The New York Baroque Dance Co.

Dance Theater Workshop was stunned to learn of The Village Voice‘s recent decision to cut back its dance reviews to one half page. On behalf of the artists that Dance Theater Workshop presents, the members they serve and the loyal audiences for dance, the following letter below was hand delivered to The Village Voice.

Doug Simmons
Managing Editor
The Village Voice
36 Cooper Square
New York, NY 10003

Dear Mr. Simmons,
On behalf of Dance Theater Workshop, I am writing to express our deep concern in The Village Voice’s reduction by fifty percent of coverage of dance, dance companies and choreography.

Since its founding in 1955, The Village Voice has set the standard for high-spirited and passionate reporting and criticism. Our dance community –dancers, choreographers and audiences – embrace the Voice as the premier expert on New York’s cultural scene. Its astute and savvy reviews of our performing art have helped to make dance an increasingly integral part of New York City.

We ask that you consider reinstating the full page of reviews and advance notices to ensure that The Village Voice continues to be the authoritative source and “voice” for dance in New York – the dance capital of the world.
Sincerely,

Marion Dienstag
Executive Director
Dance Theater Workshop

Dear Friends,

Have you ever wondered what would happen if the 18th century and the 21st century violently collided?  Wonder no longer! Ladies and Gentlemen, I am pleased to announce the opening of a spectacle that dazzles the eye and whirls the brain into a frothy mush:

Avant/Après le Déluge! Eighteenth century and postmodern baroque dances!

From sensuous and virtuosic reconstructions of 18th c. dances to Judson Church postmodernism in baroque costume to 18Th c. India Bollywood-style to French Colonial Haiti with live musicians to the rock and roll minuet to a toe-tapping clogging rigaudon!!

Here’s the nitty-gritty:

Avant/Après le Déluge

Dances by

Patricia Beaman
Caroline Copeland
Marcea Daiter
Sarah Edgar
Joy Havens
Rachel List
Seth Williams
Tim Wilson

December 2-4 at 8pm

CRS Theater
123 4th Ave, 2nd Fl
(btw. 12th and 13th Sts.)

$12
Reservations: 212-352-3101 www.theatermania.com

This show will most likely sell out! Get your tickets today!

Contributed by Rachel

I wanted to let people know about a project I’ve been working on recently. I was invited to collaborate on The Gentleman Dancing-Master , a 1672 English Restoration comedy by William Wycherly, to be performed at the Pearl Theatre from Nov. 20 through Dec. 18. The story concerns Hippolita, a fourteen year old English girl who has been cloistered in her home for the past year by her father who has adopted the strict and severe moral codes of Spain. The father plans to marry Hippolita to her cousin who has, unfortunately, adopted the foppish and affected ways of the French. Spain and France do battle in Hippolita’s English boudoir as she makes plans of her own to marry an appealing Englishman who must pretend to be a Dancing Master to save his own skin and Hippolita’s honor. It all works out in the end and is very funny along the way, with singing, dancing, swordplay, and ribaldry all mixed in. Go to www.pearltheatre.org for a complete schedule of performances including previews starting 11/10.

Contributed by: Tim

I am writing a little note to let everyone out there know that the company will be in Dallas Texas this weekend performing from our Handel/Sallé program. The show includes a dance suite from the opera, “Ariodante,” Sallé’s, “Les Caracteres de la Danse,” and “Terpsicore.” Appearing at the Majestic Theater, the company will be dancing to music performed by The Dallas Bach Society on Sunday October 9th at 3pm. Should you find yourself in Dallas, Texas this weekend, consider yourself invited to partake in this wonderful afternoon of music and dance.

Contributed by Rachel

This August I had the pleasure of performing “La Passacaille d’Armide” for the Faculty Gala at Bates Dance Festival in Maine. It was a debut for my costume, inspired by one of the NYBDC’s costumes and built by Lisa Marzolf, with a new mask, painted by William J. Totten. A dramatic, Baroque solo was new for many people in this audience. From their comments, I discovered that most people kept their focus on only one aspect of the dance – the hand gestures, for example, or the foot work. People had rather strong reactions to the mask. Some people found it “creepy” while others said they were amazed at how lifelike it seemed to become. The dance was placed in between a duet by Kathleen Hermesdorf and Albert Mathias and a solo by David Dorfman. Again, some people found this a strange mix, but others thought it was “perfect.” I love doing this solo and was very happy to be able to introduce it to a new crowd.

Contributed by: Seth
The picture depicts a scene from Lully’s opera ‘Amadis de Gaule,’ and right now I’m reconstructing a solo excerpt from that opera choreographed in England by Anthony L’Abbe. It’s called the “Chaconne d’Amadis,” and the notation was published in 1725. The original production of ‘Amadis de Gaule,’ if you believe what the Mercure de France says (and who doesn’t?), was the ‘Oklahoma’ of its day. Its day, or rather its year, being 1684. Supposedly this was the show that finally gave dance an important role in propelling the action of the story, though I guess it didn’t succeed for very long since that’s also what they say about ‘Oklahoma.’ And also what they say about lots of other shows.

If you ask me none of them ever actually succeeded in making a dance help tell the story so compellingly as the critics claim, since dance isn’t really very good at doing that. I mean after all it’s dance.

But the Chaconne d’Amadis is just great, very tough, with lots of intricate jumps and turns. The version I’m doing was performed in London originally by Louis Dupre sometime between 1718 and 1722. Dupre was a hot-shot dancer, much in demand, and here’s an awfully fishy story: he was in Paris in 1718 for the April revival of Lully’s ‘Amadis de Gaule’ and then returned home to England for more shows at John Rich’s theater, Lincoln’s Inn Field. And then a couple of years later out comes L’Abbe’s choreography for the chaconne from Amadis. I don’t know who the Paris choreographer was, but to have a famous soloist from the Paris production return to London and start performing a solo excerpt to music from that show with choreography by someone new….well, that just sounds like there must have been some stealing going on. In other words, Anthony L’Abbe is a big fat phony. Or maybe a fabulous choreographer. Probably both.

I’ll be showing my reconstruction in Wyoming at the Sense of Place Dance Festival and then in New York for a show that Sarah’s curating for early December. Details TBA.

Contributed by: Tim

Well, Sarah and I have been collaborating through the heat of the summer and we would like to announce the world premier of “Minuet &#224 Deux.” As part of the DanceNow Festival, Sarah and I will be presenting a modern dance minuet for two, inspired and guided by the sensibilities of the Baroque era. Our intension was to build a free-moving duet using the elements of design, rhythmical interpretation, and drama found in the work of the dancing masters and choreographers of the 18th century. The product we have to offer is an exciting modern minuet exploring the concepts of courtship and relationships through the use of rhythm and dance.

“Minuet &#224 Deux” will be presented as part of “Upclose and Personal.”

Where: Dance Theater Workshop, Studios
When: September 10th
Time: 2-4pm
Cost: $10

Contributed by: Caroline

Greetings to all, this is my first blog entry and a celebratory one at that! I would like to give you the dish on Katherine and Kerry’s nuptials that occurred on Monday, August 15th, 2005. It was a beautiful, yet simple ceremony which took place on the grounds of the Belvedere Mansion in Staatsburg, New York. Katherine’s dress was absolutely beautiful. She wore an 18th century-inspired gold brocade corset with a matching skirt and a 19th century-type bustle. And her shoes! She special ordered a pair of 18th century ballroom shoes (in the same fabric as her dress) from Menkes. She topped the entire ensemble off with a white feather in her hair. The groom was quite dashing himself in his traditional Scottish kilt. My only disappointment lay in the plaid boxers he wore underneath!
The mansion, which was built in the 1760’s, was the perfect setting for a couple’s first menuet as husband and wife! We chose the G minor menuetto II from Handel’s Water Music. It was just the right length and feel. Unfortunately, I was changing into my costume when Katherine and Kerry gave what I am sure was a memorable performance, and indeed, a thoughtful gift to their families and friends.

Upon finishing their dances with their mothers and fathers, I made my entrance to Purcell’s Nymphs and Shepherds. After giving them my offering of poetry and wishes (in an attractively decorated basket of dark brown with green ribbons, topped with a delicate green bird….) I continued the dance. It was indeed an intimate space, I noted to myself, as I proceeded to perform a menuet from Purcell’s When I have often heard young maids complaining, flirting with the guests who su

Contributed by: Sarah

Please come and see LIMBS, a pageant. I am constructing the choreography for this movement-theater piece, and it has plunged me headlong into a few of the American wars (WWI, Korea, and the current Iraq war) from the point of view of the men and women that had to fight in them. Even if we don’t want it, we are currently at war. Art is one way to help us stay connected and present instead of cocooned in our seemingly safe environment.

LIMBS examines the way we sensationalize, dehumanize, and discard the lives of amputated veterans. A media obsessed household clashes with a century of American war stories in this dance theatre spectacle. This new play is sure to both “shock and awe” as decapitated, mute and limbless veterans compete with a scathing media and government issued televisions.

It is directed by Niegel Smith with choreography by Sarah Edgar and is part of The American Living Room: The Carousel of Progress Festival at HERE.

July 30th at 8:30pm
July 31st at 8:30pm
$15

Here Arts Center is located at 145 6th Ave (between Spring and Broome). Please call 212-647-0202 or visit www.here.orgfor more information about the festival. You may also contact Sarah Edgar at sarahesther2000@yahoo.com for information about LIMBS.

Contributed by: Catherine

April, May and June have been most remarkable! I began April considering the symbolism of wild boar hunts in mythology and Baroque opera, Handel’s Atalanta to be precise. This was a beautiful production. It included a fantastic cast headed by Dominique LaBelle as Atalanta, Nicholas McGegan conducting and ended with fireworks on stage designed by an experienced rock music pyrotechnic artist.

Our performances continued through mid-May. Then it was time to go home to the family, attend Edward’s graduation from 6th grade and pack for our summer trip to the Catskill Mountains. Our 3 week residency with the dancers and my family popping in and out from excursions to the Herkimer Diamond Mine began with rehearsals in a picturesque barn occupied by a family of racoons. In fact, this was the perfect setting for our pastoral ballet to Handel’s Ariodante. Nature inspired us with spontaneous thunder storms, more fire flies than you can imagine and a night sky brimming with stars.

In June we went from the barn to the palace theater of Frederick the Great in Potsdam. I had confidence our show was incredible so when I was told we were not invited to the reception after the private performance for the Nobel Laureates and the President of Germany, I just smiled. That evening I was dressed…just in case… and, yes, upon leaving the stage door we were met with an invitation to the reception in the Shell Room of the Neues Palais for champagne and h’ors d’oeuvres! I spoke to President Kohler and his lovely wife for over 20 minutes about dance, architecture and our changing culture.

For me, the other highlight of the trip was to have our company perform in the theater whose very floor boards were touched by the feet of celebrated 18th century ballerinas:Marie Salle, Catherine Roland and Barbarina. In my own performance I felt an electric tie with the past. In watching my dancers I was transported to the timeless beauty of our art, proud of their accomplishments and proud to be living the life of a dancer.