9 days of perfect weather, 40 dance companies of every hue and style, 3 venues -- Governors Island, Chase Plaza and Battery Park -- and terrific, enthusiastic audiences. Who could ask for more? But wait, we got more: two sensational reviews from New York Times Chief Dance Critic Alastair Macaulay, richly illustrated with color photos; plus a huge photo in the NYT Weekend Section. Check out the NYT online for Wednesday, August 20 and Monday, August 25 and see for yourselves! And better yet, come back next year and enjoy the 28th Annual DDF!
Monday, August 25, 2008
Downtown Dance Festival Finale!
9 days of perfect weather, 40 dance companies of every hue and style, 3 venues -- Governors Island, Chase Plaza and Battery Park -- and terrific, enthusiastic audiences. Who could ask for more? But wait, we got more: two sensational reviews from New York Times Chief Dance Critic Alastair Macaulay, richly illustrated with color photos; plus a huge photo in the NYT Weekend Section. Check out the NYT online for Wednesday, August 20 and Monday, August 25 and see for yourselves! And better yet, come back next year and enjoy the 28th Annual DDF!
Friday, August 22, 2008
Wednesday and Thursday at Chase Plaza
Nine dance companies performed for enthusiastic audiences on Wednesday and Thursday and yes, the gorgeous weather continued to place clear blue skies overhead!
Everybody Dance Now segments brought dozens of audience members out of their chairs and up onto the stage to join the action. It would seem unfair to single out a particular company for praise, but we must mention Marlena Wolfe's rendition of Ella by Robert Battle for its fierce, passionate and very full delivery, Naomi Goldberg Haas' multi-generational dancers for their connection with every member of the audience, and Ballet Noir's dynamic duo, Leyland Simmons and Natalia Johnson.
And how about this: the music faltered 2 minutes short of the end of Where There's Smoke but the Battery Dancers, Carmen Nicole, Robin Cantrell, Sean Scantlebury and Bafana Matea, kept right on until they reached the end in silence and in precise coordination. The audience rewarded this feat with a big ovation!
Everybody Dance Now segments brought dozens of audience members out of their chairs and up onto the stage to join the action. It would seem unfair to single out a particular company for praise, but we must mention Marlena Wolfe's rendition of Ella by Robert Battle for its fierce, passionate and very full delivery, Naomi Goldberg Haas' multi-generational dancers for their connection with every member of the audience, and Ballet Noir's dynamic duo, Leyland Simmons and Natalia Johnson.
And how about this: the music faltered 2 minutes short of the end of Where There's Smoke but the Battery Dancers, Carmen Nicole, Robin Cantrell, Sean Scantlebury and Bafana Matea, kept right on until they reached the end in silence and in precise coordination. The audience rewarded this feat with a big ovation!
Chase Plaza - 4 days & 1 to go
Monday and Tuesday's Downtown Dance Festival performances launched the new Erasing Borders Festival of Indian Dance in a blaze of color. Alastair Macauley, Chief Dance Critic of the New York Times graced us with a splendid review and three wonderful photos! Here's a sample of the review:
The long-held opening tableau of four young women was a thrill, a harmonious grouping (not unlike the famous Romantic ballet lithograph of the 1845 Pas de Quatre, resembling a four-leaf clover), arms all directed along a single diagonal, save for one, powerfully aimed the opposite way. Indian dance can often have unparalleled powers of sculptural fullness; in this case that sense registered before the performers executed a step.
Macauley even delighted us by bringing in the spirit of Edwin Denby, the late great dance writer. We are most grateful!
The long-held opening tableau of four young women was a thrill, a harmonious grouping (not unlike the famous Romantic ballet lithograph of the 1845 Pas de Quatre, resembling a four-leaf clover), arms all directed along a single diagonal, save for one, powerfully aimed the opposite way. Indian dance can often have unparalleled powers of sculptural fullness; in this case that sense registered before the performers executed a step.
Macauley even delighted us by bringing in the spirit of Edwin Denby, the late great dance writer. We are most grateful!
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Festival within a Festival
Over the past two days at Chase Plaza, we have seen a procession of color, rhythm and expression through hands and face (mudras and abhinaya) during the launch of Indo-American Arts Council's Erasing Borders Festival of Indian Dance. Solos, duets, trios and group pieces have treated our senses to the classical modes as well as the new experiments by dancers from India, Canada and various parts of the U.S. Battery Dance Company has a long history of presenting Indian dance but the past two days' cooperation with IAAC brought this passion to a fevered pitch. Judging by the thousand-strong audiences each day, the public is ready to follow our lead in this special area of dance. For those whose appetites have been awakened, there are two more days of Erasing Borders at the Ailey Citigroup Theatre, 405 W. 55th Street at 9th Avenue.
As for the Downtown Dance Festival, we continue at Chase Plaza on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday with a fabulous line-up of 14 dance companies from 12 noon until 2 pm each day. On the weekend, we take up residence on the lawn at Battery Park from 1 - 5 on Saturday and Sunday. See you there!
As for the Downtown Dance Festival, we continue at Chase Plaza on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday with a fabulous line-up of 14 dance companies from 12 noon until 2 pm each day. On the weekend, we take up residence on the lawn at Battery Park from 1 - 5 on Saturday and Sunday. See you there!
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Glorious Downtown Dance Festival Launch
New York City can boast of some great weather (when it's not too cold, too wet, or too hot!) Well, our Karma must be excellent because yesterday and today, the two opening days of the 27th Annual Downtown Dance Festival, were two of the most spectacular days of the year.
A few thousand visitors took the refreshing ride across the Harbor from Lower Manhattan on the Governors Island Ferry. After a short stroll to Colonel's Row, they were treated to four hours of dance on a stage each day, perfectly situated on a grassy mall lined with London Plane Trees in full foliage.
Saturday's striking images included a bevvy of women in a rainbow of long-skirts knotted to each other in Samar Haddad King's Skirt Dance; another skirted community huddling and sashaying together in Melanie Cortier's Sookie Jumps; 4 couples in evening gowns and tuxedo shirts swinging to Dean Martin in Lydia Johnson's Dream Sequence; dancers intertwining to breathy singing and guitar-strumming by Maya Solovey in Lane Gifford's Touch; Rainey Welch's cut-off crew of hip-ster women in Shedd Your Skin; Stefanie Nelson's pairing of a tortured man and a grounded woman in Out of Wonderland; Margo Sappington's delightful miniature Bossacucanova for three young ballerinas trained by Valentina Koslova; Battery Dance Company's own spiritual quartet Where There's Smoke to Poulenc; the earthy gyrations of Vissi Dance Theater which led to the grand finale with nearly 50 audience members learning to jive and jack to house music guided by the masterful Courtney Ffrench.
Today's (Sunday) marathon of twelve companies began with fluid dancers in scarves performing Isadora Duncan's lucious choreography staged by Catherine Gallant (with a second dose of Duncan served up later by Laura Iris Nave) and ended with a singer and guitar-accompanied strutting of a striking couple of Flamenco dancers (Ricky Santiago and Laura Montes) from Carlota Santana's Flamenco Vivo. In between, there was a the stunning courtship duet of Natalia Johnson and Leyland Simmons choreographed by Corey Baker; Yung-Li Chen's tutu-clad modern dancers with helium balloons and a shopping cart; grooving funky gals in Karen Arceneaux' Departure; the legendary Sachiyo Ito in a Kabuki lullaby and her trio of dancers in kimonos with willow branches and cherry blossoms; twitching clients in Karen Gale's Waiting Room; Dance China NY with their dancers whose seamless gymnastic moves set by Jiang Qi to Bach rivalled their countrymen in the Beijing Olympics; Amy Marshall's Unharvested with a cast of nine in sculptured partnering and fluid formations; Naomi Goldberg Haas' senior citizens in touching duets with young concert dancers ; dance as vivid, fantastical story-telling by Tsuyoshi Kaseda.
Tomorrow and Tuesday, we open our series of five performances at Chase Plaza with a festival-within-a-festival: ten companies representing the different shades of Indian dance. Come and join the enchantment!
A few thousand visitors took the refreshing ride across the Harbor from Lower Manhattan on the Governors Island Ferry. After a short stroll to Colonel's Row, they were treated to four hours of dance on a stage each day, perfectly situated on a grassy mall lined with London Plane Trees in full foliage.
Saturday's striking images included a bevvy of women in a rainbow of long-skirts knotted to each other in Samar Haddad King's Skirt Dance; another skirted community huddling and sashaying together in Melanie Cortier's Sookie Jumps; 4 couples in evening gowns and tuxedo shirts swinging to Dean Martin in Lydia Johnson's Dream Sequence; dancers intertwining to breathy singing and guitar-strumming by Maya Solovey in Lane Gifford's Touch; Rainey Welch's cut-off crew of hip-ster women in Shedd Your Skin; Stefanie Nelson's pairing of a tortured man and a grounded woman in Out of Wonderland; Margo Sappington's delightful miniature Bossacucanova for three young ballerinas trained by Valentina Koslova; Battery Dance Company's own spiritual quartet Where There's Smoke to Poulenc; the earthy gyrations of Vissi Dance Theater which led to the grand finale with nearly 50 audience members learning to jive and jack to house music guided by the masterful Courtney Ffrench.
Today's (Sunday) marathon of twelve companies began with fluid dancers in scarves performing Isadora Duncan's lucious choreography staged by Catherine Gallant (with a second dose of Duncan served up later by Laura Iris Nave) and ended with a singer and guitar-accompanied strutting of a striking couple of Flamenco dancers (Ricky Santiago and Laura Montes) from Carlota Santana's Flamenco Vivo. In between, there was a the stunning courtship duet of Natalia Johnson and Leyland Simmons choreographed by Corey Baker; Yung-Li Chen's tutu-clad modern dancers with helium balloons and a shopping cart; grooving funky gals in Karen Arceneaux' Departure; the legendary Sachiyo Ito in a Kabuki lullaby and her trio of dancers in kimonos with willow branches and cherry blossoms; twitching clients in Karen Gale's Waiting Room; Dance China NY with their dancers whose seamless gymnastic moves set by Jiang Qi to Bach rivalled their countrymen in the Beijing Olympics; Amy Marshall's Unharvested with a cast of nine in sculptured partnering and fluid formations; Naomi Goldberg Haas' senior citizens in touching duets with young concert dancers ; dance as vivid, fantastical story-telling by Tsuyoshi Kaseda.
Tomorrow and Tuesday, we open our series of five performances at Chase Plaza with a festival-within-a-festival: ten companies representing the different shades of Indian dance. Come and join the enchantment!
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