the field for emerging directors and choreographers, connect artists, advance the craft of directing and choreography, and honor the theatrical legacy of these artists at every stage of their career. She will work under the leadership of the SDCF Board of Trustees, headed by President Sheldon Epps, Vice President/Secretary Mark Brokaw, and Treasurer Ethan McSweeny, as well as Trustees Linda Hartzell, Anne Kauffman, Mark Lamos, and Laura Penn.  

Read more here

Various Artists – Merce Cunningham Celebration
The Joyce Theater
April 17 – 21
As part of the international celebration of the life and work of Merce Cunningham which takes place during the week that Cunningham—born April 16, 2019—would have celebrated his 100th birthday, The Joyce Theater brings together three companies Compagnie CNDC-Angers/Robert Swinston from France, Utah’s Ballet West and The Washington Ballet to perform works by Cunningham.  Angers/Robert Swinston performs Suites for Five, Ballet West presents Summerspace, and The Washington Ballet Duets—all performed with live music. Having begun in the fall of 2018, and continuing throughout this year, the Merce Cunningham Centennial unites artists, companies, and cultural and educational institutions around the world in a multifaceted display and celebration of the dance legend’s vital impact. Find out more about the Joyce performances here.  Click here for the International calendar of events.

Antonio Ramos/Antonio Ramos & the Gangbangers
Rubin museum
April 24
Ramos & the Gangbangers featured this week as part of the Rubin Museum of Art's partnership with Pentacle, the site-specific series with works that reflect the theme of “Power – Within and Between Us”, which the Rubin will explore through exhibitions and programs all year long. Find out more here
 
Maria Valencia
The Chocolate Factory Theater
April 18 – 27
Created and performed by Valencia, Bouquet “examines authorship within the premise of transmission, relation, alliance and ensemble. Her body is the main archive as she quotes dances by Alvin Ailey, Trisha Brown, Frank Conversano and nia love, as well as Eurhythmics and Garifuna dance forms…[and]… invites the audience to traverse a dense field of collective reference,” according to the release.  Find out more here
 
Hot Brown Honey
NYU’s Skirball
April 19 – 20
This “…riotous celebration of Hip-Hop politics, dance, comedy, circus, striptease and song…is set in a dazzling beehive with lighting, music and costume to rival Beyoncé at Madison Square Garden,” notes the release.  Find out more here
 
Various Artists
Movement Research at Judson Church
April 22
Don’t miss this free, on-going, Monday night performance series of experimentation and works-in-progress.  This week’s featured artists are: Oluwadamilare Ayorinde , Janeill Cooper , K.Go , Ye'ela Wilschanski.  Find out more here

Centered around the desire of young black girls to seize freedom no matter the societal demands on unstraightened hair, creator/performer Okpokwasili and designer/director Peter Born collaborated on Adaku’s Revolt (March 17 – 24) at Abrons Art Center.  This timeless and for some, painful topic, resonates, and so in Okpokwasili’s tale, young black girls call out the wrongs and take charge to make a change.  Equally important though, to those who have no idea about these “existential threats” that black girls have had to endure, a lot was shared.  Born brings the audience into the experience from the beginning.  After a long walk through a winding hall, the audience sat on three sides, around the artists already positioned in the space, a large stage portioned off to include everyone.  We are all very close.  The traditional auditorium seats are blocked off by a large white screen inclined upward from the floor to the ceiling.  The performers, AJ Wilmore (Adaku), Audrey Hailes & Khadidiatou Bangoura (Aunties/Ethereal ones), Okpokwasili (Aunty/Mother), and Breyanna Maples (Sister), are on the floor, perched on their elbows, chests lifted, heads dropped back and feet flexed, under a chandelier of desk lamps and a gigantic piece of plastic blowing over them.  In yet another tale, the black comedian Whoopi Goldberg might have called this her “long luxurious blonde hair.”   

The name Adaku, in the Igbo language spoken in Okpokwasili’s native Nigeria, means “one who brings wealth to the family.” So it follows that the text is built on empowerment, counter to those about the difficulty in combing “the kitchen,” (hair at the nape of one’s neck) aka “naps,” and more.  The text came so fast it’s hard to keep up, but here are a few: “my daughter’s hair was very strong…it would even carry a goat,” or “I want my hair to fight,” Okpokwasili would say.  The text, the space, the props (a hot comb, wigs hanging on the branch on a “tree”), or the promise of freedom in the large white screen, kept things real.  The slow and deliberate walks, crawling on all fours, supported pairing when their heads fall back from the release of their arched backs, or the convulsing spin when Adaku refuses to be one with the unnatural wig, makes Okpokwasili and Born’s dance drama physically, visually and spiritually satisfying.  “Nappy” black hair, the protagonist, conjured up ways to empower each character in our imagination.  We can leave with this, from Adaku and the cast:  “I’m gonna grow my hair…gonna open all the doors in my hair…don’t try to make me brush my hair…It is time to put aside the lying we been doing…”
 
Adaku’s Revolt was presented as part of the French Institute Alliance Française’s (FIAF) TILT Kids Festival.