David Dorfman Dance to Perform DOWNTOWN TO UPTOWN at 92NY

The 92nd Street Y, New York’s 2024/25 Harkness Dance Center season will continue with a new program from David Dorfman Dance – Downtown to Uptown. Past to Forward. The program honors the historical relationship between David Dorfman Dance and 92NY with repertory previously performed here, as the Harkness Dance Center celebrates its 90th anniversary and company approaches its 40th. The performance is in person on Saturday, February 8 at 7 pm in Kaufmann Concert Hall and is available online from Sunday, February 9, at 12 pm – Friday, February 14 at 12 pm.

“I have been associated with 92NY in one way or another since I first arrived in NYC in 1981,” comments David Dorfman. “Each time I’ve entered any of the spaces, I feel the rich history and am inspired to respond. I’m honored to bring past DDD work there again with this performance!” 

Program and Dancers – All Pieces Choreographed by David Dorfman in Collaboration with the Original Casts

“Lightbulb Theory” (2004) will be performed by four DDD alums: Paul Matteson, Joseph Poulson, Jena Riegel and Aya Wilson. Paul and Joe are the original cast members, now revisiting the work with Aya, who performed the dance in a restaging 10 years ago, and Jenna, who is learning the piece for the first time.

“Impending Joy” (2004) will be performed by current company members Lily Gelfand, Kashia Kancey, Nik Owens and Claudia-Lynn Rightmire, who are learning the piece for this performance.

“Approaching Some Calm” (2005 – excerpted) is a duet with/by Lisa Race and David Dorfman.

DDD is a company dedicated to original and live music, as all three pieces were originally performed live by their composers. This February performance will use recorded music from the original composers, with editing and sound design by our Music Director, Sam Crawford. 

“Lightbulb Theory” - Original commissioned score composed by Michael Wall
“Impending Joy” - Original commissioned score composed by Chris Peck
“Approaching Some Calm” - Music by Burt Bacharach, arranged by Guy Klucevsek

About David Dorfman Dance

“To get the whole world dancing” is at the core of DDD’s mission. We strive to promote the appreciation and critical understanding of dance by bringing the company’s work to ever-expanding groups of diverse audiences. David and his company seek to make post-modern dance more accessible by embracing viewers with visceral, meaningful dance, music, text, and visuals. By creating innovative, inclusive, movement-based performances that are radically humanistic, DDD maintains its commitment to examine and unearth issues and ideas that enliven, incite, and excite.  Our work fosters dialogue and debate about social change, personal growth, agency and a myriad of other topics. David and the company’s dancers and collaborators have been honored with eight New York Dance and Performance (Bessie) Awards. 

Founded in 1987, David Dorfman Dance (DDD) has performed extensively throughout the world - North and South America, Great Britain, Europe and was invited to tour countries in Central Asia: Turkey, Tajikistan, and Armenia with DanceMotion USA. Our most recent foreign tours have taken us to El Salvador and Panama. Closer to home, DDD has regularly performed in New York City at major venues, including The Brooklyn Academy of Music’s Next Wave Festival, The Joyce Theater, The Kitchen, Danspace Project, The Duke on 42nd Street, The Met Breuer, and the 92NY/Harkness Dance Festival. DDD celebrates its 17th year as Company-in-Residence at Connecticut College where David Dorfman earned his MFA in dance in 1981 and then returned as Professor of Dance in 2004.