The Year in Dance 2000-2001

From The Director's Chair:

LATEST NEWS ABOUT DANCE FACULTY

Julie Strandberg reports that The American Dance Legacy Institute has just received its second grant from The National Endowment for the Arts. With the $50,000 award, The Institute will be able to develop more repertory, documentaries and educational materials for K-University students and teachers and make them available world-wide.

Annamaura Silverblatt will restage "Spartacus" on The Dance Theatre of Harlem (DTH) this summer. "Spartacus" was originally choreographed in a collaboration with Lowell Smith for the Memphis Ballet in 1974. Set to the score by Yuri Khachaturian, the piece was premiered at the Memphis Opera House. Keep checking these pages for a schedule of performances of "Spartacus" by DTH.

CONCERTS

The dance program sponsored four concerts this year including the ever popular Parents' Week-End Dance Concert--always a collaboration with musicians--the annual Fall Dance Concert, The Dance Ensemble In Concert at Stuart Theater, an annual feature of the Sock and Buskin subscription season, and the Commencement Concert which always features current students and returning alumni.

THE AMERICAN DANCE LEGACY INSTITUTE

In March, The American Dance Legacy Institute sponsored its Second Annual Winter Mini-Fest which included master classes, Repertory Etudes coaching sessions, in-service seminars for teachers on incorporating dance into the school curriculum, intergenerational workshops, an Israeli Folk Dance and Brunch, and a concert.

The concert featured current Brown students, Brown alumnae and guest artists. Included on the program was CATALYST DANCE COMPANY, the resident dance company of the Pioneer Valley Performing Arts Charter School, directed by Jodi Falk '86, SIMMER choreographed by Edisa Weeks 87, THE DANCE EXTENSION, now celebrating its 22nd season, in classic and contemporary works, and ARABELLA PROJECT, a two-year old company established by former members of THE RHODE ISLAND DANCE REPERTORY COMPANY (Dance Rep) to explore what "mature" dancers have to offer. Members include, Julie Strandberg and Sumati Kathryn Eberstadt '70, co-founders of Dance Rep, and Brown Alumna, Rachel Balaban. '80. Also performing on the program was guest artist Sita Fredrick, in an excerpt from "Pedigree", a full evening work by Fredrick and Laura Bennett, '92 ( nee Strandberg).

The Institute is continuing its work on The New Dance Group which was
funded in part by the National Endowment For The Arts and is planning other new exciting projects. Keep checking this page throughout the year for updates on these and other projects!!!!

NEWS FROM THE COMPANIES

THE DANCE EXTENSION hosted Lowell Smith, principal dancer with Dance Theatre of Harlem who created a new work for the company. The Company also reconstructed works from the repertory and performed on campus and off. The dancers conducted a participatory workshop for children as part of the annual Brown/Providence Journal Conference, "The Dignity of Children."

Members of NEW WORKS, WORLD TRADITIONS, directed by dance faculty, Michelle Bach-Coulibaly added to the repertory and worked as outreach mentors in schools throughout the state.

RCJ, directed by juniors, Ryan Smith, Courtney Rowe, and Jon Martin has created new works for every concert since they arrived at Brown and is developing a full evening presentation of works from the repertory, including one at Commencement time. If you are on campus at this time you won't want to miss this innovative company!!!.

FUSION DANCE COMPANY continues to thrive and presented five sold-out performances in Ashamu in March.

The tap ensemble, WHAT'S ON TAP, ventured downcity to the Arts and
Entertainment District to present a concert at AS220, a local venue for the performing and visual arts.

UNDERGRADUATE TEACHING AND RESEARCH ASSISTANTSHIPS (UTRAs)

Sara Nolan worked with Michelle Bach Coulibaly doing research on Mande culture. Jon Martin and Ryan Smith were UTRA Fellows last year working with Julie Strandberg. Jon designed the web page for the American Dance Legacy Institute and Ryan researched American Jazz dance. Next year Brown dancers will be engaged in an extensive project on Jack Cole with contemporary jazz master, Danny Buraczeski. Ryan had identified Jack Cole as a master of jazz whose work and legacy are endangered. Ryan‚s research will be one of the resources for this year-long project, which will include the learning of repertory, master classes, seminars, collaborations with jazz musicians and the development of educational materials on American
Jazz Dance.

In the coming year Deborah Friedes and Kyle Shepard will work with Julie Strandberg. Deb will be researching Jewish Culture in American modern dance with a focus on Sophie Maslow's "Village I Knew" inspired by the short stories of Yiddish humorist, Shalem Aleichem and Kyle will be researching South Asian influences on American Dance.

SPECIAL EVENTS

On March 25th The Brown University Creative Arts Council and The Brown Club of New York sponsored a theatre party at The Brooklyn Academy of Music in honor of The Mark Morris Dance Group and company members Joseph Bowie '86 and David Leventhal '95. 80 alumni, parents, faculty and current students attended this exuberant sold-out performance of Morris‚ now classic "L'Allegro, il Pensoro, ed il Moderato" and joined Morris, Bowie, Leventhal and the rest of the company for a reception after the performance.

ALUMNI

Seen at the Mark Morris event were dancers Judith Shapiro who is doing Flamenco Dance in New York City and Allison Tucker who is in the cast of "Follies." Recent graduates Cara Murray, Jessica Gaynor and Chris Elam are having exciting lives in dance as performers and choreographers. Cara will be pursuing work in dance therapy and is performing in New York City, Jessica is an MFA candidate at Cal Arts, and Chris has been working in New York City as an independent choreographer and teacher.

I am thrilled to report that I am now teaching the offspring of two of my
beloved former students, Patricia (Patch) Simon Schwadron '72 and Genine Macks Fidler '77. Patch's daughter, Hannah, is working with Michelle Bach-Coulibaly in "New Works, World Traditions." Genine's daughter, Alexandra (Ali), is dancing with "The Dance Extension" and studying choreography. In addition to being a wonderful performer, Ali shows great promise as a choreographer.

Speaking of Edisa Weeks '87 who choreographed SIMMER for Mini-Fest 2001 with her long-time colleague Homer Avila, I am sorry to report that Homer was recently diagnosed with cancer and had his leg amputated at the hip. As you can well imagine there are difficult times ahead for them--both emotionally and financially. If you would like to help them out or just get in touch with Edisa to give her your emotional support, she can be reached at 718 260-9670.

IN MEMORIUM

On a sad note, I report that Jennifer Perlman '87, died on January 24th
after a 7-month bout with cancer. Her sudden and untimely death has left her family and many friends stunned and grief stricken. Jen was a member of The Dance Extension and was in the original Brown cast--and one of the first casts ever--of David Parsons now classic "The Envelope," choreographed in 1986. One of the challenges of "The Envelope" for the dancers is to perform this comic romp with complete seriousness. When David saw a rehearsal , a slight grin emerged on Jenny's face and David yelled from the back of the theatre, "DON‚T SMILE!!!!!!!" But that was Jenny and, while, as the professional she was, she finally mastered the straight face that must accompany the piece, a smile was never far from Jenny's lips. I am grateful that I got to see her and meet Karl in San Francisco at an alumni picnic in Golden Gate Park last June. Jen is survived by her parents Larry and Jane Perlman, her brother Robert, her husband of 8 months, Karl, and numerous devoted friends.

Julie Strandberg, Founding Director of Dance

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Providence, RI 02912
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