Ariel Rivka Dance, RIOULT & Heidi Latsky to Perform at New York Live Arts, 5/19-21

Known for capturing the duality of strength and grace, Ariel Rivka Dance (ARD) celebrates its ninth season with a special, contemporary dance festival comprising five world premieres by four of today's top choreographers all on one stage. Curated by ARD, this elegant array of diverse dance and live musicians showcases new works by Ariel Grossman of ARD, soloist Elisa King, Heidi Latsky of Heidi Latsky Dance, and Pascal Rioult of RIOULT Dance NY. (Program details are below.)

"We are thrilled to be joining forces with these remarkable artists," said Ariel Grossman, artistic director of Ariel Rivka Dance. "By hosting multiple choreographers, dancers, and musicians as part of this annual festival, we strive to make dance more accessible by giving audiences the opportunity to see a plethora of dance styles all in one evening at an affordable price."

Leading the program are four classical works by ARD, all of which meld a range of elegant and bold movements with live, original music by David Homan performed by four amplified cellists. In Hallelujah Eva, five women dancers explore solitude, and consequently find empowerment through shared experience. Beatrice's Rainbow features a sprightly trio reveling in the innocence and purity of early life. Variations on a Box drives the full ARD company of eight dancers to explore the constraints of shape and sound. In addition, ARD reprises Ori (2015), meaning "light," from its acclaimed repertoire. Described by Theatre is Easy as "contemporary and fresh," this spirited program piece features seven women creating "architecture between them."

Modern dancer/choreographer Elisa King premieres her own solo choreography, Sky Blue, to the song by Maria Schneider Jazz Orchestra. Heidi Latsky Dance, a pioneering company dedicated to working with both disabled and non-disabled performers, presents the world premiere of TIMESTAMPed, several short timestamps about endurance, persistence, and survival that will eventually become part of an evening- length work.

Bookending the program are two of RIOULT Dance NY's most recognizable works: Wien and Bolero, both bold and unique interpretations of Ravel's most famous musical compositions. Wien (1995), set to Ravel's "La Valse," turns the Viennese waltz's revered image of grace, clarity, and social refinement inside out, using it as a metaphor to expose the decadence and moral disintegration of a society. Its perpetual motion and ever-changing patterns build to an inevitable climax, creating a riveting tour de force. Bolero (2002), set to Ravel's piece of the same name, "is a masterpiece...wrought into a vivid pageant of contemporary movement as the eight dancers in silvery-sleek, body- revealing tights took on a particular luminosity; they became the working parts of a massive mechanism that churned on and on to the relentless rhythm of the immortal score." (Oberon's Grove)

About Ariel Rivka Dance

Founded in 2008 by dancer/choreographer Ariel Rebecca (Rivka) Grossman (Joffrey Ballet School, Skidmore College), Ariel Rivka Dance (ARD) is a contemporary ballet company based in New York City committed to creating work that explores raw emotion in the context of strong technique and form. ARD's most recent work, The Book of Esther, tours nationwide including performances at the Gershman Y in Philadelphia, PA, and the Center for Jewish History in NYC. In 2014 ARD was awarded a residency at MANA Contemporary through Armitage Gone! Dance and a grant from the Nathan Cummings foundation. Recently, ARD was presented at the Children's Museum of Manhattan, Saratoga ArtsFest and Greenspace Blooms Festival and was the recipient of a Lower Manhattan Cultural Council (LMCC) grant.

Program Details

(subject to change) *world premiere

Variations on a Box*

Choreographer: Ariel Grossman

Dancers: Ariel Rivka Dance (Caitlyn Casson, Allie Kronick, Kristin Licata, Casie O'Kane, Jaclyn Rae, Kyleigh Sackandy, Danita Shaheen, and Hana Ginsburg Tirosh)

Composer: David HomanMusicians: Cellos - Elan Kabilio, Gjilberta Lucaj, Peter Pearson, and James Waldo

Beatrice's Rainbow*

Choreographer: Ariel Grossman
Dancers: Ariel Rivka Dance (Kristin Licata, Danita Shaheen, and Hana Ginsburg Tirosh)
Composer: David Homan
Musicians: Cellos - Elan Kabilio, Gjilberta Lucaj, Peter Pearson, and James Waldo Vocalists: Nicholas Dromard and Carrie Manolakos

Hallelujah Eva*

Choreographer: Ariel Grossman
Dancers: Ariel Rivka Dance (Caitlyn Casson, Allie Kronick, Casie O'Kane, Jaclyn Rae, and Kyleigh Sackandy)
Composer: David Homan
Musicians: Cellos - Elan Kabilio, Gjilberta Lucaj, Peter Pearson, and James Waldo Vocalists: Nicholas Dromard and Carrie Manolakos

Ori (2015)
Choreographer: Ariel Grossman
Dancers: Ariel Rivka Dance (Caitlyn Casson, Allie Kronick, Kristin Licata, Casie O'Kane, Kyleigh Sackandy, Danita Shaheen, and Hana Ginsburg Tirosh)
Composer: David Homan
Musicians: Cellos - Elan Kabilio, Gjilberta Lucaj, Peter Pearson, and James Waldo Costume Designer: Jaclyn Rea and Ariel Grossman
Lighting Designer: Marika Kent

Wien (1995)

Choreographer: Pascal Rioult

Dancers: RIOULT Dance NY (Catherine Cooch, Brian Flynn, Charis Haines, Jere Hunt, Michael Spencer Phillips, Sara Elizabeth Seger)
Music: Maurice Ravel's La Valse
Costume Designer: Russ Vogler
Lighting Designer: David Finley

Bolero (2002)
Choreographer: Pascal Rioult
Dancers: RIOULT Dance NY (Catherine Cooch, Brian Flynn, Charis Haines, Jere Hunt, Corinna Lee Nicholson, Michael Spencer Phillips, Sara Elizabeth Seger, Sabatino A. Verlezza)
Music: Maurice Ravel's Bolero
Costume Designer: Russ Vogler
Lighting Designer: David Finley

TIMESTAMPed*

Choreographer: Heidi Latsky
Dancers: Heidi Latksy Dance (Jerron Herman, Heidi Latsky, and more tba) Music: tba

Sky Blue*

Choreographer: Elisa King Dancers: Elisa King
Music: Maria Schneider's Sky Blue

This presentation at New York Live Arts is made possible through New York Live Arts' Theater Access Program. The Theater Access Program is a comprehensive subsidized rental program benefiting a diverse group of dance and theater companies and producing organizations. www.newyorklivearts.org.

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