Stephanie Rae Williams To Feature In BALASOLE At Ailey's

ROBERTO VILLANUEVA, Executive & Artistic Director and Founder of BalaSole Dance Company, presents the 20th NYC Season Concert of BalaSole in "GAMME," a new program of solos in a broad range of dance styles, music choices and artistic voices, August 16 & 17, 8PM, at Ailey Citigroup Theater, 405 West 55 Street.

The soloists will explore various themes including self-discovery, love, letting go, change, soldier's struggles, and more. BalaSole is pleased to welcome special guest soloist Stephanie Rae Williams, member of Dance Theatre of Harlem. Past BalaSole participants include artists from other prominent companies such as the Limón Dance Company, Metropolitan Opera Ballet, Dance Theatre of Harlem, Martha Graham Dance Company, Parsons Dance, Lucinda Childs Dance, Sokolow Theatre/Dance Ensemble, Philadanco, Ballet Hispanico, Elisa Monte Dance, Armitage Gone! Dance, The Isadora Duncan Dance Company, and Gus Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago.

At the August concert, BalaSole will feature soloists:

Alex Bar

Alyssa Bar

Kathlenne 'kat' Bark

Jonalyn Bradshaw

Yu Fujiwara

Ezra Goh

Mckenzie Mullan

Leigh Schanfein

Caroline Sheehan

Tyreel Simpson

Roberto Villanueva

Stephanie Rae Williams (Guest Soloist)

Roberto Villanueva explains: "I created BalaSole because I believed it was time for a multi-ethnic organization that would open its doors to dance artists of all genres, styles, artistic expressions, shapes, sizes, ages, and background." BalaSole, described by Tim Martin (Dance Europe Magazine) as a "hybrid creature"--"part dance company and part showcase," is the only dance company of its kind in the U.S. with a mission to address the gaps in the field of concert dance. The company's artists are provided artistic freedom and mentored to find and hone their own voices. Diversity and individuality are the keywords of the organization, which has mentored and given performance opportunities to over 200 dancer/choreographers since 2010. The Company has presented seasons at Baryshnikov Arts Center's Jerome Robbins Theater, Ailey Citigroup Theater, New York Live Arts, and Tribeca Performing Arts Center. BalaSole is the resident company of Mount Saint Vincent College in Riverdale, NY.

www.balasoledance.org