Carolyn Dorfman Dance Tours to Saravejo in Collaboration with The National Sarajevo Ballet

Carolyn Dorfman Dance, whose bold and dramatic works connect life and movement, return to the heart-shaped land of Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina (BiH) November 16-23, 2016. The 7-day tour will include a mix of educational community outreach and performance. Carolyn Dorfman Dance will present the European premiere of Traces, danced to a score by Sarajevo native Svjetlana Bukvich. The company will also perform Under My Skin and WAVES, which will feature five dancers from the Ballet of National Theatre in Sarajevo.

In September, Carolyn Dorfman and dancers opened their doors to Sarajevo Ballet's Artistic Director, Belma Ceco Bakrac, and five dancers, ages 19-24, hailing from Serbia, Slovenia and Bosnia, to learn two section of WAVES, Dorfman's newest multi-sensory work that premiered in April 2016 at New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC). The collaboration between the two companies began in February 2015 when Carolyn Dorfman Dance was presented at the Sarajevo Winter Festival for the first time. Executive Director Anita Thomas maintained a relationship with the U.S. Embassy in Sarajevo, who is supporting the exchange between the companies and providing the opportunity for Ms. Dorfman and the company to conduct artistic workshops in several communities in BiH.

Amid the current political and civil unrest in the Stolac area, Carolyn, and her dancers will bring their mission of presenting contemporary dance that speaks to modern issues into local schools of Stolac and Mostar through a series of workshops and master classes that emphasize and celebrate a creative and nurturing spirit. Composer Bukvich will join the company to build bridges in the community through the universal language of dance and music, which transcends the cultural, political and religious differences that challenge peace in the area[MOU1] .

"What a thrill it is to return to Sarajevo this year with my dancers," explains Carolyn Dorfman. "This cultural and artistic collaboration not only connects two countries but also two dance genres-a 34-year NY area modern Dance Company and a 70-year international classical ballet company. It is through dance, moving together to the same piece of music and driven by the same passion, that our language becomes one and our differences fall away."

"When Carolyn and her dancers came to Sarajevo they saw the circumstances under which these dancers work every day. With warmth, acceptance, and a shared passion for movement, this partnership has provided opportunities to motivate and re-charge the Sarajevo Ballet dancers-not only in the studios, but also in their overall lives. I look forward to exploring the wonderful joint creations that are on the horizon," states Belma Ceco Bakrac, artistic director of Sarajevo Ballet[MOU2] .

Carolyn Dorfman Dance's tour to Sarajevo, Bosnia, Herzegovina is made possible with support from The U.S. Embassy Sarajevo and the New York foundation, Trust for Mutual Understanding.

SCHEDULE AND TICKET INFORMATION

Carolyn Dorfman Dance will tour Sarajevo from November 16-23, with a performance at the Sarajevo National Theater onNovember 22, 2016.

REPERTORY DETAILS

Traces (2016)

Choreography: Carolyn Dorfman

Composer: Svjetlana Bukvich

Lighting: Marika Kent

Video/Projection Design: Kate Freer (IMA)

Costumes: Anna-Alisa Belous

Set Design: Ben Hobbs

Traces explores the forces that create and change us across time, distance and circumstance, and features an electro-acoustic score encompassing a vast range of musical vocabulary. Images, music, and text interweave with choreography to transport audiences through time, location and purpose. The work is driven by a strong sense of immediacy and connection.

WAVES (2015)- World Premiere

Choreography: Carolyn Dorfman

Composer: Same as musicians

Lighting: Marika Kent

Costume: Anna Alisa Belous

Length: approx. 25minutes

WAVES is a sensation based exploration of music and dance featuring live music composed by Jessie Reagan, beat boxer and multi-instrumentalist Pete List, and recorder player Daphna Mor, the work. Dorfman uses this eclectic and unusual grouping of artists to create new WAVES of sonic and movement possibilities

Under My Skin (1999)

Choreography: Carolyn Dorfman

Music and Lyrics: Jennifer Giering with editing by Bryan Noll

Original Lighting: Paul Hudson; Recreated by Marika Kent

Costumes: Russell Aubrey

Length: 15 minutes

With original music by composer/vocalist Jennifer Giering, this set of three songs chronicles the growth and depth of a relationship. It is an evocative and sensuous duet exploring concealment and revelation, isolation, and trust.

To post a comment, you must register and login.