BEVERLY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL Opens at 92nd St. Y, 6/1

Dig Dance Weekend Series | Hooray for the Zany - Beverly Blossom is in Town!

The artistry and wit of the beloved Beverly Blossom (1926-2014) will be celebrated with live performances of her works, a panel discussion, guest artists, and rarely seen films at the 92nd Street Y, June 1-3, in a Beverly Blossom Festival. Describing the one-of-a-kind artist, Jennifer Dunning called Blossom "a daring, vividly imaginative solo performer...one of the most distinguished - and zaniest - solo performers in modern dance." (from the Blossom obituary, November 3, 2014).

An abbreviated performance will be given on the June 1 Fridays at Noon series, along with some never before seen footage, and a panel discussion with Douglas Nielsen, Phyllis Lamhut and other guests.

Friday & Saturday, June 1 & 2 at 8 PM and Sunday June 3 at 3 PM, will feature full performances on the Y's "Dig Dance" series of Blossom's works:

Dad's Ties, one of Blossom's signature works, creating in 1981 in memory of her father. "Eloquently nutty, Ms. Blossom can bring you to tears in her dark comic signature piece, "Dad's Ties." (Jennifer Dunning, The New York Times, 1992) Tobi Tobias found that "the dance deftly combines nostalgic sentiment, mystery, and absurd humor, creating bizarre, vivid images with multiple meanings." (Village Voice, 1991) Dancer: Betsy Fisher

Inch, created in 1987. Two years later, Blossom invited Douglas to perform an updated version entitled "An Inch for Doug," performed at her retirement concert at the U. of Illinois/Urbana-Champaign. Now, in Blossom's memory, The U of Arizona School of Dance has commissioned "An Inch for Beverly."

Dancer: David K. Bagley
Restaging and Coaching: Douglas Nielsen
Music: Duke Ellington, Black & Tan Fantasy, Creole Love Call

Cello Lessons (2003) A tribute to Blossom's late, very generous, sister, who was going to buy Beverly a beautiful chair. "If you buy me a chair," stated Blossom, I'll just sit in it. Why don't you buy me a cello?"
Dancer: Tandy Beal
Music: Saint-Saens, Boccherini
Hat by Beverly Blossom

Gertrude (Seated Figure), music Satie

Just a Thought, music La Violetera, played by the Tango Project. Both solos investigate a female writer, the first Gertrude Stein and the second Dorothy Parker. Notes Debra: "I believe that Beverly felt a great kinship for each of these incredible women."
Dancer: Debra Noble

"Shards" (1993), a surreal short story of a dance - "flights of fancy that are brought down to earth by sardonic if good-natured acceptance of the way things are." (Anna Kisselgoff, The New York Times, 1994) Dancer: Henning Rübsa. Music: Tomaso Albinoni, Adagio in G minor

More About the Performers:
BETSY FISHER, currently Professor of Dance and Chair of the Department of Theatre and Dance at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, has performed her own choreography through the U.S., Europe and Asia. She was a leading member of The Murray Louis Dance Company from 1980-88 and, as a teacher, has taught at The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, UC Santa Cruz, Stanford U, and as a Fulbright Scholar at The Theatre Academy of Finland. Her DVD, The German Lineage in Modern Dance, is available through Dancetime Publications.

DAVID K. BAGLEY is currently a Graduate Teaching Assistant at the U of Arizona while finishing his MFA in Dance/Choreography. He has performed with numerous companies, including Rasta Thomas' Bad Boys of Dance, and has taught and choreographed for major organizations throughout the nation, as well as productions on NBC, ABC, Disney, Audi, Dance for Life, and Dance Under the Stars. David is currently co-owner and co-director of PUSH Dance Intensives dance events.

DOUGLAS NIELSEN (stager, coach), first met Beverly Blossom in 1982 when they appeared on the same program at the U. of Il/Urbana-Champaign. They quickly recognized their mutual love of theater, dance, and flea markets. In addition to his joint concerts with Blossom, Douglas appeared in the companies of Gus Solomons jr, Pearl Lang, Paul Sanasardo, and the Batsheva Dance Company, for which he appeared as Death in Jooss' "The Green Table."

TANDY BEAL is delighted to be appearing in a Beverly Blossom work for the first time. Tandy began her career at age 16 touring worldwide with the Alwin Nikolais Dance Theatre, continuing her career with the Oakland Ballet, Carolyn Carlson in France, and Bobby McFerrin, with whom she worked for over 30 years. Beal's off-the-map career has included appearing in the worlds of opera, circus, music videos, solo shows, horse spectacles, commercials, and more.

DEBRA NOBLE is presently Director of Dance and Vice Chair of the Theatre and Dance Dept. at CSU/Fullerton, serves on the Artistic Advisory Board of the Limon Dance Company, the California Arts Council Panel, and on Advisory Boards at Orange Coast and El Camino Colleges. Debra's connection with Beverly Blossom goes back to the early 80's, when she toured with Blossom's Company. Debra states: "I am so excited to be able to perform them (the two solos given to her by Blossom) in celebration of Beverly's wit, heart, and soaring imagination.

HENNING R?BSAM (producer, performer) is grateful to Beverly Blossom for plenty of laughs and shared meals, for mentorship and encouragement, for friendship and memories, and many beautiful dances. Director of his own NYC based SENSEDANCE, Rübsam tours with his company, and is guest teacher and choreographer for companies and universities around the world. "Beverly took me under her wing when I was a member of the Alwin Nikolais/Murray Louis Dance Company," noted Henning, who subsequently danced in her company. When Jennifer Dunning singled him out in Beverly's NYTimes obituary as one of the artists she influenced, Henning knew that he had a responsbility to make her work accessible for a new generation of artists and audiences. He was also producer of the Beverly Blossom Memorial Gala, held at The Kaye Playhouse in 2015.

BEVERLY BLOSSOM was a principal dancer with the Alwin Nikolais Dance Theatre from 1953 to 1963, and subsequently produced concerts of her own choreography, garnering rave reviews and numerous grants from the NEA, NYSCA, Illinois Arts Council, and private foundations. A Professor at the U of Illinois/Champaign-Urbana from 1967 to 1990, when she became Professor Emeritus, the artist renewed her career as a solo performer, appearing at Jacob's Pillow, the Joyce Theatre, the Massachusetts "Splash" Festival, and more. Among her awards are a 1993 Bessie for sustained achievement and a Lifetime Achievement award from the Martha Hill Dance Fund in 2009. Beverly Blossom died in her hometown of Chicago on Nov. 1, 2014, and was remembered exactly one year later with the Beverly Blossom Memorial Gala, held at the Kaye Playhouse/Hunter College.

Beverly Blossom Foundation Board of Directors: Michael Blossom, Patricia Knowles, Peter McDowell, Douglas Nielsen, Henning Rübsam

Friday-Sunday, June 1-3 (Friday & Saturday at 8 PM; Sunday at 3 PM)

(the Sunday matinee will be followed by a discussion with the performers)

Tickets from $25

Reservations: https://www.92y.org/event/dig-dance-hooray-for-the-zany or 212.415.5500

Fridays at Noon | Beverly Blossom, Underground Favorite: Extravagant Dance

Presentation will include a panel discussion with Douglas Nielsen, Phyllis Lamhut and other guests

Tickets: $10

Reservations: https://www.92y.org/event/fan-beverly-blossom or 212.415.5500

All performances 92nd St. Y, 1395 Lexington Avenue

To post a comment, you must register and login.