JUILLIARD DANCES REPERTORY to Feature Works by Lar Lubovitch, Twyla Tharp & More Next Month

In March 2014, Juilliard Dances Repertory presents repertory works by acclaimed choreographers Eliot Feld, Juilliard alumnus Lar Lubovitch, and Twyla Tharp. Juilliard dancers perform Concerto Six Twenty-Two by Lar Lubovitch; Baker's Dozen by Twyla Tharp; and The Jig is Up by Eliot Feld. All three dances were choreographed between 1979 and 1986, and Juilliard dancers will have the opportunity to learn the dances through intensive work with two of the choreographers - Eliot Feld and Lar Lubovitch - and with Shelley Washington, an original member of the cast of Twyla Tharp's work.

Concerto Six Twenty-Two (1986) is one of Lar Lubovitch's most celebrated dances. It plays between the beautiful Mozart score and Lubovitch's own spirited sense of lyricism. The centerpiece of the dance is the male duet, which on its own has become one of Lubovitch's major achievements. The work is set to Mozart's Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra in A Major, K. 622. The work was commissioned by Centre national de danse (Angers, France) and had its premiere in 1986. The music will be performed live by the Juilliard Orchestra, conducted by Karina Canellakis; the clarinet soloist will be selected by a competition and announced on February 23.

Twyla Tharp's Baker's Dozen (1979) was created for the Hollywood production of Hair, but was not included in the final edit. "I was thinking a lot about economy [after filming]. Nothing should be squandered or disregarded," Tharp recounts in Confessions of a Cornermaker (1981). Rather than leaving it on the cutting room floor, Tharp repurposed the movement and set it to compositions by Willie "The Lion" Smith. "As in nature, all things would be recycled and would accrue." Baker's Dozen embodies this sense of economy and integration, which is closely tied to Tharp's Indiana Quaker roots. The movement expresses harmony, playfulness, and easy virtuosity. The structure of the work is based on multiples of twelve: six duets, four trios, three quartets, two sextets, and finally twelve solos - reinforcing the Quaker values of the individual's importance to the community. Twyla Tharp's company premiered the work on February 15, 1979. The music will be performed live by Juilliard Jazz alumnus, pianist Christopher Ziemba.

Eliot Feld's The Jig Is Up (1984), set to Irish and Scottish folk tunes, is a virtuosic and playful abstraction of folk dances. The ballet, in eight sections, has rousing group sections and more intimate solos and duets. Costume design is by Willa Kim; and lighting design is by Allen Lee Hughes. The music featured is by The Bothy Band with Archibald McDonald, and John Cunningham. The work had its premiere on April 10, 1984 by the Feld Ballet.

Juilliard Dances Repertory performances take place on Friday, March 21, 2014 at 8 PM; Saturday, March 22, 2014 at 8 PM; Sunday, March 23, 2014 at 3 PM; Monday, March 24, 2014 at 8 PM; and Tuesday, March 25, 2014 at 8 PM in Juilliard's Peter Jay Sharp Theater.

Tickets are $30; $15 for seniors/students, and will be available on February 21 online at www.juilliard.edu/dancesrep, through CenterCharge (212) 721-6500, or at the Janet and Leonard Kramer Box Office at Juilliard. For further information, call (212) 769-7406 or go to www.juilliard.edu/dancesrep.

Juilliard was privileged to present Twyla Tharp's Deuce Coupe in 2007 and The Fugue in 2009. Elliot Feld's Sir Isaac's Apples was commissioned by Juilliard in 2005 for the School's centennial, and Juilliard dancers performed his Skara Brae in 2011. Alumnus Lar Lubovitch's works has often been performed at Juilliard. In 2009, Juilliard dancers performed his work, North Star. They also performed for his anniversary season at New York City Center in fall of 2008. In addition, Tharp and Feld hold honorary doctorates from Juilliard.

Additional events in the Juilliard Dance season include Senior Dance Production, which launches seniors into the professional world, on Friday, April 25, 2014 at 8 PM, Saturday, April 26, 2014 at 2 PM and 8 PM, and Sunday, April 27, 2014 at 2 PM and 8 PM in the Willson Theater; Choreographic Honors, a sampling of works by Juilliard dancers curated from workshops and performances, on Friday, May 16, 2014 at 8 PM and Saturday, May 17, 2014 at 8 PM in Juilliard's Peter Jay Sharp Theater; and the popular Senior Dance Showcase, featuring the "Class of 2014," on Monday, May 19, 2014 at 8 PM in Juilliard's Peter Jay Sharp Theater.

The Juilliard Dance Division, now in its 62nd season, is a groundbreaking conservatory dance program whose faculty and alumni have changed the face of dance around the world. The program was established in 1951 by William Schuman during his tenure as president of Juilliard with the guidance of founding director Martha Hill. It became the first major teaching institution to combine equal dance instruction in both contemporary and ballet techniques. Among the early dance faculty members at Juilliard were Alfred Corvino, Martha Graham, Doris Humphrey, José Limón, Anna Sokolow, Antony Tudor, and Hector Zaraspe.

Ballet master and master teacher, Lawrence Rhodes, was appointed the artistic director of the Juilliard Dance Division in July 2002. Now in his 12th year as director, he has reordered the curriculum and elevated requirements for the diploma and degree programs at Juilliard. He has increased the number of performances and brought in many prominent choreographers to work with the students. Graduates of the program have gone on to perform with virtually every established contemporary and ballet dance company in the United States and abroad, and they also are among the directors and administrators of respected companies worldwide. Currently there are 98 students enrolled in Juilliard's Dance Division.

Alumni of Juilliard's Dance Division include Robert Battle, Pina Bausch, Martha Clarke, Mercedes Ellington, Robert Garland, Charlotte Griffin, Kazuko Hirabayashi, Adam Hougland, Saeko Ichinohe, Jessica Lang, Lar Lubovitch, Bruce Marks, Susan Marshall, Austin McCormick, Andrea Miller, Ohad Naharin, and Paul Taylor.

To post a comment, you must register and login.