By Ellen Gerdes for The Dance Journal

Philadelphia’s Kun-Yang Lin has traveled across geographic and cultural boundaries as an artist.  Taiwan-born, he first toured Europe working with post-modernist choreographers before moving to the United States in pursuit of the diverse, American modern dance opportunities offered by New York City.  He later founded Kun-Yang Lin/Dancers with the mission to draw, “upon an Asian American cultural perspective…[to] transcend cultural boundaries and speak to the universality of the human experience.” Since leaving Taiwan eighteen years ago, he has felt a strong emotional connection to Taiwan as home and a curiosity about the artistic developments that have occurred during the years of his absence.  In response, this past summer, through a Dance Advance grant, he invited Hsu-Hui Huang of Cloudgate Dance Theater to teach tai-chi, dance, and calligraphy in master classes for the Philadelphia community and for the company dancers. The company is currently preparing for its upcoming concert, “Autumn Skin: Journeys of East/West,” to be performed at the Painted Bride Art Center.

The first piece on the program, Traces of Brush, explores the relationship between calligraphy and dance.  In the Chinese philosophical tradition, the art of calligraphy is understood as a kinesthetic experience and the brushstrokes as tracings of the artists’ internal energy.[i] In Lin’s piece, the dancers paint through the air with pointed fingers, outstretched arms, and high leg extensions.  As a group, they swirl and blend.  They do not read as people, but rather as abstract forms; they expand like drops of ink, punctuated by breath and spoken word.  Lin says to his dancers, “You are the space.  You create the space.  Your body is on a journey.”  In fact, the teachings of Hsu-Hui Huang on energetic awareness remain present in the dancers.  In several instances, their fluid movement demonstrates that the destination of the body is not nearly as important as the journey.  Lin stresses to the dancers that they must tap into a sense of observation, listening to the breath and weight of their bodies, always aware of their internal energy.

In Autumn Skin, a world premiere, the dancers read as people in tenuous and loving relationships instead of abstract forms as in Traces of Brush.  Several sections resemble recognizable scenes of urban life: walking patterns, stares, and confrontation. The dancers, at times, tremble or gesture with searching hands.  Duets express tension in space, body, and contact; one poignant duet in particular, performed by Scott McPheeters and Jennifer Rose, translates into aggression, yet tenderness, as they grasp for each other and push each other away in an exciting sequence of interesting spatial design and weight-sharing.  In general, the movement is skillful and percussive with intricate rhythms motivated by audible breath. Lin informs his dancers that, although this piece takes into account personality and human individuality, it also requires awareness.  The physical impact of their movements reflects the company’s emphasis on movement originating inward before bursting outwards, a principle derived from its intense physical training in embodied contemplative practices.

Critics often cite the “Eastern” aspects of choreography without acknowledging the implications of their comments.  As an example, Li Chiao-Ping notes that the label of “Asian-American choreographer” can beget desired performance and funding opportunities but also serve to confine the artist and perpetuate stereotypes.  She writes, “On the one hand, I would like to reap the benefits of diversity politics.  On the other, I feel suppressed by them.”[ii] Shen Wei, particularly well known for his choreographed segment of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Opening Ceremonies resists the label of “Eastern.”  He says, “My work isn’t about…being Western or Eastern.  I’m exploring the unknown.  I’m looking for a new way to communicate.”[iii] Nevertheless, both of these Chinese-American choreographers develop Chinese themes and art into their choreographic work.

Similarly, Lin still feels influenced by his upbringing in Chinese martial arts and calligraphy but considers Autumn Skin as Eastern and as Western as Traces of Brush.  The placement of the pieces together in one program challenges the audience’s notion of these divisions, presenting a “false dichotomy” in the words of Executive Director Ken Metzner.  Lin himself performs a compelling solo with a black Chinese dance fan in one scene of Traces of Brush. As an innovation of fan dance, he holds the fan in his teeth as the fabric of the fan spills out like the hairs on a paintbrush.  In another moment, he holds the fan in his hand and writes his name in both English and Chinese characters in the air.

[i]Roger T. Ames, “The Meaning of Body in Classical Chinese Philosophy,”; John Hay, “The Body Invisible in Chinese Art?” in Body, Subject, and Power in China, ed. Angela Zito and Tani Barlow (Chicago: University of Chicago, 1994), 66; John Hay, “The Human Body as a Microcosmic Source of Macrocosmic Values in Calligraphy,” in Self as Body in Asian Theory and Practice, ed. Thomas P. Kasulis (Albany: State University of New York, 1993), 183; Wu Kuang-Ming, “Chinese Aesthetics,” in Understanding the Chinese Mind: The Philosophical Roots. ed. Robert E. Allinson (New York: Oxford University Press, 1989), 237.

[ii] Chiao-Ping Li, “Chop Suey Dances,” from Conference Proceedings, Congress on Research in Dance.  (2001): 91-94.

[iii] Valerie Gladstone. “Dance; Playing a Serious Game of Twister.” The New York Times. 20 July 2003: Arts.

Ellen Gerdes
Ellen Gerdes earned a B.A. in dance from Wesleyan University and an Ed.M. in dance from Temple University.  Her choreographic/written scholarship is heavily influenced by her time spent living in China and traveling in Taiwan, where she researched dance.  In 2007, the Association for Asian Performance awarded her the Emerging Scholars Award for her research on Chinese Yangge dance.  She is published by the Asian Theatre Journal, Journal of Dance Education and Cultural Studies: Critical Methodologies.  Ellen currently teaches as Adjunct Faculty at Temple University and for Dancing Classrooms Philadelphia, and dances with the Leah Stein Dance Company.

Hip-hop dance phenomenon The Groovaloos, best known for the breakout winning performance on “Superstars of Dance” and appearances on “So You Think You Can Dance,” will bring the electric dance show GROOVALOO to the Merriam Theater at 250 South Broad St. in Philadelphia from Tuesday, March 9 through Sunday, March 14. Performances are Tuesday through Thursday evenings at 7:30 p.m.; Friday and Saturday evenings at 8 p.m.; Sunday evening at 6:30 p.m.; and matinees Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m. Tickets range from $25 to $59.50 and can be purchased by calling (215) 731-3333 or visiting www.kimmelcenter.org.

Based on the award-winning troupe’s true-to-life experiences as told by the dancers who lived them, GROOVALOO is driven by jaw-dropping displays of physicality, a vibrant musical score and powerful spoken word poetry. The show’s intertwined stories chronicle the struggles, hopes and triumphs of the 14-member cast. GROOVALOO celebrates passion and purpose while revealing the heart, soul and artistry of hip-hop and freestyle dance.

It all began with an instructional hip-hop DVD series featuring the Los Angeles-based dance troupe, the Groovaloos. At the end of the videos, the dancers revealed intimate details about themselves. These interviews intrigued show’s director and co-creator Danny Cistone. He knew these special moments captured on tape could make for an interesting theatrical experience.

The Groovaloos were created by Bradley Rapier in 1999 and the crew has been dancing professionally for years. Members of The Groovaloos have been featured prominently in a multitude of mass entertainment arenas. Music superstars Madonna, Justin Timberlake, Miley Cyrus, Will Smith and Gwen Stefani have been inspired by the unique talent of these performers and featured their performances in recent concerts and projects. Additionally, Groovaloos dancers have had substantial exposure in feature films (Step Up, Charlie’s Angels, Idlewild) and in national advertising campaigns (iPod, GAP, Skechers, McDonald’s).

The show coming to the Meriam features a 14-member cast. The dancers display their talents to a score of remixed hip-hop music and spoken word poetry. The inspirational stories of these dancers show audiences how to face adversity head on. One  story focuses on Steven “Boogie Man” Stanton, a Groovaloo crew member who was shot in the lower spine outside a nightclub in Vancouver.  Groovaloo mixes these stories with choreographed routines as well as freestyling for a truly unforgettable experience.

By Ellen Dunkel | For The Inquirer

Pennsylvania Ballet brings back Matthew Neenan’s “Carmina Burana” and shows off new dancers, new energy.

Pennsylvania Ballet premiered Matthew Neenan’s Carmina Burana at the Academy of Music in March 2007 to great fanfare, then took it to New York’s City Center, then packed it away.

It hadn’t been seen since until Thursday night, when the company brought it back to the Academy on a program with Balanchine’s The Four Temperaments.

Carmina is a rich piece with a large cast, many (quirky) costume changes, and Carl Orff’s rowdy “secular cantata” performed by the Orchestra of the Pennsylvania Ballet and the Philadelphia Singers Chorale.

After three years, how did it look?

It is still a powerful, nonstop, all-out work, with a light story line based on Carmina’s libretto of lascivious medieval poems (translations are available in the lobby), and Neenan’s signature wit. If you’ve seen the ballet there’s no surprise left in a few of the clever movements, yet it’s still fun to hear other audience members gasp with delight.

READ FULL ARTICLE…

The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage, through Dance Advance, announced $920,000 in grants to 16 artists, companies, and presenting organizations for the 2010–2011 performing season. Four grants out of 16 went to first-time grantees.

Projects funded by Dance Advance include local premieres of works by some of the world’s leading choreographers, including Roland Petit, Sophiline Cheam Shapiro, and Lucinda Childs. The Pennsylvania Ballet will restage Petit’s Carmen, a powerful adaptation of Bizet’s popular opera that packs all the emotional intensity of the theatrical performance into a one-act duet between its two principal characters. Bryn Mawr College will present a new work by 2009 National Heritage Fellow Sophiline Cheam Shapiro, one of the first graduates of Phnom Penh’s Royal University of Fine Arts following the Cambodian genocide and a leader in the preservation of endangered Cambodian dance traditions. The 2010 Live Arts Festival’s centerpiece presentation of Lucinda Childs’s 1979 Dance, a collaboration between Childs, visual artist Sol LeWitt and composer Philip Glass, will introduce local audiences to what is considered a masterwork of its era and which has had a profound influence on the subsequent generation of choreographers.

According to Bill Bissell, Director of Dance Advance, “Philadelphia’s reputation as a dynamic environment for making and seeing dance keeps expanding. Many of these projects include master artists who are leaders in the field and familiar to audiences elsewhere, yet new to local viewers. Each one of these projects reminds us of the important lineages that connect dance across generations of artistic practice, culture, and geography. To have them here as part of a season of dance in Philadelphia is a treasure for audiences; and they will significantly impact the breadth of programming next year at regional venues.”

The program’s panel of specialists in the field of dance reviewed a total of 61 applications. This year’s Dance Advance awards support both the creation and presentation of new works. Projects range from individual choreographer Meredith Rainey’s collaboration with New York musician/composer Todd Reynolds, who has written scores for pioneering performing artists Shen Wei and Meredith Monk, to the restaging of ethnic folk dances by Voloshky Ukrainian Dance’s Ensemble.

“We are proud to support this year’s grantees. The depth and diversity of these programs will result in many exciting choices for audiences of our region,” said Greg Rowe, Director of Culture Initiatives at The Pew Charitable Trusts.

Proposals are evaluated by the Peer-Review Panel according to criteria of artistic excellence, project excellence, and project impact. Grants are awarded in all genres of dance without regard to an applicant’s financial need or prior funding history; and applicants must reside in the five-county region of Southeastern Pennsylvania.

Since its inception in 1993, Dance Advance and its precursor, the Philadelphia Repertory Dance Initiative, have funded a total of 370 dance-specific projects. These awards represent a value of over $9.5 million invested in the region’s dance communities.

GRANTS AWARDED

Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts
Basil Twist’s Petrushka
$92,000

Bowerbird
American premiere of More Movements for Lachenmann
$80,500

Bryn Mawr College
The Lives of Giants by the Khmer Arts Ensemble
$64,400

Eleone Dance Company
Acquisition of choreography by Dianne McIntyre
$92,000

Germaine Ingram
Parallel Destinies
$20,000

Kun-Yang Lin/Dancers
Company training project
$48,000

Amanda Miller
Choreographic research with Sophiline Cheam Shapiro
$8,000

Nichole Canuso Dance Company
TAKES
$58,000

Painted Bride Art Center
Presentation of Fly: Five First Ladies of Dance
$70,000

Pennsylvania Ballet
Acquisition of Roland Petit’s Carmen
$95,000

Philadelphia Live Arts and Philly Fringe
Presentation of Lucinda Childs’ Dance
$150,000

Jumatatu Poe
Flatland 2010
$20,000

Raices Culturales Latinoamericanas
Latin Roots & Rhythms Festival May 2011
$40,000

Meredith Rainey
New work with collaborators Todd Reynolds and Luke Dubois
$20,000

Susan Hess Modern Dance
2010-2011 Choreographers Project and Master’s Exchange
$30,000

Voloshky Ukrainian Dance Ensemble
Restaging dances for tour
$75,000

By Merilyn Jackson | For The Inquirer

This year’s installment of Philadelphia Dance Projects Presents opened Friday night with part one of the Local Dance History Project/Next Up series, tracking the city’s dance past into the future – what was, who was, what will be, and who will be dancing it.

In a preshow video at the Performance Garage, Philadelphia Dance Projects executive director Terry Fox said, “It’s important that dancers be remembered as part of the landscape of this city,” and what followed painted small pictures of that landscape.

The video featured some of the major figures in the layer of contemporary dance that began in Philadelphia in the late 1970s – Fox, Ishmael Houston-Jones, Jano Cohen, Michael Biello, and his partner in performance-art musicals, Dan Martin. All are having reconstructed works performed by today’s younger crop of dancers in the course of the Local History Project’s two weekend programs. READ FULL STORY…

SRUTI, The India Music and Dance Society is presenting an Indian classical dance performance in the Odissi style by the Nrityagram Ensemble from India in collaboration with Montgomery County Community College, Blue Bell, PA.

The event will take place on Saturday March 27, 2010 at 8:00 pm at the Montgomery County Community College Science Center Theater, Blue Bell, PA. Tickets are $20, $25 and $35 with a $5 discount for seniors and students. All seats are reserved and tickets can be bought online at http://sruti.tix.com.

The internationally acclaimed Nrityagram Dance Ensemble from Southern India will present Pratima: Reflection. This is an evening-length work choreographed in the classical lyrical dance style of Odissi by Surupa Sen, the Artistic Director of Nrityagram Dance Village.

Odissi is characterized by fluidity of the upper torso and grace in gestures and wristwork juxtaposed with firm footwork. In addition to the “plie” position that is commonly observed in a number of the dance forms of India, Odissi incorporates the “tribhangi” wherein three deflections of the body are used at the neck, the upper torso and the hip. This characteristic formation of the body lends a particular grace to the performance of the dance form. In addition, Odissi has the distinction of preserving the elevations and jumps (utplavanas) described in the Natya Sastra, the ancient Indian treatise on Dramaturgy. Odissi dance evokes the imagery of sensuousness and lyricism. With movements that reflect the motifs of Orissa temple sculpture, it captures drum rhythms, melodies, as well as the poetic meaning of songs taken from the vast canon of Oriya music. It speaks of love and union, between human and divine, transporting viewers to enchanted worlds.

At Nrityagram dance village (www.Nrityagram.org), dance is a way of life. The founder, Protima Gauri – an exquisite Odissi dancer herself – converted ten acres of farmland into an ideal setting for the study, practice and teaching of classical dance. Reminiscent of ancient ashrams where gurus imparted not only technique but also a philosophy of being, it is a creative space where dancers, musicians and choreographers live together, sharing their skills and developing their art. The dancers study yoga, meditation, the martial arts as well as Sanskrit, mythology, literature. As knowledge passes from guru to disciple, the continuity of the classical arts is ensured.

The Nrityagram Dance Ensemble is regarded as one of the foremost dance companies of India. Since 1996, the year of their life-changing New York debut, they have toured the US annually. They have performed at sold-out shows from New York to Hawaii and Bozeman, MT to Key West, FL. In ’03 and ’04, their soloists were invited to perform at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival (at Dance Base – National Center for Dance). In addition, the Ensemble has performed in Denmark, Holland, Portugal, the Middle-east, Singapore, Japan, etc.

Although steeped in and dedicated to ancient practice, Nrityagram dancers are also involved in carrying Indian dance into the twenty-first century. Thanks to grants from the National Dance Project of the New England Foundation for the Arts and most recently, the Joyce Theater, they not only develop new work, which explores creative ways to expand on tradition, but also are able to commission music from leading composers of Indian classical music, like Pandit Raghunath Panigrahi of Orissa, and the brothers Ganesh Kumaresh from south India.

The newest production, Pratima: Reflection has been commissioned by the Joyce Theater’s Stephen and Cathy Weinroth Fund for New Work. The world premiere of Pratima: Reflection was in February 2008 at the Joyce Theater, New York. Vibhakta from Pratima: Reflection, was listed in “The 10 best dance performances of 2008” by Joan Acocella, The New Yorker (12/9/2008)

Sruti, The India Music and Dance Society is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization based in the Philadelphia area and founded in 1986. Sruti’s principal mission is to promote and present Indian classical music and dance. In addition Sruti also seeks to educate the Philadelphia community at large about Indian arts. Sruti is a volunteer-run organization. Its leadership comprises of an elected Board of Directors and several committees. Sruti publishes an annual magazine Sruti Ranjani and a periodical, Sruti Notes. SRUTI is the only organization in the five county area dedicated to presenting Indian classical music and dance programs. The immigrants from the Indian subcontinent bring with them the rich cultural heritage of one of the oldest continuous civilizations. Indian classical music and dance are among the most advanced and sophisticated art forms in the world. By presenting these arts in a professional manner, SRUTI enhances the cultural awareness of the region and enriches the multi-cultural environment. SRUTI strongly supports the cultural education of the children. Since SRUTI was started in 1986, there have been a growing number of children, born in U.S.A., who have been training in Indian classical music and dance. During the past twenty-three years, SRUTI has grown from presenting three to four concerts a year to presenting eight to ten concerts a year. All this has been made possible with recognition and funding from many granting agencies and corporations. SRUTI has received generous grants from private foundations and public organizations including the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, the Philadelphia Foundation, Dance Advance, Philadelphia Music Project (funded by the Pew Charitable Trusts), the Stockton-Rush Bartol Foundation, Sam Fels Foundation and the Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News.

By Ellen Dunkel
For The Inquirer

A dancer’s body is his instrument. That’s especially true for the performers of New Zealand’s Black Grace, whose bodies double as percussion instruments.

The seven short pieces on the program, which opened Friday night at the Kimmel Center’s Perelman Theater, were all choreographed by the company’s founder and artistic director, Neil Ieremia. The pieces, which blended modern dance with the movement and concepts from Ieremia’s Samoan heritage, included slap dancing – speedy patterns of stamping feet, clapping hands, and slapping the arms, abdomen, and legs. The dancers also sang, chanted, and audibly sighed.
READ FULL STORY…

New Zealand’s leading contemporary dance company,  Black Grace  is returning to the United States by popular demand following their successful 2008 tour.

Black Grace  has held a unique position on the world stage for over 14 years. Fusing Pacific and contemporary dance in an extraordinary and dynamic form, Black Grace has become internationally renowned for its artistry, creative excellence and innovation, while also becoming the world’s leading exponent of Pacific contemporary dance.

Black Grace has toured extensively throughout New Zealand and internationally to audience and critical acclaim. In 2005, the Company celebrated its tenth anniversary and performed to sell-out seasons in Auckland, followed by an extensive tour of the US and Mexico. During this time, the Company performed a return season at the prestigious Jacobs Pillow Dance Festival, debuted on New York’s 42nd Street for a four-week season, and performed at Mexico’s renowned Cervantino Festival. Black Grace also performed at Tourism New Zealand’s ‘100% Pure’ event in Sydney, at the Aichi World Expo and for the New Zealand Embassy at the Tram Theatre in Tokyo.

Choreographer Neil Ieremia embues Black Grace with an explosive mix of rhythm, spirit and energy.  His work has received critical acclaim throughout the Company’s extensive international tours to North America, Canada, Japan, Australia, New Caledonia and Europe.

Delivering a three-part programme, Black Grace is bringing a selection of their best repertoire from it’s 15 year existence, including; Minoi, a signature work based on the fusion of Samoan and western contemporary dance styles; excerpts from Surface, a full-length piece based on traditional Samoan tattooing, and excerpts from Gathering Clouds, Ieremia’s latest full-length work.

Neil Ieremia
Black Grace founder and Artistic Director Neil Ieremia is in the vanguard of New Zealand’s most accomplished choreographers and, through his vision, imbues Black Grace with an explosive mix of rhythm, spirit and energy. In recognition of his considerable achievements, Neil was the recipient of the 2005 Arts Foundation of New Zealand Laureate Award for outstanding creative achievement and his contribution to the Arts in New Zealand.  In 2009 Neil accepted a Resolution passed by the Guam Legislator in recognition of the Company’s work in Guam.  Neil is a 2009 recipient of the Paul D. Fleck Fellowship in the Arts from The Banff Centre, Canada.

Kimmel Center presents
Black Grace
http://www.kimmelcenter.org/events/index.php?id=3355

Perelman Theater at the Kimmel Center, 260 South Broad Street, Philadelphia
Friday, February 26 at 7:30pm
Saturday, February 27 at 2:30pm
Saturday, February 27 at 7:30pm

Black Grace – Gathering Clouds Highlights

Emerging Choreographers Angela Sigley, Jessica C. Warchal-King, and Laura Zimmerman question the role (and lack) of morality and ethics in our society in a joint modern dance concert. Each performance will include all three dance works.

Angela Sigley presents The Rented World, an exploration of fear and morbid curiosity.  The movement is chilling and unsettling, but sparks of beauty flash out from beneath the harsh exterior of violence and death, images cultivated from horror films.  Convinced that morbid curiosity is an unexplainable and unavoidable aspect of human nature, Sigley is researching the societal fascination with violence and death as entertainment, highlighting the tendency to abuse or mistreat others within social relationships. She confronts the audience with an emotional and moral dilemma:  to experience concern for the violated, or to continue rubber-necking at the wreckage?  Bodies dangle, choke, collapse, and disintegrate as Sigley reveals the dark places within us all. Performed by five women with lighting design by Ashleigh Penrod, The Rented World broadcasts our attraction to the things that disturb us, the things we do not understand, and the things that scare us. Dancers: Sarah Masluk, Colleen McNally, Lyndi Shivak, Angela Sigley, Jessica Warchal-King.

microcosmic current, presented by Jessica C. Warchal-King, is a physical investigation of the felt experiences of emotional violence. Pounding chest. Butterflies. Shortness of breath. Fire in the stomach. What happens to the body when the mind experiences chaos? Is it possible to disintegrate the mind from the body or the experiences from the individual? Warchal-King delves into the realm of the individual’s isolation within a society obsessed with social connection.  In a shared environment, eight women linearly burst through the space. Their bodies intertwine and morph the proscenium. They circulate. Pulse. Whisper. Explode. Contract. Surge. Grounded in research of mind-body centering practices and philosophies, Warchal-King explores the sacredness of the human form and the power of embodied experiences to translate empathy and compassion where words alone fail. In microcosmic current, she is joined by musician/ composer Christopher Farrell, founder of the World/Jazz ensemble the RitMo Collective, and lighting designer Jimena Alviar. Dancers: Cassandra Cotta, Dominique Dalia, Sarah Masluk, Camille Moten, Caitlin Quinn, Megan Quinn, Angela Sigley, Jessica C. Warchal-King.

Disruption, discourtesy, distraction, dysfunction.  Dis/connect, by Laura Zimmerman, is a work that addresses the societal problems and dysfunctions resulting from our love affair with mobile technology and our increasingly “plugged-in” society. Dis/connect highlights and investigates issues of social courtesy, connection/disconnection to others and one’s environment, individual priorities, and public safety, while provoking personal introspection regarding the addictive behaviors that mobile technologies invoke.  Fluidity, curvature, and richness are juxtaposed by machine-like, angular, and automated movement. Seemingly inseparable physical bonds deteriorate into disrepair.  Round, living and breathing three-dimensional beings navigate a linear, physically constricted environment. Joining Zimmerman in this effort are graphical computer programmer Cicada Brokaw and electronic engineer Thomas Bethell.  Through the mediums of modern dance, theater, videography, sound design, and interactive technology, Zimmerman ventures to ask, “Are we really in control of this technology?”  Dancers: Alexis Aponte, Tiara Canizares, Cassandra Cotta, Briel Driscoll, Shailer Kern-Carruth, Camille Moten, Zoë Norris, Caitlin Quinn, Nikki Roberts, Jessica Stos, Tess Stumpf, Whitney Weinstein, and Laura Zimmerman.

MFA Thesis Concert

WHEN:  Friday, March 26^th at 7:30pm and Saturday, March 27^th at 2:30pm and 7:30pm

WHERE: Conwell Dance Theater, Temple University, (At the corner of N Broad and Montgomery), Philadelphia, PA

TICKETS: $20 general admission / $15 students and senior citizens / $10 for Dance Professionals / $5 for students with OWLcard. Tickets available at www.liacourascenter.com or 800.298.4200, or in person, Cash-only at the Liacouras Center Box Office, 1776 North Broad Street, Monday-Saturday, 10am-5pm.

Photo: Thomas Bethell; Pictured (from left): Angela Sigley, Jessica Warchal-King, and Laura Zimmerman

ARTISTS

Angela Sigley, choreographer and performer, is completing her Master’s degree in dance performance and choreography at Temple University.  A native of the Lehigh Valley, Angela received her Bachelor’s degree in dance and music from DeSales University and has taught throughout the area at local high schools and studios.  Angela’s choreography has been shown in the Philadelphia Fringe Festival with the Stray Cats and Wayward Bats, and she has performed for Chris Elam, Lisa Kraus, Seán Curran, and Dan Joyce, among others.   As an adjunct faculty member at Temple, she is able to continue her love of teaching while pursuing opportunities to choreograph and perform.

Jessica C. Warchal-King’s work and performance has been described as “clever, precisely choreographed” by Christopher Atamian of the Village Voice. Jessica has performed and presented choreography throughout the mid-Atlantic region. A magna cum laude graduate of Muhlenberg College, Jessica will receive her MFA in Dance at Temple University in May, 2010. Jessica is a member of the Nora Gibson Performance Project and an apprentice with Kun-Yang Lin/Dancers. She has also performed for nationally and regionally recognized independent choreographers including Lisa Kraus, Tiffany Mills, Deana DeHart, Pat Catterson, Danny Buraczewski, Jacques d’Amboise, and Nicholas Leichter. In addition to performance and choreography, Jessica is a dance advocate through education. She is the curator and co-founder of the InHale Performance Series at the Chi Movement Arts Center, home of Kun-Yang Lin/Dancers. InHale is a community initiative that presents the work of emerging and established artists in the greater Philadelphia area.

Laura Zimmerman is a multi-disciplinary modern dance choreographer, videographer, photographer, and sound designer currently working in Philadelphia, PA, and will complete her MFA in dance choreography and performance from Temple University this May.  Originally from Stevens Point, WI, Laura holds two Bachelor of Science degrees from the University of Wisconsin – Madison in dance and education.  Laura has choreographed over 15 stage works, which have been presented at the University of Wisconsin – Madison, the Overture Center for the Arts, Temple University, and the Philadelphia Fringe Festival as a member of the Stray Cats Dance Collective.  As a video dance artist Laura’s work has been presented at the Festival of Interarts and Technology, the Overture Center for the Arts, Temple University, the Philadelphia Dance Projects Motion Pictures Dance on Film Festival, Pregones Theater, and Crane Arts.  As a performer Laura has had the pleasure of working with Larry Keigwin, Marlene Skog, Merián Soto, Nina Watt, and Jin-Wen Yu.  Laura has served as an adjunct faculty member at Temple University and has taught ballet and modern technique within community settings.

By Ellen Dunkel For The Inquirer

Sometimes it’s not just what happens on stage that makes a performance, but the surrounding details as well.

When Brooklyn’s Urban Bush Women, with Germaine Acogny and Kaolack (Pape Ibrahima Ndiaya), danced a single performance at Goodhart Hall at Bryn Mawr College’s Saturday night, it was a meeting of cultures: African and modern dance set against the stone and chandeliers of a building that seemed plucked from historic England.

The result was a gorgeous if unexpected combination. READ FULL STORY…