IPHIGENIA, BOLERO and More Set for RIOULT Dance NY's Season at The Joyce, Now thru 6/9

RIOULT Dance NY, a leading American modern Dance Company with a classic sensibility, announces its eight-performance New York Season tonight, June 4-9, 2013 at The Joyce Theater. The Season includes the World Premiere of Artistic Director/Choreographer Pascal Rioult's newest work, Iphigenia (Working Title), a dance drama inspired by the Greek heroine of the same name from Euripides' "Iphigenia in Aulis." The piece was created in collaboration with Composer Michael Torke and features his newly commissioned score, which will be performed live by the Camerata New York Orchestra. The Season program also includes the critically acclaimed On Distant Shores (2011), the powerful Prelude to Night (2002), and one of the company's signature works, Bolero (2002).

Known for his musicality and explorations of classical scores, Pascal Rioult continues to develop new work annually through his Dance to Contemporary Composers Series. Conceived in 2011, the Series engages choreographer-composer collaboration by commissioning living American composers to create music as accompaniment for a new dance. The first work of the Series, On Distant Shores (2011) re-imagined the Greek heroine Helen of Troy through a collaboration with Pulitzer-Prize winning Composer Aaron Jay Kernis. This Season's World Premiere serves as On Distant Shores' companion piece, as it takes on another Greek heroine, Iphigenia.

On the creation of Iphigenia Pascal Rioult comments, "This collaboration will inherently push my boundaries since Michael Torke's aesthetic differs greatly from that of traditional, classical music which I often use. Still, I find his music ideal for dance because of its effusive energy, interesting rhythms, and the visual imagery that colors its melodies."

"I see this dance as operatic," Torke said upon embarking on the project, "the Chorus and ensemble sections provide the recitatives advancing the story, while the pure dance moments are like arias - stopping the action and allowing the emotion to be expressed." Torke's new score is based on a unique orchestration of eight instruments: two clarinets, two bassoons, two French horns, a cello, and contrabass.

Approaching its 20th Anniversary in 2014, RIOULT Dance NY continues to provide audiences with dynamic performances by an extraordinary ensemble of dancers, many whom have been dedicated to the company for more than a decade - Brian Flynn, Penélope González, Josiah Guitian, Charis Haines, Jere Hunt, Michael Spencer Phillips, Jane Sato, Sara Elizabeth Seger, Anastasia Soroczynski, Marianna Tsartolia, Sabatino A. Verlezza and Holt Walborn. RIOULT Dance NY is led by husband-and-wife team, both former Martha Graham Dance Company principal dancers, Artistic Director/Choreographer Pascal Rioult and Associate Artistic Director Joyce Herring.

Gala - Wednesday, June 5, 2013: RIOULT Dance NY's Gala dinner will be held at The Altman Building (135 West 18th St.) following the NY season performance at The Joyce Theater. For more information, email: gala@rioult.org.

Tickets for RIOULT Dance NY's 2013 New York Season can be purchased through The Joyce Theater's Box Office: www.joyce.org, (212) 242-0800. Prices for performances start at just $10 and range to $49. A 20% discount for groups of 10 or more is available for the evening performances only by contacting groups@joyce.org or (212)691-9740 x208. All sales are final. The Joyce Theater is located at 175 Eighth Avenue at 19th Street and is accessible by the A/C/E to 14th Street, the L to 8th Avenue, or the 1 to 18th Street 1/A/B/C/D subway lines to Columbus Circle.

Tuesday, June 4 - 7:30 p.m., Opening Night Wednesday, June 5 - 7:00 p.m., RIOULT 2013 Gala Thursday, June 6 - 8:00 p.m.
Friday, June 7 - 8:00 p.m.
Saturday June 8 - 2:00 p.m. & 8:00 p.m.
Sunday, June 9 - 2:00 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.

Repertory

Iphigenia (Working Title) - World Premiere
Music: Michael Torke
Length: 20 minutes
Featuring live music by the Camerata New York Orchestra and an original score by Composer Michael Torke, the new work is a dance drama inspired by the story and sacrifice of Iphigenia in Euripides' play, "Iphigenia in Aulis." The creation of this piece marks Pascal Rioult's closest Dance to Contemporary Composers Series collaboration to date, with Torke present frequently during dance rehearsals allowing the movement and music to be created and reworked with each other's input. The finished piece will include costumes by Karen Young, lighting by Clifton Taylor, projections/video by Brian Beasley (pending), and set design by Harry Feiner.

On Distant Shores (2011)
Music: Aaron J. Kernis, "On Distant Shores"
Length: 22 minutes
The first installment of the Dance to Contemporary Composer Series, On Distant Shores evokes ancient myths while feeling thoroughly contemporary. "I always thought that Helen got a bad rap," says Pascal Rioult. Determined to redeem her reputation, Rioult imagines Helen is brought to Troy against her will. In this work, four god-like warriors awaken to join her in fleeting duets. Ultimately she walks alone in a path of light as the war heroes fade into a dream.

Prelude to Night (2002)
Music: Maurice Ravel, "Prelude a la nuit." "Alborada del Gracioso," & "Feria"
Length: 28 minutes
Prelude to Night is a triptych danced to three short Ravel orchestral works. This piece hinges on the prevailing physical presence of the central female character who journeys from one state of being to another, by means of her imagination, dreams and nightmares.

Bolero (2002)
Music: Maurice Ravel, "Bolero"
Length: 16 minutes
RIOULT Dance NY's Bolero is a bold and unique interpretation of the famous musical score. Its perpetual motion and ever-changing patterns build to its illusive but inevitable climax. The unrelenting crescendo of energy creates a riveting tour de force. It has become one of the company's most sought after and acclaimed works.

RIOULT Dance NY was founded in 1994 and fast became an established name in modern dance with a reputation for bringing the sensual, articulate and musical dance works of Pascal Rioult to audiences worldwide. The eleven dancer company, based in New York City, is led by husband-and-wife team Artistic Director/ Choreographer Pascal Rioult and Associate Artistic Director Joyce Herring, both former Martha Graham Dance Company principal dancers. With an established repertoire of over 40 dances that expands each year, RIOULT Dance NY presents an annual New York Season and tours nationally and abroad. In addition, education and community outreach have been integral to the company since its inception. The company's DanceREACH program, founded in 1997, provides various public and private school children in the New York metropolitan area with arts-in-education programs, introducing students to the art of modern dance with Pascal Rioult's repertory as a springboard. Please visit www.rioult.org for more information on RIOULT Dance NY.

With his two best known early pieces, Ecstatic Orange and Yellow Pages, written while still a composition student at Yale, Michael Torke practically defined post-Minimalism-a music which utilizes the repetitive structures of a previous generation, incorporating musical techniques from both the classical tradition and the contemporary pop world. Torke cut short his graduate study to begin a professional career in NYC, where he was signed by Boosey and Hawkes. He became an exclusive recording artist with Argo/Decca Records and began his 5-year collaboration with Peter Martins and the NYC Ballet. Torke founded Ecstatic Records in 2003 and most recently the label released Tahiti with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic's 10/10. Visit www.michaeltorke.com for more information.

The Camerata New York Orchestra was founded in 1999 in Vienna, Austria, garnering immediate critical acclaim. Now in its thirteenth season after re-establishing in New York, the flexible ensemble of up to 50 players has had successful concerts at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, St. Paul's Chapel, and Merkin Hall, among others. The mission of Camerata New York is to promote the most talented young musicians in New York, to present the great works from the baroque to contemporary in concerts on the highest level for the New York community, and to cultivate a new generation of classical music enthusiasts. Visit www.cameratany.org for more information.