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For Immediate Release 4/25/2007

Contact: Brian Gaston, 402.863.2730

Brian_Gaston@brown.edu

Brown Theatre presents

Brown Festival of Dance 2007

May 3-6

Thursday, Friday, Saturday at 8 pm and Sunday at 2 pm

Stuart Theatre, Catherine Bryan Dill Center for the Performing Arts

77 Waterman Street, Providence, Ri

Box Office 401-863-2838

www.brown.edu

On the program this year:

Songbird

Choreographers: New Works/World Traditions and Michelle Bach-Coulibaly

--

A Salute to living master, Fred Benjamine!

Choreographer: Charles Malik Lewis

Curator: Carol Abizaid

--

Rush Hour

Choreographer: Robert Battle

Staged and Directed by Erica Pujic

--

Goin' To Chicago

(excerpt from Getting There)

Choreographer: Billy Siegenfeld

Staged and Directed by Billy Siegenfeld, Glenn Leslie, and Jackie Brenner

--

Choreographic Offering

Choreographer: José Limón

Staged and directed by Jonathan Riedel

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The Songbird (2007)

Choreographers ...................................................................................................... New Works/World Traditions

and Michelle Bach-Coulibaly

Music ....................................................................................................... Traditional lullabies and folk music from

Ethiopia, Kiev, Turkey, Appalachia, Ireland, West Africa

and “Sempre Libera” from La Traviata by Giuseppe Verde

Composer .......................................................................................................................... Sound scape by Laura Vitale

Image collage ....................................................................................................................................................... Jori Ketten

Set .......................................................................................................................................................................... Timothy Hett

Text by .............................................................................. Paula Maccabee, Almaz Dessie, Aden Van Noppen,

Ethan Philbrick, Michelle Bach-Coulibaly

Musicians ................................................................................ John Specker (fiddle), Johnny Edward (guitar),

Bill Ferri (bass), Issa Coulibaly (djembe), Sidy Maiga (percussion),

Almaz Dessie (piano), Ida Specker (fiddle), Nora Blackall (voice)

Dancers .......................................................................... Nora Blackall, Zoe Chao, Almaz Dessie, Jori Ketten,

Elena Lobo, Nadia Maccabee, Ethan Philbrick, Anika Schwarzwald,

Ida Specker, Nicole Thompson, Aden Van Noppen,

Leonora Zoninsein

This piece exists as a dreamscape and embodied journal that celebrates “family”. The narratives, songs and images created on stage form a collective history inspired by stories, dances, and photographs passed down through several generations. Our work explores questions unanswered by the boxed heirlooms and frozen images of places and faces of little known legacies.

Michelle Bach-Coulibaly is an educator, choreographer and dancer who teaches on the faculty of Brown University, where she is Artistic Director of New Works/World Traditions, a World Music and Dance Ensemble. Her work in West Africa includes the creation of Yeredon, a school for traditional art in Mali, West Africa. Yeredon is a research facility where students engage in the study of Mande dance, music and culture.

With over thirty concert pieces in their repertoire, New Works is involved in educational and inter-active programs that incorporate ritual play, drumming, storytelling, call-and-response singing, and dances that honor the West African Tradition in relation to their influence upon American culture.

A Salute to living master, Fred Benjamine!

Choreographer.................................................................................................................................. Charles Malik Lewis

Curator................................................................................................................................................................. Carol Abizaid

Music Titles “Swing Low,” Tennessee Society Gospel Choir
“My Favorite Things,” OutKast

“Seasons Of Love,” Rent, Cast Recording featuring Stevie Wonder

“Brand New Day,” The Wiz, movie soundtrack

Dancers.............................................................. Cheryl Allen, Caroline Andrews, Paisid Aramphongphan,

Annie Banducci, Laura Bayley, Haley Bobseine, Ashley Chung,

Rachel Foreman, Blanche Greene-Cramer, Tomomi Ibe, Karina Ikezoe,

Ariel Isaacs, Atalanti Martinou, Justine McGowan, Hilarie Meyers,

Julie Siwicki, Hannah Watson, Courtney Wright

Charles Malik Lewis is an accomplished international actor, singer, dancer and master teacher. He was born in Washington D.C. and attended the Duke Ellington School for the Performing Arts where he received the Duke Ellington Award for excellence. He later graduated from SUNY Purchace where he was awarded the Harry Belafonte Schorlarship.

He has worked with many choreographers and dance companies: Mike Malone, Fred Benjamin Dance Company, Carole Walker and Dianne Mc Intyre’s Sounds In Motion. He has toured internationally with the American Dance Theatre and was lead in the European tour of Duke Ellington’s Sophisticated Ladies.

Over the past 25 years Malik has taught the Benjamin technique as well as his own style, a passionate blend of modern, jazz and ballet, in NYC at Steps on Broadway, Dance Space, Broadway Dance Center, New Dance Group Studios, the Ailey School and IAC in Japan. He is currently living and teaching in Paris, France at the Paris Centre Harmonique and Centre des Arts Vivant. Malik is Head of the Jazz and Musical Theatre Department of the American Academy of Dance in Paris, and is founder of The Malik Lewis Dance Experience company.

He owes thanks for his artistic life to God, his family, and mentors, Mike Malone, Fred Benjamin and Dianne McIntyre.

III - Rush Hour

Choreographer................................................................................................................................................ Robert Battle

Music...................................................................................................................................................................... John Mackey

Staging and Direction........................................................................................................................................ Erica Pujic

Premiere.................................................................................................................................................................................. 1998

Dancers (Dance Extension) Owen David, Vaughn Edelson, Caroline Kleeman, Melissa Monteleone, Erica Olsen (Thursday & Saturday)/Patra Jongjitirat (Friday & Sunday), ......................... Victoria Fortuna (Thursday & Saturday)/Keith Monach (Friday & Sunday), Maggie Mustard (Thursday & Saturday)/Victoria Roth (Friday & Sunday)

Robert Battle, originally from Miami, Florida, is a graduate of the New World School of the Arts, where he trained with Gerri Houlihan. He earned a BFA from The Juilliard School, under the direction of Benjamin Harkarvy, where he studied choreography with Bessie Schoenberg, Elizabeth Keen, and Doris Rudko. While at Juilliard, he received a Princess Grace Dance Scholarship and the Martha Hill Prize.

As a member of the Parsons Dance Company (1994-2001), Mr. Battle began setting his work on the company in 1998. His choreography has been performed by Parsons across the United States, Italy, Chile, Latvia, Columbia, Germany, Japan, and for seven-weeks at the Sydney Opera House. Mr. Battle’s work has been featured in five Parsons seasons in New York City.

After founding the Battleworks Dance Company in 2001 Mr. Battle’s work has been presented in New York City at the Joyce Theater, St. Mark’s Church, Evening Stars, The Juilliard Theater, Dancing In The Streets, Symphony Space, dancenowNYC, Joyce Soho, and Dance Theater Workshop. The Hubbard Street Repertory Ensemble, The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Ailey II, Introdans, Dallas Black Dance Theater, Ruth Rosenberg Dance Ensemble, PARADIGM, Ballet Memphis, Ballet Idaho, Koresh Dance Company, and the American Dance Festival have all commissioned Mr. Battle for both new works and re-stagings of Battleworks repertory. In 2005 Battle was honored at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts with a medal proclaiming him one of the “Masters of African-American Choreography.”

Goin’ To Chicago

(Excerpt From Getting There)

Choreographer.......................................................................................................................................... Billy Siegenfeld

Music ................................................................................................... William “Count” Basie and Jimmy Rushing

“Goin’ To Chicago” sung by Ernestine Anderson

Staged and Directed by ........................................... Billy Siegenfeld, Glenn Leslie, and Jackie Brenner

Premiere .................................................................................. 1994, Jazz Dance World Congress, Evanston IL

Dancers (Dance Extension) Vaughn Edelson (Thursday & Saturday)/Annie Chagnot (Friday & Sunday), Rachel Forman, Maggie Mustard, Victoria Fortuna (Thursday & Saturday)/Blanche Greene-Cramer (Friday & Sunday), Keith Monach, Melissa Monteleone, Maggie Mustard, Erica Olsen (Thursday & Saturday)/Hannah Holdstein (Friday & Sunday), Victoria Roth (Thursday & Saturday/Caroline Kleeman (Friday & Sunday)

Billy Siegenfeld is the founder, artistic director, and principal choreographer of Jump Rhythm Jazz Project (JRJP) as well as one of its principal performers. At Northwestern University (where he is a current faculty member), in the city of Chicago, and on tour, Billy and members of JRJP teach his original Jump Rhythm Jazz Technique -- a “rhythm-first” approach to movement learning that helps transform body and voice into musically articulate, energy-driven percussion instruments. Dancer magazine credits Billy with “inventing the fi rst genuine jazz technique in forty years,” and, in the year 2000, Dance Teacher placed him on the “Twentieth Century Timeline of Major Innovators and Choreographers.”

In 2006 he was the recipient of Chicago’s Ruth Page Award, given yearly to one individual in dance who has made signifi cant contributions to the field of dance. In 2005 he received the Jazz Dance World Congress Award for Major Contributions to the Art of Jazz Dance. His choreography has also been performed by Limón Dance Company, Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago, Joffrey II Dancers, Decidedly Jazz Danceworks of Canada, and JazzCool of the Netherlands. Before joining Northwestern, he directed the Dance Program of Hunter College in New York City, choreographed and danced for the concert stage, performed in musical theatre—including featured roles in the Broadway production of Singin’ in the Rain—and performed and taught for nine years with the Don Redlich Dance Company.

A writer on jazz dance and music, he has published articles discussing the essential role swing plays in jazz dancing as well as those proposing a pedagogy based on teaching to “the person inside the student.” He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Literature from Brown University and a Master of Arts in Dance from New York University.

The reconstruction of Goin’ To Chicago was made possible in part by a grant from the Lawton Wehle-Fitt Artist-In-Residence Endowment.

Suite from A Choreographic Offering

Choreographer ................................................................................................................................................... José Limón

Music ................................................................................................. Johann Sebastian Bach “ Musical Offering”

Staging and Direction............................................................................................................................ Jonathan Riedel

First Performed by the José Limón Dance Company August 15, 1964, at the American Dance Festival, New London, CT

Dancers: (The Dance Ensemble)

I - Soloist: Maggie Mustard (Thursday & Saturday)/Patra Jongjitirat (Friday & Sunday) with Annie Chagnot, Rachel Forman, Victoria Fortuna, Blanche Greene-Cramer, Caroline Kleeman, Melissa Monteleone, Keith Monach, Victoria Roth, Caroline Andrew, Map Aramphongphan, Sarah Sussman, Annie Banducci, Laura Bayley, Courtney Wright

II - Soloist: Rachel Forman (Thursday & Saturday)/ Keith Monach (Friday & Sunday) with Annie Chagnot, Victoria Fortuna, Blanche Greene-Cramer, Caroline Kleeman, Melissa Monteleone, Maggie Mustard, Victoria Roth, Patra Jongjitirat, Caroline Andrew, Map Aramphongphan, Sarah Sussman

III - The Ensemble

This work is in memory of Doris Humphrey. It is based on movements from her dances and contains variations, paraphrases, and motifs from: “Gigue”,” Sarabande,” “Water Study,” “Dionysiaques,” “The Pleasure of Counterpoint,” “Circular Descent,” “Handel Variations,” “Air on a Ground Base,” “Rudepoema,” “New Dance,” “With My Red Fires,” “Passacaglia and Fugue in C Minor” and “Ruins and Visions.”

José Limón (1908-1972), one of the major figures in American modern dance, worked throughout his career to strengthen the image of the male dancer and bring it to a new stature and recognition. Limón performed with Doris Humphrey and Charles Weidman, between 1930 and 1940 and in 1946, with Doris Humphrey as his artistic director, he formed his own company. A success from its first performances at Broadway’s Belasco Theatre in early 1947, the Company remains one of America’s most important modern dance institutions. Many of his works have become classics, such as The Moor’s Pavane, There is a Time, and Missa Brevis. In recognition of his achievements, Limón was honored with two Dance Magazine Awards, the Capezio Award, honorary doctorates from four universities, the Samuel Scripps Award from the American Dance Festival, and induction into the National Museum of Dance Hall of Fame.

©1996, José Limón Dance Foundation. This performance of “Suite from A Choreographic Offering” is presented by arrangement with the José Limón Dance Foundation, Inc. and has been produced in accordance with the Limón Style and the Limón Technique service standards established by the José Limón Dance Foundation, Inc. Limón Style and the Limón Technique are trade and service marks of the José Limón Dance Foundation, Inc. (All rights reserved.)

The reconstruction of “Suite from A Choreographic Offering” was made possible in part by a grant from the Brown University Creative Arts Council

About the companies:

The Dance Ensemble coordinated by founding director of dance, Julie A. Strandberg, has enthralled audiences since 1969 with works in modern, traditional, and experimental dance. The Ensemble, open to all Brown students, participates in specific, finite projects and has worked with guest choreographers, Carol Abizaid (Brown ‘84), Talley Beatty, Paul Benney, Chris Elam (Brown ‘98), Mary Paul Hunter, Jessica Lutes (Brown ‘88), Yin Mei, Bradon McDonald and Milton Myers and with guest artist Jennifer Conley on the reconstruction of Martha Graham’s Celebration. The Ensemble is featured in today’s program in Malik Lewis’ A Salute To Living Master, Fred Benjamin and José Limón’s “Suite from A Choreographic Offering.”

Celebrating its 27th season, Dance Extension, directed by Julie A. Strandberg, was established on the premise that the training of dancers must include the opportunity to perform, teach, and revisit masterworks. While the dancers in the company are encouraged and supported to create their own work, they also have the opportunity, rare in the academy, to work with some of our most revered choreographers and exciting contemporary innovators. The company has performed dances that include classics by Martha Graham, Eve Gentry, Donald McKayle, and Charles Weidman, contemporary works by Ruth Andrien, Laura Bennett, Brian Reeder, Carolyn Dorfman, David Parsons, Annamaura Silverblatt, Amy Spencer and Richard Colton, multi-media work by Troika Ranch, and new works by emerging Brown student choreographers. Extension is featured in today’s program in Robert Battle’s Rush Hour, Billy Siegenfeld’s Goin’ To Chicago, and José Limón’s “Suite from A Choreographic Offering”

New Works/ World Traditions: As one of the East Coasts premiere cultural and performing arts companies, New Works/ World Traditions host the highest caliber of musicians, actors and dancers devoted to the research and development of new performance. Working with contemporary and traditional artists from various corners of the world, New Works’ performances infuse each piece with pulsating rhythms, moving images, original music, and text that explore contemporary and ritualized landscapes.