175 Eighth Avenue, New York, NY 10011
EDITORIAL
elcome WAll of us at The Joyce are delighted to be celebrating this institution’s 25th anniversary. To mark this milestone year, we developed special programs to celebrate 25 years of dance with our audiences and artists.
We made an extraordinary investment in the future of dance by awarding 25 outstanding The Joyce is continuing to work with the City dance companies with grants of $25,000 and State of New York towards establishing each to support the creation of new work. a new theater for dance at the World Trade Among them is Camille A. Brown’s The Center site. We are honored to be part of the Groove to Nobody’s Business, which you will redevelopment effort, and look forward to have the opportunity to see when The Joyce bringing the best in dance to an additional
Theater presents Alvin Ailey® American venue downtown. Dance Theater at the Brooklyn Academy I would like to extend a special thank you to of Music this June. We are thrilled to be our many generous and loyal donors that partnering with these celebrated share The Joyce’s commitment to supporting organizations on this venture in Brooklyn. dance. We are grateful for the vision of our We are offering a $25 ticket price for all founders, Cora Cahan and Eliot Feld, and Sunday evening performances at The Joyce the generosity of LuEsther T. Mertz. Our Theater. This has been wonderfully successful, heartfelt thanks to you all – the dancers, attracting newcomers and regulars alike. As choreographers, audiences, our ardent an added bonus, it has been a terrific boost volunteers, critics, designers, stage to neighboring businesses. managers, production staff, front-of-house staff, volunteers, administrative staff – that continue to make The Joyce a beloved home for dance.
Please join us as we celebrate 25 remarkable years!
Linda Shelton, Executive Director The Joyce Theater Foundation, Inc.
Published by The Joyce Theater Foundation - Publisher: The Joyce Theater MAYA press makes no warranties, expressed or implied, This magazine was designed, written and produced by MAYA press: www.mayapress.net - T: 212-260-5869 related to the information contained in its publications Editor: John Bennett - Writers: Craig Sabbatino, Dena Santoro - Photographers: Front Cover: Michael Huhn • Neither MAYA press nor its agents may be held responsible Basil Childers, Paula Court, Michael O’Neill, Matt Karas, Julieta Cervantes, Stephane Motta, Andrew Eccles, for any errors or omissions. Michael O’Neill, all rights reserved Artistic Director: Sébastien Martorell - Layout: Delphine Giner, Laetitia Rossi 1 ESSAY
A ASILVER SILVERCELEBRATION CEL The Joyce Marks 25 Years.
Garth Fagan Dance © Basil Childers
he Joyce Theater has been such a mainstay of the each year, from the Martha Graham Dance Company New York City dance scene that it’s hard to recall (which opened the season in September), through a time before it existed. Now celebrating its silver regulars like Ballet Hispanico, Garth Fagan Dance, Tanniversary season, the 472-seat house is making and Stephen Petronio Company, to first-timers like a big deal of that landmark - with 25 generous Mexico’s Ballet de Monterrey and Kansas City Ballet. commissions going to 25 dance companies, and The commissions, $25,000 each, epitomize special $25 tickets for all Sunday evening The Joyce’s long-standing mission to support dance performances. This cultural hub in Manhattan’s companies and broaden the dance audience. thriving Chelsea neighborhood is booked with “We wanted to honor those companies that have had a variety of dance troupes for 48 consecutive weeks the longest relationship with The Joyce over the
2 Reprinted Courtesy of Dance Magazine - October 1, 2007
25 years,” explained Martin Wechsler, Director of Manhattan Cultural Council in the annual “Evening EBRATIONProgramming. A $1 million gift from Board Chair Stars,” an outdoor performance series in Battery Park. Stephen D. Weinroth and wife Cathy initiated a The foundation is in the planning stages for a larger restricted fund for commissioning new works. The venue as part of the new performing arts center at the initiative is intended “to really make a statement, to World Trade Center site. “We have studies that show help as many companies as we could,” said Linda that New York needs a 1000-seat theater for dance, Shelton, The Joyce’s Executive Director since 1993. to fill the gap between The Joyce and larger venues,” says Shelton. “We’re a strong, stable organization, Cora Cahan created The Joyce with Eliot Feld when and if anybody is going to make that happen, she was Executive Director of his company. Feld’s The Joyce is in a position to go forward.” troupe had long sought an appropriate home base for its New York seasons, and the duo sensed that many Thanks to its subsidized rental arrangement, The Joyce others shared that need. “We wanted to create a covers two-thirds of the theater’s weekly operating situation that would protect the companies by costs for companies performing there. Some events subsidizing their performances, as well as providing are Joyce presentations (this season, they include an infrastructure of marketing, so that there was a Molissa Fenley, performers from the Khmer Arts built-in audience,” explained Cahan. Academy, Compagnie Maguy Marin, and Hubbard Street Dance Chicago) and receive a guaranteed fee. The neighborhood was a “barren landscape” when “We wouldn’t be performing in New York without Feld and Cahan purchased the Elgin Theater, a small The Joyce,” said Garth Fagan, who presented his marginal movie house, in 1979. “The first few years commissioned work there in November. “It’s very rare were hard,” Cahan recalls. The theater was booked to have a theater used only for dance. It means the for just 19 1/2 weeks the first season, 1982-83. audiences are knowledgeable and demanding, and “Once we presented Merce Cunningham’s Events in it’s wonderful to perform for them. The staff and crew September 1984, everything changed.” Cunningham’s have always been exceptional; they know what troupe has returned there often, and many others have dancers need. It’s a family experience for us.” made it their regular New York stop. The objective in the beginning was to give companies Susan Reiter longer home seasons, with weeks of earned income and time to develop an audience. Cahan, who is now president of the New 42nd Street, says this offered the opportunity to “substantially broaden their base of support. It was wide- open, all-embracing.” The mission has remained essentially the same over the years. “We’re looking for first-rate companies that cover the entire spectrum of the dance world,” says Wechsler. “We have all different disciplines from the tried-and-true to the cutting edge. The Joyce has been able to branch out into different New York neighborhoods. The Joyce Theater Foundation owns and operates Joyce SoHo, a building used for rehearsal and performances by independent choreographers and smaller troupes. In September, The Joyce partnered with the Lower Molissa Fenley and Dancers Courtesy Richard Kornberg and Associates 3 TIMELINE THE JOYCE THE Milestones at The Joyce
1978 Cora Cahan and Eliot Feld plan to create a mid-sized theater for dance in NYC. 1979 LuEsther T. Mertz generously contributes funds to purchase and renovate the Elgin Theater in Chelsea. 1981 Groundbreaking of The Joyce Theater commences June 25th; the theater is named in honor of LuEsther T. Mertz’s daughter Joyce. 1982 The Joyce Theater opens on June 1, 1982 with a celebratory presentation of dance and a champagne toast with the audience; Subsidized Rental Program is established; first season includes 19 weeks of performances by 10 companies. 1983 Bat Dor Dance Company, the first dance company from outside the U.S., performs as part of the second season. 1984 Dance Presentation Program is established; The Joyce begins work as a dance education provider for the NYC public schools. 1985 American Theater Exchange debuts, showcasing the work of resident theaters from across the U.S. 1986 The Joyce Sampler starts to showcase a variety of young and emerging choreographers. 1991 Commissioning Program launches to support the creation of new work; Altogether Different program begins; Family Matinee Series begins. The Joyce receives a $1 million endowment contribution from Lila Wallace - Reader’s Digest Fund to support performances by out-of-town companies at The Joyce. 1992 The Joyce Theater welcomes 1 million visitors! 1996 With the generous support of the LuEsther T. Mertz Charitable Trust, The Joyce purchases the building at 155 Mercer Street from Dia Center for the Arts and creates Joyce SoHo. 1997 Joyce SoHo Presents dance series begins. 1998 Dance Talks series between scholars and audiences begins; Joyce SoHo Artist Residency Program launches. 1999 The Joyce’s Commissioning Program has supported the creation of 50 new dance works! 2000 Free Advice series is introduced as seminars for dance managers. 2001 Stephen and Cathy Weinroth Fund for New Work is established to expand and sustain The Joyce’s Commissioning Program; The Joyce Travel Program launches with the first organized trip to Avignon, France. 2002 Endowment campaign is launched with a challenge grant provided by the LuEsther T. Mertz Charitable Trust; The Joyce welcomes 2.4 million visitors! 2004 The Lower Manhattan Development Corporation selects The Joyce to participate in the redevelopment of the World Trade Center site with a proposal to build a 1,000-seat theater for dance; The Joyce serves as co-presenter with Lower Manhattan Cultural Council of the free Evening Stars dance series in Battery Park, as part of the River to River Festival. 2005 Endowment reaches $12 million. 2006 The Joyce’s Commissioning Program has supported the creation of 100 new dance works. 2007 The Joyce announces the names of 25 local, national and international dance companies to receive commissioning grants of $25,000 each at a special press conference to launch its 25th anniversary celebration; The Joyce Theater opens its 25th annual season, which includes 49 weeks of dance performances by 36 varied dance companies and has welcomed 3 million visitors – and counting! 2008 The Joyce continues its 25th anniversary with the presentation of Alvin Ailey® American Dance Theater at BAM, bringing dance to parks throughout NYC and celebrating dance across the U.S.
6 ATER TIMELINE
© Julieta Cervantes By end of the 2007/2008 season The Joyce Theater will have hosted: > 297 companies from 85 cities (34 within the U.S. and 51 from outside the U.S. from 26 countries spanning six continents.) > 54,421 school children through its educational programs. > 8,051 six to fourteen-year old children at 112 special Family Matinees priced at $10 or less. > 478 Humanities events offering post-performance dialogues between artists and audiences.
25 Companies. 25 New Works. The Joyce Theater awarded 25 dance companies $25,000 each in commissioning grants to help fund the creation of new work. Stephen Weinroth, Chair of The Joyce Theater Foundation Board of Trustees, was quoted “We chose companies with the deepest histories at The Joyce Theater that have yet to receive Joyce commissioning funds; companies we want to foster deeper relationships with; and companies doing great work that we want to encourage. We have already distributed commissioning grants to 103 recipients over the years. Now, with this 25th Anniversary Initiative, we are pleased to help add 25 more works to the world of dance.”
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre Joffrey Ballet Australian Dance Theatre John Jasperse Company Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company Lar Lubovitch Dance Company Eiko & Koma Limon Dance Company Elisa Monte Dance Lyon Opera Ballet Emio Greco|PC Molissa Fenley and Dancers Evidence, A Dance Company Nrityagram Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana Pacific Northwest Ballet Garth Fagan Dance Paul Taylor Dance Company Hubbard Street Dance Chicago Philadanco Jazz Tap Ensemble Pilobolus/Inbal Pinto Jennifer Muller/The Works Tero Saarinen Company Jin Xing Dance Theatre Shanghai
7 The Joyce Theater The Joyce Board of Directors Staff Members
Stephen D. Weinroth, Chair EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR LINDA SHELTON Richard Lukins, Vice Chair Steven M. Pesner, Vice Chair ADMINISTRATION Jane E. Goldberg, Treasurer Director of Finance Margaret Hollenbeck Susan Fawcett Sosin, Secretary Director of Development Larry Henry Director of Marketing Craig Sabbatino David D. Holbrook, Honorary Chair Director of Programming Martin Wechsler Director of Education Joanne Robinson Hill R. Richard Ablon M.I.S./Office Systems Manager Patricia A. Yost Rob Ashford Office Manager Katy Myers Theodore S. Bartwink Finance Associate Tatyana Galak Torrence Boone Senior Development Officer Jean M. Ross Stephanie R. Breslow Development Officer Maureen Cavanaugh J. Kerry Clayton Development Associate Kate Sheeran Peter B. Corr Board Relations Manager Larissa Chock R. Britton Fisher Assistant to Executive Director Sara Kronick E-Marketing/Design Associate Kathryn Padberg Victoria Phillips Geduld Programming Associate Jonathan Krebs Ronald Gumbaz Marketing Associate Christina C. Pinnell James H. Herbert, II Education Assistant Meredith Steinberg Toni Hoover Receptionist Fiona Bayly Dorina Spelman Link Anh-Tuyet Nguyen PRODUCTION Richard Pasculano Director of Production Jeff Segal Saul Sanders Technical Director Kelly Atallah Linda Shelton Interim Production Assistant Maria Totten Sheldon L. Sussman House Carpenter Web Crittenden House Electricians Joe Gallerizo, Kyle Hagen Liz Swig House Audio Engineer Geoff Freeman House Technician Kahlil Jahi
BOX OFFICE Box Office Manager Lisa B. Gendell Supervisor Vanessa Moton Assistant Supervisor Scott Hinson Box Office/Joyce Charge Staff Ruby De Jesus, Annie Deardorff, Joanne Hildenbrand, Karen Koontz, Roy Odom, Courtney Patton
FRONT-OF-HOUSE Director of Theater Operations Sharonica Williams House Manager Jamie Mablin Assistant House Manager Andrea Brown Building Superintendent Jimmy Ortiz Building Maintenance Julius Miller
JOYCE SOHO Program Manager Cathy Eilers Production Manager Julie Ana Dobo House Manager Ingrid Pohle Administrative Assistant Savá B. Martin Program Assistant Jean Ann Douglass © Michael O’Neill Michael © Receptionist Meredith Blouin
12 Congratulations to The Joyce, , let’s dance and dine closely together for many more
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