Following an extremely successful debut season in 2013 to public and critical acclaim, Dance Theatre of San Francisco (DTSF) returns to the stage for a Fall program of world premieres by choreographers Mark Foehringer, Sandrine Cassini, Milissa Payne Bradley and Dexandro "D" Montalvo. DTSF taps into the Bay Area's wealth of top-notch established, emerging and independent dance-makers and focuses on the work of more than one choreographer, making it an unusual and compelling addition to one of the nation's most active and innovative dance centers. The company's fall program will feature the world premiere of Mark Foehringer's Daphnis and Chloe, set to music by Maurice Ravel, plus new work by Sandrine Cassini, Milissa Payne Bradley and Dexandro "D" Montalvo. Performances will be givenFriday and Saturday, October 24 and 25, at 8 pm and Sunday, October 26, at 7 pm at the newly transformed Cowell Theater in San Francisco. Tickets are priced $20-$45 and may be purchased at www.dancetheatresf.org
"Dance Theatre of San Francisco presenst the pioneering dance artists of the Bay Area, without being limited by one artistic vision," says Annie Henry, DTSF Executive Director. "I think we've nailed it with
Season Two, presenting a sophisticated program with an array of solid local talent. The works this Fall each have a compelling message, and each choreographer has a distinctive approach with which they illustrate it.
"Sandrine Cassini, now a DTSF resident choreographer, is one of the most inspiring artists I've ever worked with and she has created another contemporary gem for us this season with Franz Schubert. The others on the program are three choreographers who I've wanted to work with for quite a while. Dexandro Montalvo has a remarkably unique, energizing movement style and his use of floor patterns and musicality is fascinating. Milissa Payne Bradley's exquisite contemporary ballet has caught the attention of our community over the last few years and her quartet this Fall explores the contrasts between classical ballet and contemporary movement. In Season Two we are also producing our biggest work to date with Mark Foehringer's premiere ofDaphis & Chloe. Set to the music Daphnis et Chloé by Maurice Ravel, this is a full-length ballet and an adaptation of the Greek myth that depicts the epic story of purity versus seduction in the troublesome lives of two young lovers.
"The whole program is stirring, and although the pieces really differ from one another, they also complement each other very well. You get it all with Season Two. It's going to be a great evening."
Performers include Ismael Acosta, Vincent Chavez, Jamielyn Duggan, Christopher Dunn, Alexandra Fitzgibbon, Michael Galloway, Annabelle Henry, Sharon Kung, Kelsey McFalls, Cooper Neely, Leda Pennell, Ana Robles, Mirell Sork, Byron Roman, Jr., Joshua Thake, Marcos Vedoveto, Jessica Wagner and Angela Bevevino. Performers' bios may be found at http://www.dancetheatresf.org/DANCERS.html
About the Choreographers
Over the past 39 years, Mark Foehringer has created a dance organization, directed two pre professional dance programs and made works for dance companies and dance programs, directed operas and developed collaborative projects with musicians and other artists. He is a producer, presenter, director, teacher, choreographer and mentor.
Foehringer is an internationally active choreographer and dance educator who has directed his San Francisco based contemporary dance organization, Mark Foehringer Dance Project|SF(MFDP|SF), since 1996. He choreographed and taught throughout the US and abroad, working with organizations that include: Rambert School of Contemporary Dance in London, Ballet Nacional del Peru, Ballet San Marcos of Lima and Cisne Negro
Dance Company of Brazil. Outside of Northern California and the San Francisco Bay Area, Foehringer's company has been seen in Aruba 1997, NYC 1999, 2000, 2005, 2012 and 2014, Peru 2007, 2008, 2012 and 2013.
He launched Conservatory for Contemporary Dance Arts in 2013, a training program for dancers ages 14-18 who are focused on a college dance program or a professional dance career. In addition, he curates and presents Dancing in the Park SF, a large scale outdoor dance event every spring featuring dance companies from around the Bay Area.
He launched Conservatory for Contemporary Dance Arts in 2013, a training program for dancers ages 14-18 who are focused on a college dance program or a professional dance career. In addition, he curates and presents Dancing in the Park SF, a large scale outdoor dance event every spring featuring dance companies from around the Bay Area.
Foehringer received two Fulbright Scholar Grants to lecture and set work in Peru in 2007 and 2012. He returned to Peru in 2013 on Specialist Grant through Council for International Exchange of Scholars. Beyond work for dance companies and university programs, Foehringer has worked with Festival Opera, West Bay Opera, San Francisco Conservatory of Music and Children's Creativity Museum of San Francisco. Foehringer directed opera productions of Britten's
A Midsummer Night's Dream, Gounod's Faust, Donizetti's
Lucia di Lammermoor and most recently Verdi's
La Traviata for Festival Opera of Walnut Creek.
He held the positions of Artistic Director and resident choreographer at Western Ballet in Mountain View, CA for 10 years. During his directorship he increased the student body; designed the new home for the school; authored a student handbook; developed an eight-level training program for youth and 4 level program adult students; created 4 a show season with a strong classical and contemporary repertoire. He brought in some of the most sought after talent in the region and in the country to guest with the company. Some of his former students went on to perform with Dresden SemperOper Ballett; Royal Swedish Ballet; Gothenborg Ballet;
Lar Lubovitch Dance Company; Batsheva
Dance Company and San Francisco Ballet.
Foehringer grew up and started dancing in Sao Paulo, Brazil. He went on to train and perform in New York, London and San Francisco. In 1977, he joined Cisne Negro
Dance Company with whom he toured throughout South America and Europe for 10 years.
Sandrine Cassini was born in France and studied at the Conservatoire Superieur de Paris before being awarded the Prix de Lausanne. After dancing with the Paris Opera Ballet, she joined les Ballets de Monte-Carlo where she danced major works by Balanchine, Forsythe, Duato, Kylian, Neumeier and Maillot. Her career took her to Zurich Ballet, Ballet British Columbia, National Theater Mannheim and recently Bejart Ballet Lausanne where she performed in
Alonzo King's
Figures of Thought.
Sandrine has choreographed works on Staatstheater Regensburg, Ballet Victoria, Dances for a small stage in Vancouver, National Theater Mannheim and
Alonzo King's Lines training program and BFA program.
Milissa Payne Bradley is a San Francisco choreographer, dance educator and movement artist. A native of Kingsburg, California, she received her training primarily under the direction of Diane K. Mosier. Upon moving to the Bay Area, she had the opportunity to train with dance luminaries Svetlana Afanasieva,
Marina Eglevsky, and Ron Guidi. Bradley performed with The Oakland Ballet, Dance Through Time, Liss Fain Dance and as a freelance and guest artist. She is a graduate with honors from Saint Mary's College of California in the Liberal Education for the Arts (LEAP) program. She has also interned as an administrative assistant at Dancers' Group and with The Oakland Ballet Company. Bradley is an ABT Certified Teacher who has successfully completed the ABT Teacher Training in Primary through Level 5 of the ABT National Training Curriculum.
For the past six years, she has been educating and choreographing as an Artist in Residence at San Francisco's Performing Arts High School, SOTA under the direction of Elvia Marta. She is also currently part of the teaching staff at Contra Costa Ballet School, and Marin School of The Arts. In 2010, she started The Milissa Payne Project, and has since self-produced work in the Bay Area at ODC Theatre and School presentation of Pilot 60, Dance Brigade's Harvest Choreographers Showcase, Spector Dance's Emerging Choreographer Showcase (chosen as audience favorite, 2010), the Work in the Works performance series, a Dance/USA performance hosted by the Garage, and sjDANCEco's 10th Annual choreoProject Awards (awarded Audience Choice Award, 2012).
In 2011, Bradley's choreography was chosen as a semi-finalist for the Company C Contemporary Ballet's New Commission Project. The Milissa Payne Project's
Revolve was awarded 2013 Best Whirling Dervish in the Best of San Francisco 2013 by
SF Weekly. She was also awarded by BayAreaDanceWatch & SAFEhouse for the Performing Arts as the Bay Area's Best Choreographer (Contemporary Ballet) 2012.
Dexandro "D" Montalvo is a San Francisco-based choreographer, dancer, dance educator and director. Born and raised in New York, D began dancing professionally at 14 and began instructing dance classes one year later.
His work has appeared in numerous music videos, television shows, and international venues and he has appeared on the MTV, BET, Telemundo and Fox networks. As a dance educator, D has taught at many schools including SUNY Purchase College, and continues to teach at the University of San Francisco (USF), Dominican University of California (LINES BFA Program) LINES Ballet Training Program & ODC Dance Commons, and currently serves as Rehearsal Director for ODC's youth company.
After earning his BFA in Dance from SUNY Purchase College, D has had the pleasure of working with many talented choreographers including: Lauri Stallings, Liss Fain, Sidra Bell, Robert Moses, Kara Davis, and many others. He currently is a dancer with Robert Moses' Kin.
About Dance Theatre of San Francisco
As one of the premier dance cities in the country, San Francisco has an abundance of talented choreographers and dancers, within a vast community that appreciates art in every form, and is eager to experience innovation.
Founded in 2013, Dance Theatre of San Francisco is a contemporary dance company that is designed to impart the essence of the Bay Area by uniting our choreographers, dancers and audiences alike. Setting it apart from most small dance organizations, DTSF is not limited by one artistic vision, but instead promotes the work of several choreographers each season, giving audiences the chance to enjoy programs as varied as the choreographers are featured.
Dance Theatre of San Francisco's mission as a professional dance company is to cultivate an eclectic and ever-changing repertoire by working with both established and emerging choreographers from around the Bay Area and beyond. Its primary goal is to produce high-quality, collaborative productions that enrich artists, inspire dancers, and engage our community through a powerful and stimulating dance experience.
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