http://philadelphiadance.org/blog Making dance and dance writing in Philadelphia more accessible to everyone Wed, 22 May 2013 15:59:20 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://philadelphiadance.org/blog/2013/01/28/roger-lee-dance-take-2-premieres-at-the-performance-garage-in-march/ http://philadelphiadance.org/blog/2013/01/28/roger-lee-dance-take-2-premieres-at-the-performance-garage-in-march/#comments Mon, 28 Jan 2013 19:26:33 +0000 Steven Weisz http://philadelphiadance.org/blog/?p=9597
Roger Lee Dance’s spring concert “Take 2” runs March 8th through 10th with three performances at The Performance Garage in Philadelphia, PA. The performances combine contemporary jazz dance with soul music to create a memorable, uplifting, and entertaining experience for audiences of all ages. Roger Lee Dance premieres four new dance works by founder, artistic [...]]]>
Roger Lee Dance’s spring concert “Take 2” runs March 8th through 10^th with three performances at The Performance Garage in Philadelphia, PA. The performances combine contemporary jazz dance with soul music to create a memorable, uplifting, and entertaining experience for audiences of all ages. Roger Lee Dance premieres four new dance works by founder, artistic director, and choreographer Roger Lee. The concert opens with Take 2, an energetic piece featuring original music from resident beat maker Danny Horowitz. This is followed by Dear Chris, an emotional tribute for Roger Lee Dance’s late dancer and videographer Chris J. Brewer. The piece features original dance phrases, poetry, spoken word, and live singing by the full cast. After a 10-minute intermission complete with concessions and show souvenirs, the night will continue with Heartstrings. The three-section piece explores the joy and excitement of new love, the frustration and boredom of love gone sour, and the major effort it takes to have a chance at romantic restoration. The concert ends with Snapshots, a black history month tribute commissioned by Ursinus College’s Office of Multicultural Services. This piece explores two snapshots within black history: segregation and the Civil Rights Movement. Roger Lee Dance is the dream of Roger Lee, a Philadelphia-based dance artist and entrepreneur. In addition to producing concert series and choreography showcases, Lee provides clients with a variety of dance instruction, choreography, entertainment, and design services. He also serves as the Assistant Director and Hip-Hop & Jazz Dance Faculty at the new Performance Art Center for Kids on Fabric Row in Queen Village. Lee teaches adult hip-hop dance classes around the city and writes articles for The Dance Journal,  Dance Advantage, Dance Magazine and other dance related publications. He holds a Master’s Degree in Arts Administration, Magna Cum Laude, from Drexel University and a Bachelor’s Degree in Dance and Media & Communication Studies, Magna Cum Laude with Honors, from Ursinus College. He is also a dance and art alum of Philadelphia High School for the Creative and Performing Arts and Pennsylvania Governor’s School for the Arts. Joining Lee on stage is a talented cast of young professional dancers including Chrysta Norelle Brown, Katie Greco, Michael Nguyen, Royale Randolph, and Daron Stivender and vocalists Sasha Carvalho and Davis Jameson Howley. Roger Lee Dance Take 2 Date: March 8, 9, and 10 Time: March 8 and 9 at 8 pm, March 10 at 2 pm Location: The Performance Garage, 1515 Brandywine Street, Philadelphia, PA 19130 Tickets Info: $15 on DanceBoxOffice.com]]> http://philadelphiadance.org/blog/2013/01/28/roger-lee-dance-take-2-premieres-at-the-performance-garage-in-march/feed/ 1 http://philadelphiadance.org/blog/2011/06/23/a-philly-fringe-sneak-preview-of-one-word/ http://philadelphiadance.org/blog/2011/06/23/a-philly-fringe-sneak-preview-of-one-word/#comments Thu, 23 Jun 2011 23:19:20 +0000 Steven Weisz http://philadelphiadance.org/blog/?p=4552
MM2 Modern Dance Company brings to the stage, a Philly Fringe, sneak preview of ONE WORD on Saturday, July 16, 2011, with one show only at 8:00pm at The Performance Garage, 1515 Brandywine Street, Philadelphia. In creating this new work, each of the eight company members has choreographed pieces based on a single word. Artistic [...]]]>
MM2 Modern Dance Company brings to the stage, a Philly Fringe, sneak preview of ONE WORD on Saturday, July 16, 2011, with one show only at 8:00pm at The Performance Garage, 1515 Brandywine Street, Philadelphia. In creating this new work, each of the eight company members has choreographed pieces based on a single word. Artistic Director, Steven Weisz goes on to explain, “From the very beginning, when the first words were uttered, the ability to communicate has played a critical role in our world. Whether within our own thoughts, spoken or written, words have the power to transform the world we live in. Love, laughter, heroism, friendship, and virtually every emotion we feel as human beings can be inspired by words. “ Dancer and choreographer, Jessica Bryan adds “each member of the company, having selected their word is then set with the task of translating it in to movement. The word not only provides a framework for the choreographer but for the audience as well.” Company member, Kaylee Goodwin elaborates, “For each of us, the word we have chosen has personal significance and meaning in our own lives. In essence, we are sharing our own stories with the audience. It is difficult to do, but putting yourself out there makes for a stronger connection that we all share.” MM2 dancers, comprised mostly of dance majors and recent college graduates, are encouraged and given the opportunity to explore the choreographic process. By offering a sneak preview of both finished pieces and works in progress, the dancers/choreographers of MM2 get the opportunity to expose new pieces to an audience for the first time and to receive feedback in post-performance discussions from the audience to take with them as they continue on in their creative process. The final production of One Word will be presented in September at the Philadelphia Live Arts Festival and Philly Fringe. This seasons dancers/choreographers are: Jessica Bryan, Katleyn Capato, Jenna Faye Eugenides, Heather Fleischman, Kaylee Goodwin, Shara Harad, Stephanie King and Brianne Scott with a Special Guest appearance by Michael Nguyen. Original music composed and performed by Daniel Ison. ONE WORD MM2 Modern Dance Company Saturday, July 16, 2011 8:00 pm – one show only The Performance Garage, 1515 Brandywine Street, Philadelphia Tickets $12 General Admission $10 Advance purchase on DanceBoxOffice.com $6 limited discount offer on PhillyDanceDeals.com  ]]> http://philadelphiadance.org/blog/2011/06/23/a-philly-fringe-sneak-preview-of-one-word/feed/ 0 http://philadelphiadance.org/blog/2009/11/18/e-pluribus-unum-or-out-of-many-one-with-west-chester-university-dance-company/ http://philadelphiadance.org/blog/2009/11/18/e-pluribus-unum-or-out-of-many-one-with-west-chester-university-dance-company/#comments Thu, 19 Nov 2009 02:54:14 +0000 http://philadelphiadance.org/blog/?p=1954
West Chester University Dance Company, in cooperation with The College of Visual and Performing Arts, is proud to present E Pluribus Unum. The concert includes faculty works by Gretchen Studlien-Webb, Liz Staruch, Jerzy Golek and guest artists’ works by Philadelphia’s own Megan Mazarick and Reactionaries, and WCU alum Donald C. Shorter, Jr. Four select student [...]]]>
West Chester University Dance Company, in cooperation with The College of Visual and Performing Arts, is proud to present E Pluribus Unum. The concert includes faculty works by Gretchen Studlien-Webb, Liz Staruch, Jerzy Golek and guest artists’ works by Philadelphia's own Megan Mazarick and Reactionaries, and WCU alum Donald C. Shorter, Jr. Four select student choreographers will also showcase recent work. Studlien-Webb, the director of the West Chester University Dance Company, will present two works. Dreams of the Insomniac is a new work in six episodes. Accompanied by musical selections from The Green Mile soundtrack, the structure of the work is much like the disjointed nature of the psyche. Spotlight Envy is a reconstruction of a work originally premiered in 2002. This light hearted, playful dance, set to Mozart’s Symphony 29 in A, centers around diva dancers trying to upstage one another. West Chester faculty member Liz Staruch will present Implicit Faith, an intimate duet set to the music of Frederic Chopin. The work explores the relationship of two bodies in physical and metaphysical contact through space. This duet originally premiered in 1999 and is reconstructed on two WCU student dancers. Jerzy Golek, an adjunct dance professor at WCU, is translating two contrasting movements of Bach's Violin Concerto, A and E minor, Adagio and Allegro for his group ballet work. The observation that external form is privileged in baroque at the expense of content is challenged by translating the musical content into ballet movement. Ballet movement, which shares some of the formal precision of baroque musical composition, can still evoke powerful human emotions. Golek danced for the Ballet Company of Lodz, and the Mazowsze National Dance Company of Poland. Crop Circles is a dance theatre work presented by Philadelphia-based choreographer/performer Megan Mazarick. Using a sound score of computerized voices, noise texture, and selected soundtracks, the work takes a humorous approach to alien abduction in a stereotypical small town. Mazarick pulled from Greek chorus structure, animalistic movement, and text written by the student dancers to create this layered dance comedy skit. Reactionaries strive to create site specific, visually motivated, movement work. Past works have been presented by the Philadelphia Fringe Festival, Wilma Theater's DanceBOOM!, and the Philadelphia Live Arts Festival. With No Return Movement, Reactionaries explore formal curtain calls, court yards, art galleries and falling snow. WCU alumnus Donald C. Shorter Jr. will premiere Pier 45, a work that examines the feelings of a person being rejected from society. Music for the dance comes from the opera Peter Grimes. Shorter has danced with the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane company in New York City, recently toured in the cast of Hairspray, and will be next seen this coming year as Richie Walters on the national tour of A Chorus Line. The four student pieces by Ashley Harris, Anna Karas, Michael Nguyen, and Lauren Quattrone set on fellow WCU dance students were selected through an audition process. West Chester University Dance Company E Pluribus Unum Performance dates: Friday, December 11th, 8pm Saturday, December 12th, 2pm & 8pm Location: Madeleine Wing Adler Theatre Swope Music Building and The Performing Arts Center 817 South High Street, West Chester, PA Reservations: Department of Theatre & Dance Box Office (610) 436-2533 Tickets: $15 Gen Adm, $12 Std w/ID & Srs West Chester University Dance Company (UDC) is the unified student concert dance organization on campus. The focus of UDC is to promote dance as an art form at West Chester University and to provide students the opportunity to create and explore their expressive voice within this art form. UDC is funded in part by S.S.I. Organization, Inc.]]> http://philadelphiadance.org/blog/2009/11/18/e-pluribus-unum-or-out-of-many-one-with-west-chester-university-dance-company/feed/ 0