2010 Fall for Dance Festival Comes To City Center, Runs 9/28-10/9
By: Gabrielle Sierra Jul. 26, 2010
New York City Center's seventh annual Fall for Dance Festival, running September 28 - October 9, will showcase 20 national and international companies and choreographers. With ticket prices remaining at $10 for all seats, a night of dance is more affordable than a night at the movies. The festival will include world and U.S. premieres, and will feature several companies making their first U.S. appearances. A wide range of dance styles and traditions, ranging from contemporary dance and classical ballet to Odissi, tap and hip hop, will be represented in five programs. (Each program will be repeated once.) Tickets will go on sale Sunday, September 12 at 11 a.m.
New York City Center gratefully acknowledges its new Leadership Sponsor, Bloomberg, and its new Principal Sponsor, MetLife Foundation. City Center is also delighted to announce the new support of Lead Presenting Partners Jody and John Arnhold, and Barbara and David Zalaznick.
The festival opens with Merce Cunningham Dance Company, making its first New York stop on its two-year Legacy Tour. The company will present the New York premiere of Cunningham's XOVER (2007), with music by John Cage and scenery by Robert Rauschenberg. Gallim Dance, making its festival debut, follows with Andrea Miller's I Can See Myself in Your Pupil (2008), adapted for the festival. Indian Odissi dancer and choreographer Madhavi Mudgal returns to the festival to perform the world premiere of her new work, Vistaar, with a commissioned score by her brother, renowned musician Madhup Mudgal. The evening concludes with the festival debut of Miami City Ballet performing Twyla Tharp's exhilarating The Golden Section (1983), featuring 13 dancers and music by David Byrne.Program Two: Thursday, September 30 and Friday, October 1
Company Rafaela Carrasco from Spain makes its festival debut with Carrasco's Three Movements (2008), adapted for Fall for Dance and performed to live music, followed by New York City Ballet performing Ulysses Dove's Red Angels (1994), a work for four dancers set to a score for electric violin by Richard Einhorn. Next up, Bill T. Jones / Arnie Zane Dance Company presents Jones' Duet (1995), an exploration of two people moving in perfect unison. The evening ends with the U.S. debut of Companhia Urbana de Dança of Brazil, presenting ID:ENTIDADES (2010), a blend of hip hop and contemporary dance choreographed by Sonia Destri. Program Three: Saturday, October 2 and Sunday, October 3 (matinee)
Shu-Yi & (Dancers) Company from Taiwan makes its U.S. debut with Shu-Yi Chou's [1875] Ravel and Bolero (2007). Shu-Yi was the winner of Sadler's Wells' 2009 Global Dance Contest, in which choreographers from all over the world submitted their entries via YouTube. San Francisco Ballet returns to the festival with a pas de deux from Yuri Possokhov's Diving into the Lilacs (2009), followed by the U.S. premiere of Emanuel Gat Dance's My Favorite Things (2007), a solo danced to music by John Coltrane. City Center resident company Paul Taylor Dance Company wraps up the program with Taylor's exuberant Company B (1991), set to popular tunes by The Andrews Sisters.Program Four: Wednesday, October 6 and Thursday, October 7
Kicking off week two is KEIGWIN + COMPANY with Juilliard Dance in Larry Keigwin's Megalopolis (2009), a hyper-kinetic work for 16 dancers performed to music by Steve Reich and M.I.A. Corella Ballet Castilla y León, which had its U.S. debut at City Center in March, makes its festival debut with María Pagés' Soleá (2010), a duet created especially for Ángel Corella and his sister, Carmen Corella. Russell Maliphant Company presents the U.S. premiere of Maliphant's AfterLight (Part 1) (2009), a solo work with music by Erik Satie that was nominated for the 2009 Olivier Award for Best New Dance Production. The evening ends with Peace of Mind: The Remix, a world premiere choreographed by tap master Jason Samuels Smith and hip-hop legend Mr. Wiggles, performed by Jason Samuels Smith & Friends. Program Five: Friday, October 8 and Saturday, October 9
The final program begins with Tero Saarinen Company, featuring Finnish dancer/choreographer Tero Saarinen in the U.S. premiere of Man in a Room (2000), a solo work created by Carolyn Carlson and inspired by the life of abstract expressionist painter Mark Rothko. Dresden Semperoper Ballett of Germany makes its festival debut with William Forsythe's The Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude (1996), followed by American Ballet Theatre with the Thaïs Pas de Deux by Sir Frederick Ashton (1971). The festival concludes with Ronald K. Brown / Evidence, A Dance Company performing Brown's signature work Grace (1999), a joyful ensemble piece with accents of hip hop and West African pop to a score by Duke Ellington.JEd Wheeler and Wendy Perron serve as artistic advisors to the festival.EDUCATION
The Fall for Dance Festival will present DanceTalk, a series of pre-performance discussions and demonstrations that explore aspects of the Fall for Dance programming. On October 1, City Center and the Barnard College Department of Dance will co-present Does Culture Influence Performance? with panelists Ronald K. Brown, Rafaela Carrasco, Sonia Destri and Shu-Yi Chou. On October 7, City Center and the Hunter College Department of Dance will co-present Movement and Image: How do Choreographers Use Visuals to Enhance Their Work? with panelists Nancy Dalva, Tero Saarinen, Janet Wong and others. Panels will take place in City Center's Studio 5 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Each event will be free and open to the public. Educational groups can make advanced reservations by contacting Chelsea Koenig in New York City Center's Education Department at ckoenig@nycitycenter.org or 212.763.1265.City Center is also proud to be working with the New York City Department of Education to present a Fall for Dance seminar for dance educators, Word and Movement: Creating Artistic Tension. Though not open to the public, dance teachers from public schools, private studios and other settings are welcome to register. Participants will take master classes focusing on two pieces of repertoire featured in the festival: Bill T. Jones' Duet and Andrea Miller's I Can See Myself in Your Pupil. City Center teaching artists will then facilitate a follow-up workshop centered on exploring dance techniques and applications to classroom practice. The seminar will take place in City Center's studios from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, September 11. FESTIVAL LOUNGE
For each Fall for Dance performance, the public atrium between 55th and 56th streets (immediately west of the theater's main entrance) is transformed into Lounge FFD, a vibrant gathering place for audience members and artists. Featuring music by a rotating roster of NYC DJs, Lounge FFD offers festival attendees, performers and neighborhood friends a place to relax and mingle, share a cocktail and have a snack before and after the show ? as well as during intermission ? while video monitors throughout the lounge follow the action onstage. Lounge FFD is open to the general public as well as to festival artists and attendees. No tickets are required and everyone is welcome.NEW YORK City Center (Arlene Shuler, President & CEO) has played a defining role in the cultural life of the city for more than 60 years. It was Manhattan's first performing arts center, dedicated by Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia in 1943, with a mission to make the best in music, theater and dance accessible to all audiences. Today, City Center is home to many distinguished companies, including: Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Paul Taylor Dance Company and Manhattan Theatre Club; a roster of renowned national and international visiting artists; and its own critically acclaimed and popular programs. The Tony-honored Encores! musical theater series has been hailed as "one of the very best reasons to be alive in New York." In 2007, Encores! Summer Stars was introduced with Gypsy, starring Patti LuPone, which transferred to Broadway and garnered three Tony awards for its lead actors. Dance has been integral to the theater's mission from the start, and dance programs, including the annual Fall for Dance Festival and a partnership with London's Sadler's Wells Theatre, remain central to City Center's identity. The 2010 Fall for Dance Festival runs Tuesday, September 28 through Saturday, October 9 at New York City Center (West 55th Street between 6th and 7th avenues). All performances are at 8 p.m., except for the Sunday, October 3 performance, which is a 3 p.m. matinee. All tickets are $10 and go on sale on Sunday, September 12 at 11 a.m. Tickets can be purchased online at www.NYCityCenter.org, by calling CityTix at 212.581.1212, or at the City Center Box Office.
SCHEDULE IN ORDER OF PERFORMANCE
PROGRAM ONETUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28 at 8 p.m.
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29 at 8 p.m.MERCE CUNNINGHAM DANCE COMPANY (live music)
XOVER (2007), a New York premiere, represents the final reunion of the company's original collaborators: Merce Cunningham, John Cage and Robert Rauschenberg. The work, performed here as part of the company's two-year Legacy Tour, consists of duets and quartets. Rauschenberg's painted and silk-screened backdrop lends bright color to the stage, offsetting the dancers' white leotards. Merce Cunningham Dance Company has had a profound impact on American art and the avant-garde since its founding in 1953. The company has forged a distinctive style, reflecting Cunningham's technique and illuminating the near limitless possibility for human movement. Following Cunningham's death in 2009, the Cunningham Dance Foundation launched a precedent-setting Legacy Plan to ensure the preservation of the choreographer's artistic legacy. The multifaceted plan includes the celebratory two-year Legacy Tour, which offers audiences a final opportunity to see the company Cunningham personally trained before it disbands at the end of 2011. www.merce.orgGALLIM DANCE (festival debut)
I Can See Myself in Your Pupil (2008), choreographed by Andrea Miller and adapted for Fall for Dance, is a breathless suite of dances bubbling with humor, energy and daring. Set to an eclectic score of music from Israel, Mexico, Australia, Italy and Denmark, this contemporary work features a cast of eight dancers pushing the limits of technical virtuosity and physical exhaustion. Gallim Dance, founded in 2006 by Andrea Miller, caught the attention of the New York City dance community with its debut performance in May 2007 at Joyce SoHo. Miller's use of extreme physicality - movement that shifts between explosive power and contained tension - creates an experience in which the dancers appear to exist at the edge of their limits. The company will make its international debut in Europe this fall. www.gallimdance.comMADHAVI MUDGAL (live music)
Vistaar, a world premiere, is choreographed by Madhavi Mudgal, who will perform the piece with four dancers to a commissioned score by her brother, renowned musician Madhup Mudgal. In it, the vistas created by musical spaces, both rhythmic and melodic, are explored through the vocabulary of Odissi movement, which has roots in the ritual dances performed in the temples of ancient northern India. Vistaar is a Sanskrit word that implies expansion and development. Madhavi Mudgal is one of India's leading classical dancers and a highly renowned interpreter of the Odissi style of dance. A disciple of the legendary Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra, Mudgal is credited with bringing a greatly refined sensibility to her art form. Apart from establishing a niche in the international dance scene as a soloist, she has received critical acclaim for her choreographic works and is considered one of the foremost teachers of her generation. www.artindia.net/madhavi.htmlMIAMI CITY BALLET (festival debut)
The Golden Section (1983), choreographed by Twyla Tharp with music by David Byrne, is a ballet of pure energy. Thirteen dancers in athletic costumes evoking images of Olympic champions sail, soar and tear through the air bathed in golden, glowing light. Dashing, jogging, coupling and intermixing, the men and women act as individuals and as an individually select race of super beings.Miami City Ballet (MCB), under the artistic direction of Edward Villella since its founding in 1985, is among the largest ballet companies in the United States, with a company of more than 45 dancers and a repertoire of 88 ballets. MCB tours extensively in the United States and internationally. Its dancers are an international mix and come from some of the world's top training facilities and dance companies, including American Ballet Theatre and Ballet Nacional de Cuba. www.miamicityballet.org
PROGRAM TWO
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 30 at 8 p.m.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 1 at 8 p.m.COMPANY RAFAELA CARRASCO (festival debut, live music)
Three Movements (2008), adapted for Fall for Dance, is a compilation of three evening-length works choreographed by Rafaela Carrasco. The piece will be accompanied by live music, including guitar, percussion and vocals.Company Rafaela Carrasco was founded in 2002 by Rafaela Carrasco, one of today's leading young flamenco dancers, known for exploring new concepts while maintaining the essence and integrity of true flamenco. Company Rafaela Carrasco has created five evening-length productions. The latest one, Vamos al Tiroteo, versiones de un tiempo pasado, premiered at the XV Flamenco Bienal of Seville, where it won the award for best choreography. http://www.rafaelacarrasco.comNEW YORK CITY BALLET (live music)
Red Angels (1994), the final work choreographed by Ulysses Dove before his death in 1995, is a visually dramatic, dynamically charged abstract ballet that highlights its four dancers' power and athleticism. Red Angels is a ballet of intense color, sound and sensual impact, with a score for electric violin by Richard Einhorn.New York City Ballet (NYCB) is one of the foremost dance companies in the world, with a roster of 100 dancers and an unparalleled repertory. The company was founded in 1948 by George Balanchine and Lincoln Kirstein and quickly became world-renowned for its athletic, contemporary style and compelling ballets. Now under the direction of Peter Martins, the company has over 90 dancers, a 62-member orchestra, an official school (School of American Ballet) and an annual 23-week season at Lincoln Center. www.nycballet.comBill T. Jones / ARNIE ZANE DANCE COMPANY
Duet (1995) was choreographed by Bill T. Jones to music by John Oswald and Daniel Bernard Roumain. In a departure from the theatrical, multimedia works for which he is best known, this piece explores the ideas of pure movement and abstraction. To do so, Jones draws on the tension between and the elegance inherent in two people moving together in perfect unison.Bill T. Jones / Arnie Zane Dance Company has shaped the evolution of contemporary dance through the creation and performance of over 140 works. Founded as a multicultural dance company in 1982, it was born of an 11-year artistic collaboration between Bill T. Jones and Arnie Zane. Today, the company has performed its ever-enlarging repertoire in over 200 cities in 30 countries worldwide. Jones is also celebrated for his work on Broadway, where he earned Tony awards for his choreography for Spring Awakening and Fela! www.billtjones.orgCOMPANHIA URBANA DE DANÇA (U.S. debut)
ID:ENTIDADES (2010), a U.S. premiere choreographed by Sonia Destri, is a blend of hip hop and contemporary dance inspired by urban movement and Brazilian history and culture. Like most of Destri's work, this piece was created in collaboration with her company members, drawing on the dancers' identities and life stories as inspiration for movement. Companhia Urbana de Dança, created in 2005 and based in Brazil, has roots in hip hop, urban and contemporary dance. Directed by Sonia Destri, a rising choreographer in Brazil and Europe, the all-male group consists of eleven young dancers from the suburbs and favelas of Rio de Janeiro. http://www.myspace.com/sonia_destri
PROGRAM THREE
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 2 at 8 p.m.
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 3 at 3 p.m.
SHU-YI & (DANCERS) COMPANY (U.S. debut)
[1875] Ravel and Bolero (2007), a U.S. premiere choreographed by Shu-Yi Chou, is a playful piece for 12 dancers inspired by Ravel's Bolero. Shu-Yi was the winner of Sadler's Wells' 2009 Global Dance Contest, beating 170 other entrants from 34 countries.Shu-Yi & (Dancers) Company, from Taiwan, was founded by 26-year-old choreographer Shu-Yi Chou as an artistic laboratory for experiments in dance, sound, video, installation art and media art. The young company of artists and dancers brings a fresh dynamic expression to contemporary dance theater in Taiwan. In 2008, Shu-Yi joined the American Dance Festival's International Choreographer Residency program and went on to take part in a six-month Asian Cultural Council residency program in New York. http://www.shuyichoushuyi.url.twSAN FRANCISCO BALLET
Diving into the Lilacs (pas de deux) (2009) was choreographed by San Francisco Ballet's choreographer in residence, Yuri Possokhov, inspired by poignant memories of lilacs in bloom during his boyhood in Moscow. This pas de deux, one of three in the ballet, is a sensual and fluid exploration of romantic longing and resistance.San Francisco Ballet (SFB) is America's oldest professional ballet company and one of the three largest ballet companies in the U.S. Guided in its early years by brothers Lew, Willam and Harold Christensen, SFB performed the first American productions of Swan Lake and The Nutcracker, as well as the first production of Coppélia choreographed by an American choreographer. Under the direction of Helgi Tomasson since 1985, SFB presents more than 100 performances annually, both locally and internationally. www.sfb.orgEMANUEL GAT DANCE (festival debut)
My Favorite Things (2007), a U.S. premiere choreographed by Emanuel Gat, is a meditative solo danced to John Coltrane's interpretation of the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic. Like Coltrane's music, the work is an intricate blend of spontaneity and precision.Emanuel Gat Dance was founded by Emanuel Gat in 2004 in Tel Aviv and has been based in France since 2007. The company received Israel's Minister of Culture Award in 2005 for outstanding dance performance and Gat was named an artist of the Israel Cultural Excellence Foundation (IcExcellence), one of Israel's highest honors for artists. The company has gained international recognition for its high artistic standards and original voice, and has performed at major dance venues across Europe and the United States. www.emanuelgatdance.comPaul Taylor DANCE COMPANY
Company B (1991), choreographed by Paul Taylor, is a seminal piece of Americana and one of Taylor's best-known and most beloved works. Young lovers lindy, jitterbug and polka to the songs of The Andrews Sisters, while the shadow of World War II looms.Paul Taylor Dance Company, founded in 1954, is a New York City Center resident company and one of the world's most highly respected dance troupes. Now 80 years old, Paul Taylor continues to be acclaimed for the vibrancy, relevance and power of his newer works, and recently completed the 132nd work of his career. The company has performed in more than 520 cities in 62 countries, and has toured extensively under the aegis of the U.S. Department of State. www.ptdc.orgPROGRAM FOUR
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 6 at 8 p.m.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 7 at 8 p.m.KEIGWIN + COMPANY with Juilliard Dance
Megalopolis (2009), choreographed by Larry Keigwin to music by Steve Reich and M.I.A., combines minimalism with driving hip hop. This hyper-kinetic work is inspired by both fashion and insect social behavior, featuring vigorous movement as 16 dancers in futuristic black and silver costumes cross the stage in ritualistic, mesmerizing motifs.Keigwin + Company (K+C), founded in 2003 by Artistic Director Larry Keigwin, creates and shares provocative, witty and engaging dances. Combining physicality with theatricality, K+C's electrifying brand of contemporary dance samples a variety of mediums and fuses art with entertainment. K+C has performed at the Kennedy Center, The Joyce Theater, Jacob's Pillow, American Dance Festival and more. Keigwin has created 16 dances, including the large-scale choreographic event Bolero and recent acclaimed works such as Runaway (2008), the site-specific Sidewalk (2009) and Bird Watching (2010). www.keigwinandcompany.comCORELLA BALLET CASTILLA Y LEÓN (festival debut)
Soleá (2010), choreographed by renowned flamenco dancer María Pagés to music by Rubén Lebaniegos, is a duet created especially for Ángel Corella and his sister, Carmen Corella. The piece premiered at City Center last March as part of Corella Ballet's U.S. debut.Corella Ballet Castilla y León, under Ángel Corella's artistic direction, was founded in April 2008 at the Royal Palace of La Granja in Segovia, Spain. Corella Ballet, with 60 dancers from 12 countries, is currently the only classical ballet company in Spain; its wide repertoire incorporates classical, neoclassical and contemporary choreography. www.angelcorella.orgRussell Maliphant COMPANY (festival debut)
AfterLight (Part 1) (2009), a U.S. premiere choreographed by Russell Maliphant to music by Erik Satie, was performed in London in October 2009 and acclaimed as the hit of Sadler's Wells' "In the Spirit of Diaghilev" evening, a celebration of the Ballets Russes. The solo, based on the drawings of Nijinsky, was nominated for the 2009 Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Dance Production.Russell Maliphant Company, founded in 1996, explores a diverse range of techniques including classical ballet, contact improvisation, yoga, capoeira and tai chi. The company's work is characterized by a unique approach to flow and energy and a concern with the relationship between movement, light and music. The company has toured extensively both nationally and internationally, and was the first Western dance company to visit Uzbekistan. www.rmcompany.co.uk
Jason Samuels Smith & FRIENDS (live music)
Peace of Mind: The Remix, a world premiere choreographed by Jason Samuels Smith and Mr. Wiggles, combines tap and hip hop. Both of these art forms channeled the energy of The Common people into creative forces to become an organized means of expression.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 8 at 8 p.m.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 9 at 8 p.m.TERO SAARINEN COMPANY (festival debut)
Man in a Room (2000), a U.S. premiere, was created for Tero Saarinen by Carolyn Carlson, one of the most influential contemporary choreographers in Europe. Inspired by the life of American abstract expressionist painter Mark Rothko (1903-1970), the work explores man's creative anxiety and features a score of music by English composer Gavin Bryars and Finnish orchestral rock band Apocalyptica.Tero Saarinen Company, founded by Tero Saarinen in 1996, claims influences ranging from Butoh and martial arts to classical ballet and Western contemporary dance. Known for their striking visual form and often combining dance with elements such as live music and multimedia, Saarinen's works have won wide international acclaim. Tero Saarinen Company is one of Finland's leading cultural exports; the group has appeared in 34 countries. www.terosaarinen.comDRESDEN SEMPEROPER BALLETT (festival debut)
The Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude (1996), choreographed by William Forsythe, is a virtuoso tour de force for three women and two men set to the final movement of Schubert's Symphony No. 9. This series of solo variations, pas de deux, pas de trois and ensemble sections gives a nod and a wink to the history of ballet, conjuring Petipa, Bournonville and Balanchine in the process.Dresden Semperoper Ballett is a company of 75 dancers that performs romantic, classical, neo-classical and modern works. The company delivers more than 90 performances each season, accompanied by the world-famous orchestra of the Semper Opera House, the Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden. Currently led by Artistic Director Aaron S. Watkin, the company aims to break down the borders that traditionally exist between classical and contemporary dance, and redefine dance as a culmination of both. www.semperoper.de/en/ballettAmerican Ballet Theatre
Thaïs Pas de Deux (1971), choreographed by Sir Frederick Ashton to the music of Jules Massenet, is an exotic-tinged fantasy in which lovers meet for a romantic tryst. Thaïs Pas de Deux was given its American Ballet Theatre premiere as part of the company's recent season at the Met.American Ballet Theatre (ABT) is recognized as one of the great dance companies in the world. Few ballet companies equal ABT for its combination of size, scope and outreach. Founded in 1940, ABT annually tours the United States, performing for more than 600,000 people, and is the only major cultural institution to do so. It has also made more than 30 international tours to 42 countries, and has been sponsored by the U.S. Department of State on many of these engagements. By an Act of Congress on April 27, 2006, ABT became America's National Ballet Company. www.abt.orgRonald K. Brown / EVIDENCE, A DANCE COMPANY
Grace (1999), choreographed by Ronald K. Brown, is a joyful ensemble piece that weaves the story of a community's spiritual journey. Set to music by Duke Ellington, Fela Kuti and Roy Davis Jr., Grace was Brown's first commission for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and has since become a signature work for his own company as well.Ronald K. Brown / Evidence, A Dance Company, founded by Ronald K. Brown in 1985 and based in Brooklyn, focuses on the seamless integration of traditional African dance with contemporary choreography. Brown uses movement as a way to reinforce the importance of community in African American culture and to acquaint audiences with the beauty of traditional African forms and rhythms. Evidence now tours to some 25 communities in the United States and abroad, and reaches an audience of more than 25,000 annually. www.evidencedance.com
Videos