New York Season 2013

Tuesday-Sunday, February 5-10
Tues.-Wed. 7:30pm; Thurs.-Fri. 8pm; Sat. 2pm & 8pm; Sun. 2pm & 7:30pm

The Joyce Theater
175 Eighth Avenue @ 19th Street, NYC

$39, $25, $19, $10
JoyceCharge 212-242-0800 • joyce.org

Opening Night Gala Reception
Tickets: begin at $250, Call: 212-719-3301

Martine van Hamel

About the Program

Program A (2/5; 2/7; 2/9 mat; 2/10 mat)
Rain, music by Glen Velez
Prelude
Three Solos from Nacho Duato’s ballet “Arenal”
World Premiere: This is Forever, music by Steve Margoshes (performing live on piano 2/5)
World Premiere:  Snow Falling on Water, music by Andy Teirstein (live ensemble)
Requiem, music by Fauré

Program B (2/6; 2/8; 2/9 eve; 2/10 eve)
Caravaggio Meets Hopper
Threshold
World Premiere: Butterflies and Demons, music by Daniel Bernard Roumain
World Premiere:  Solo choreographed by Katarzyna Skarpetowska
Suspended Women, music by Ravel with interpolations by Daniel Bernard Roumain (DBR)

Program subject to change.

Four World Premieres, Live Music
Buglisi Dance Theatre’s passionate dancing and sublime theatricality speak to the visceral strengths and vulnerabilities of humanity.  Celebrating its 20th Anniversary season, the company will perform Artistic Director Jacqulyn Buglisi’s signature works Requiem and Suspended Women, alongwith company favorites Caravaggio Meets Hopper, Rain and Threshold.  The two programs also include three world premieres by Buglisi: This is Forever, set to a rhapsody performed live by composer Steve Margoshes on opening night; Snow Falling on Water, exploring themysteryandsecrets of growing up in Brooklyn, set to a tender score by Andy Teirstein performed live; and Butterflies and Demons, addressing the violations of personal freedom set to music by Daniel Bernard Roumain (DBR); and, the debut of a commission by Guest Choreographer Katarzyna Skarpetowska.  Nacho Duato solo excerpts from his ballet Arsenal are a season highlight. 

Buglisi Dance Theatre's 2013 season is made possible with public funds from the National Endowment for the Arts, the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature, and through the generous support of the Arnhold Foundation, O'Donnell Green Music and Dance Foundation, The Father Fame Foundation, The Shubert Foundation, and The Harkness Foundation for Dance.

WHO’s WHO IN THE COMPANY

JACQULYN BUGLISI (Artistic Director). In her four decadecareer as a choreographer, artisticdirector, dancer, and masterteacher, Ms. Buglisi has madean indelible impact on the fieldof dance. She began her dancetraining with the Russian Swaboda sisters andin the Mary Wigman Technique with founder/director Jan Veen of the Boston Conservatorybefore meeting Martha Graham in 1964. Duringher 30-year association with the MarthaGraham Dance Company, she performed as aprincipal dancer, had her work Sospiri premieredat City Center, and was featured in theCBS presentation of the Kennedy Center Honorsand the film An Evening of Dance and Conversation with Martha Graham. She is co-founderof Italy’s first contemporary dancecompany and school and a charter member ofJoyce Trisler Danscompany. She is a prolificchoreographer, having created more than 80ballets and commissions worldwide for collaborationswith Italian artist Rossella Vasta on The Table of Silence Project 9/11 for over 140 dancersperformed at Lincoln Center and in Italy;Tan Dun and Dou Dou Huang for the ShanghaiDance Ensemble and Sacred Currents at TheJoyce Theater; New York Flamenco Festival inMadrid, New York City Center, and Sadler’sWells; David De Silva/Father Fame Foundation;LMCC for UnderTheButtonwoodTree.com;Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival; The Ice Theatreof New York; Richmond Ballet; North CarolinaDance Theatre; The Juilliard School; and AileyII. Ms. Buglisi is Chair of the Modern Departmentat The Ailey School; served on the facultiesof The Juilliard School and Martha GrahamSchool; and teaches workshops at NYC publicschools, Steps on Broadway, Peridance, andTeatro Carcano in Milan. Her honors includethe Fiorello LaGuardia Award for Excellence,NEA fellowships, and Altria’s Women ChoreographerInitiative Award. Buglisi serves onDance/USA’s Board of Trustees as Chair, ArtisticDirector’s Council.

Charles Askegard (Guest Artist) While a soloist at American Ballet Theater, Mr. Askegard worked with Agnes de Mille, Glen Tetley, Twyla Tharp, Lar Lubovitch, and James Kudelka and performed leading roles in full-length ballets. As a principal dancer at the New York City Ballet, he performed leading roles in many Robbins and Balanchine ballets. He created ballets with Peter Martins, Christopher Wheeldon, Eliot Feld, Robert La Fosse, and Helgi Tomasson. Mr. Askegard has performed with The Dutch National Ballet, Bavarian State Opera, National Ballet of Canada, Pacific Northwest Ballet, and Philippine Ballet Theatre. He is co-founder and director of Ballet Next.

VIRGINIE MÉCÈNE (Principal Dancer), former Principal Dancer with the Martha Graham Dance Company, joined BDT in 1994, originating roles in Ms. Buglisi's Requiem and Suspended Women. She was appointed Artistic Director of Graham II and Director of the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance in 2007. She served as a Lecturer at Barnard College and teaches at the Martha Graham School, guest teacher at the Ailey School, and abroad. She has set Graham's works on Universities and companies including Harvard Ballet Company, Les Ballets de Lorraine, Temple University and others. She taught and choreographed for Opera-Theatre de Metz, France; Joffrey Midwest Workshop; Graham II and others. She also serves as the President of The Emergency Fund for Student Dancers (EFSD).

KEVIN PREDMORE (Principal Dancer) holds a Master’s from SUNY Purchase, is a founding member and has been instrumental in the creation of many BDT’s dances. He has performed with the Martha Graham Dance Company, Pearl Lang Dance Theater, Rioult Dance and worked with Sophie Maslow, Stuart Hodes, Moses Pendleton, Daniel Nagrin, and Max Luna III. With Virginie Mécène, Kevin co-produced Profiles at the Sylvia & Danny Kaye Playhouse. He serves on the faculties of The Ailey School and the Martha Graham School.

Helen Hansen French (Principal Dancer) received her BFA from The Juilliard School in 2001. Upon graduating she was invited to join Buglisi Dance Theatre. Mrs. Hansen French has been instrumental in restaging BDT’s works at universities and dance companies throughout the United States.  She has been a member of the dance faculties at The Juilliard School, The Neighborhood Playhouse, St. Petersburg College, George Mason University and Flint Hill School.

JASON JORDAN (Principal Dancer) began his dance career at the tender age of seven when he won five dollars for being the best dancer at a Brook­lyn house party. He has since danced with Feld Ballets/NY, Ballet Tech, Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montreal, Armitage Gone!, Twyla Tharp, Bal­let Noir, Gleich Dances, Rubberbandance, Ce­dar Lake, Peridance Ensemble, Battery Dance, 360 Degrees Dance Co., and since 2005 with BDT, appearing in featured roles in Sand, Rain, and This is Forever.  

Marie Zvosec (Dancer) is a graduate of the School of Ohio Dance Theatre, the North Carolina School of the Arts, and The Juilliard School (B.F.A.).  Celebrating her 7th season with BDT, she originated roles in The Conversation, Acapelorus, Caravaggio Meets Hopper and Interplay. She performs with TAKE Dance and Bennyroyce Dance Productions and has been seen with Douglas Dunn and Dancers, Hilary Easton + Company, Ohio Dance Theatre and the Metropolitan Opera Ballet, among many others.

Lauren Jaeger (Dancer) is a Magna Cum Laude graduate from Marymount Manhattan College. She first performed Requiem while attending MMC and upon graduation, was invited to join BDT. She plays a key role in rehearsing Buglisi's Table of Silence Project. She is also a Principal Dancer with Ballet Ambassadors, a member of ACB Dance, and has performed with Peridance Contemporary Dance Company. She teaches for the School at Peridance, The Steffi Nossen School of Dance, and Greenwich Dance Studio.

SO YOUNG AN (Dancer) re­ceived her BFA from Dong-Ah University. She is the recipient of the International Seoul Arts Award and the Grand Prize at the Korea National Ballet Grand Prix. She has danced with the Korea National Ballet, OBT, Duzl Dance, and has performed works by Yuri Grigorovich, Jean-Christophe Maillot, Mats Ek. So Young joined BDT in 2008, appearing in Wild Mannequins & Wing Walkers, Suspended Women, and as a featured dancer in This is Forever.

Stephanie Van Dooren (Dancer) received her dance training at the Dutch National Ballet Academy and at The Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance on full scholarship.  She recently served as Associate Choreographer at Opera North. She has also danced with Graham II, ACB Dance, and Nimbus Dance Works. She joined BDT in 2010 as an apprentice and appeared in Sand, Blue Cathedral, Interplay No. 9-1 and Letters of Love on Ripped Paper.

Ari Mayzick (Dancer) joined BDT in 2011. He began his training at the age of 11 at the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance on full scholarship. At the age of 14, he was asked to join the second company and joined the main company at 21. He has danced with Rioult Dance, Pearl Lang Dance Theater, Les Ballets De Monte Carlo, and The Washington Opera as a Guest Soloist, and Twyla Tharp's ballets on Norwegian Cruise Lines.  Ari thanks his mother for all of her love and support throughout the years.

Michael Fernandez (Dancer) began his dance training at Osceola County School of the Arts.  He continued his training at New World School of the Arts in Miami. After graduating with a BFA in dance he joined Garth Fagan Dance. He thanks Peter London for introducing him to Ms. Buglisi and this wonderful company. This is his second season with BDT. 

Grace Song (Dancer) A native of Southern California, she began training at Inland Pacific Ballet, and at the L.A. High School for the Arts. Upon graduating from The Juilliard School in 2011, she was asked to dance with the Martha Graham Dance Company. She joined BDT in the summer of 2012, first performing in “This is Forever" at the Downtown Dance Festival.

Darion Smith (Dancer) has performed in such companies as The Dance Theatre of Harlem, The Metropolitan Opera Ballet, New York Theatre Ballet and Cherylyn Lavagnino Dance. He was a guest lecturer at the UC/Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara City College and taught ballet and jazz dance for Dance Theatre of Harlem's educational and community outreach programs. This is Darion’s first season with BDT. 

Katarzyna Skarpetowska (Choreographer/Dancer) is a native of Warsaw, Poland. She is an alumna of the NYC High School of Performing Arts and received a B.F.A. from The Juilliard School.  In 1992, at age 15, she was the youngest cast member of the Broadway show, METRO, directed and choreographed by Janusz Jozefowicz.  She was a member of Parsons Dance Company, Battleworks Dance Company, and since 2007 performs with the Lar Lubovitch Dance Company. Kate has appeared as a guest artist with BDT since 2009. She has set the works of Lar Lubovitch, David Parsons, and Robert Battle in the United States and abroad.  In addition, her own choreography has been performed by various universities, Houston Metropolitan Dance Company, Hubbard Street 2, and the Parsons Dance Company.  In 2009, she co-designed and co-directed Romeo and Juliet for The Gunter Theater in Greenville, SC. 

Carrie Ellmore-Tallitsch (Dancer) was a principal dancer with the Martha Graham Dance Company. Carrie and has worked with such prominent artists/collaborators such as 360 Dance, GloATL, Aszure Barton, Larry Keigwin, Josie Moseley, and Lar Lubovitch in the Lamentation Variations, Martha Clarke, Pascal Rioult, Philadanco, Siti Company, Robert Wilson’s Snow on the Mesa  and in BDT’s Table of Silence Project 9/11.  

Natasha Diamond-Walker (Dancer) first performed with BDT in 2007 at The Joyce Theater in Atom Heart’s Club Suite No. 1. A graduate of the Ailey/Fordham B.F.A. program, she has performed in the works of Lester Horton, Alvin Ailey, Paul Taylor, Francesca Harper, and Nacho Duato.  Natasha is a member of the Martha Graham Dance Company.

Erika Langmeyer (Apprentice) is from Seattle, WA and graduated with a B.F.A. in Dance from George Mason University. She joined BDT in 2011 and has also performed with Naganuma Dance and The Moving Beauty Series.

Suzzanne Ponomarenko (Dancer Apprentice) is a graduate of Marymount Manhattan College where she received a B.F.A. in Modern Dance.  This is her first season with BDT performing in The Table of Silence Project 9/11 at Lincoln Center.