Bill T. Jones & Arthur Aviles "Dman in the Waters" 1989 - Photo by Lois Greenfield
“At 50," Arthur Aviles says, "It’s my birthday and I’ll dance if I want to!”
For two weeks, The Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company (BTJ/AZ) returns to The Joyce Theater and past company member, Arthur Aviles who danced with the company for eight years (1987-1995) marks this milestone birthday with a bold return to perform in D-Man in the Waters a signature work which was developed around Aviles’experience in swimming and gymnastics when he was just 25 years-old.
“I danced it for 8 years…so at 50 it makes complete sense for me to take on that challenge one last time to remind myself of the adversity that still exists,” says Aviles. About this momentous engagement, Bill T. Jones said, "With each passing year I experience awe at the reality that this great adventure that Arnie Zane and I embarked on in 1982 when we founded the company has continued. In that category Arthur Aviles performs with BTJ/AZ at The Joyce of wonder is the longevity of D-Man in the Waters and that Arthur Aviles, one of the greatest dancers our company has ever produced, is willing and able to come back and perform the part that he created almost 25 years ago."
The journey to ready himself for this rebirth has included yoga and Zumba classes, and running his sections every chance he gets. Before his first rehearsal, Aviles prayed, “I hope I survive it!” His preparations are going well; he’s excited about returning to the work, but remembers the challenges. “When I left the company the role had to be augmented,” he said. “Important sections needed to be left out because it was too physically crazy to do… [so]…I commend anyone for taking on the role of a person who did not have his initial training in dance but in gymnastics, wrestling, swimming and diving… the role is that particular.” In the same vein, Aviles commends Jones on his expertise in honing the individual dancer for particular roles. Now after 14 days into rehearsals, he says “Visiting the piece was fascinating! It was like time travel…visiting an architectural ruin (nothing ruined about Bill's classic. It stands strong…[but]…at this point this dance is kicking this 50 year-olds ass…I thought I wasn't going to make it.” Aviles’ actual birthday is May 27th, but he performs D-Man in the Waterson Saturday, March 30 at 2pm and Friday, April 5 at 8pm. The program includes the group work Continuous Replay in which he will also perform.
For two weeks, The Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company (BTJ/AZ) returns to The Joyce Theater and past company member, Arthur Aviles who danced with the company for eight years (1987-1995) marks this milestone birthday with a bold return to perform in D-Man in the Waters a signature work which was developed around Aviles’experience in swimming and gymnastics when he was just 25 years-old.
“I danced it for 8 years…so at 50 it makes complete sense for me to take on that challenge one last time to remind myself of the adversity that still exists,” says Aviles. About this momentous engagement, Bill T. Jones said, "With each passing year I experience awe at the reality that this great adventure that Arnie Zane and I embarked on in 1982 when we founded the company has continued. In that category Arthur Aviles performs with BTJ/AZ at The Joyce of wonder is the longevity of D-Man in the Waters and that Arthur Aviles, one of the greatest dancers our company has ever produced, is willing and able to come back and perform the part that he created almost 25 years ago."
The journey to ready himself for this rebirth has included yoga and Zumba classes, and running his sections every chance he gets. Before his first rehearsal, Aviles prayed, “I hope I survive it!” His preparations are going well; he’s excited about returning to the work, but remembers the challenges. “When I left the company the role had to be augmented,” he said. “Important sections needed to be left out because it was too physically crazy to do… [so]…I commend anyone for taking on the role of a person who did not have his initial training in dance but in gymnastics, wrestling, swimming and diving… the role is that particular.” In the same vein, Aviles commends Jones on his expertise in honing the individual dancer for particular roles. Now after 14 days into rehearsals, he says “Visiting the piece was fascinating! It was like time travel…visiting an architectural ruin (nothing ruined about Bill's classic. It stands strong…[but]…at this point this dance is kicking this 50 year-olds ass…I thought I wasn't going to make it.” Aviles’ actual birthday is May 27th, but he performs D-Man in the Waterson Saturday, March 30 at 2pm and Friday, April 5 at 8pm. The program includes the group work Continuous Replay in which he will also perform.
Aviles, a co-founder of BAAD! The Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance, begun in 1989 with Charles Rice-Gonzalez in the Bronx, is a recipient of a New York Dance and Performance Bessie Award, a BRIO Award from the Bronx Council on the Arts, a New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship and The Mayor’s Award for Arts and
Culture. González, and created a home for contemporary dance in the Bronx. In 2002, in an effort to create community for dance in the Bronx, he began the Bronx Dance Coalition which produces the Bronx Dance
Magazine. Both seriously and laughingly, Aviles offers, “After this I will never do this dance ever again and will be happy that I have re-visited it in order to see what I truly did, and to see if I can come to a place where I feel proud of myself…”
The BTJ/AZ two-week season includes two programs titled Play and Play: an evening of movement and music during their 30th anniversary, March 26 –April 7. Joining the Company on both programs will be the Orion String Quartet. Program A includes repertory works: D-Man in the Waters (1989, revised 1998), Continuous
Replay (1977, revised 1991) and Spent Days Out Yonder (2000). On Program B is the New York premiere of Ravel: Landscape or Portrait (2012), and the world premiere of Story. In Ravel… Jones responds to Maurice Ravel’s String Quartet in F Major, “…reflecting the wistful and melancholic sentiment of the score as well as its precision and restraint. Similar to the music’s complicated internal logic, one of two choreographic variations for the third movement (either landscape or portrait) is selected by chance procedure before each performance.” Jones reaches to the success of Story/Time(2012) in creating Story, described as an “…energetic new work”
danced to Franz Schubert’s String Quartet No. 14 in D Minor (Death and the Maiden).” For more information visit www.joyce.org.
Culture. González, and created a home for contemporary dance in the Bronx. In 2002, in an effort to create community for dance in the Bronx, he began the Bronx Dance Coalition which produces the Bronx Dance
Magazine. Both seriously and laughingly, Aviles offers, “After this I will never do this dance ever again and will be happy that I have re-visited it in order to see what I truly did, and to see if I can come to a place where I feel proud of myself…”
The BTJ/AZ two-week season includes two programs titled Play and Play: an evening of movement and music during their 30th anniversary, March 26 –April 7. Joining the Company on both programs will be the Orion String Quartet. Program A includes repertory works: D-Man in the Waters (1989, revised 1998), Continuous
Replay (1977, revised 1991) and Spent Days Out Yonder (2000). On Program B is the New York premiere of Ravel: Landscape or Portrait (2012), and the world premiere of Story. In Ravel… Jones responds to Maurice Ravel’s String Quartet in F Major, “…reflecting the wistful and melancholic sentiment of the score as well as its precision and restraint. Similar to the music’s complicated internal logic, one of two choreographic variations for the third movement (either landscape or portrait) is selected by chance procedure before each performance.” Jones reaches to the success of Story/Time(2012) in creating Story, described as an “…energetic new work”
danced to Franz Schubert’s String Quartet No. 14 in D Minor (Death and the Maiden).” For more information visit www.joyce.org.
RSS Feed