Welcome Jodee Nimerichter

Presentation of the 2015 Season to Dr. Charles “Chuck” Davis by Jodee Nimerichter and Gerri Houlihan

Performance Dance Arts

Thursday, June 11, 2015 at 7:00pm Durham Performing Arts Center

presents

Shen Wei Artistic Director

Geoff Cohen Executive Director Thursday, June 11 at 7:00pm Friday, June 12 at 8:00pm Saturday, June 13, 2015 at 7:00pm Durham Performing Arts Center

Performance: 90 minutes including intermission

Untitled No. 12-2

Concept, Choreography, and Set Design: Shen Wei

Music: Echoes From the Gorge by Chou Wen-Chung

Sound Design: Metronome Collage by Shen Wei, played live by the dancers

Lighting Design: Christina Watanabe-Jensen

Projection Images: Selections From Shen Wei’s Black, White, and Gray painting series (2013-2014)

Projections Realized by: Rocco DiSanti

Dancers: Catherine Coury, Gwendolyn Gussman, Jordan Isadore, Kate Jewett, Burr Johnson, Cynthia Koppe, Janice Lancaster Larsen, Russell Stuart Lilie, Chelsea Retzloff, Jennifer Rose, Austin SeldenGage Self, Zak Ryan Schlegel, Alex Speedie, Andrea Thompson, Michael Wright, Ricardo Zayas

Program Note: Untitled No. 12-2 is a re-envisioning of a site-specific work, Untitled No. 12 - 1, presented at the Miami Dade College Museum of Art + Design, where dancers performed alongside Shen Wei's latest painting series, Black, White, and Gray. While these paintings are abstract, shapes and forms suggestive of a sublime landscape seem to appear from the thick layering of oil and acrylic on canvas. There are eleven untitled paintings in Black, White, and Gray—Untitled No. 12 - 2 is the twelfth painting, manifesting as moving bodies on a proscenium.

Untitled No. 12-2 is commissioned by ADF with support from the SHS Foundation and the Charles L. and Stephanie Reinhart Fund.

Untitled No. 12-2 is jointly commissioned by the American Dance Festival and Spoleto Festival USA.

Intermission Map (2005/2015)

MAP I. ROTATE MAP II. BOUNCE & REBOUND MAP III. INTERNALIZED ENERGY MAP IV. INDIVIDUALIZED INTERNAL ENERGY MAP V. ALL MAPS + CONTINUAL FLOW

Concept, Choreography, and Set Design: Shen Wei

Score: Selections from The Desert Music by : The Desert Music: First Movement (Fast) The Desert Music: Second Movement (Moderate) The Desert Music: Third Movement Part One (Slow) The Desert Music: Third Movement Part Three (Slow) The Desert Music: Fifth Movement (Fast)

Rehearsal Direction: Kate Jewett

Original Lighting Design: Scott Bolman

Musical Assistant to the Artistic Director: Thea Little

Dancers: Catherine Coury, Gwendolyn Gussman, Jordan Isadore, Kate Jewett, Burr Johnson, Cynthia Koppe, Janice Lancaster Larsen, Russell Stuart Lilie, Chelsea Retzloff, Jennifer Rose, Austin Selden, Alex Speedie, Michael Wright, Ricardo Zayas

Program Note: Set to selections from Steve Reich’s The Desert Music, Map is a vigorous exploration of various movement concepts developed by Shen Wei. Throughout the piece, Shen Wei investigates the myriad possibilities of rotation in the joints; the varying aspects of bouncing, rebounding and suspension; and movement initiated from the core with energy extending to isolated limbs, leading to solo explorations of this idea. Alternating between metronomic precision and silky fluidity, the dancers converge and scatter as though caught up in a gust of wind until in the climax they flock, surging and swooping as one.

Map was commissioned by the Lincoln Center Festival in 2005. Use of Steve Reich’s The Desert Music by arrangement with Hendon Music, Inc., a Boosey & Hawkes Company, publisher and copyright owner.

About the Artistic Director Hailed as “one of the great artists of our time” (The Washington Times), choreographer, director, dancer, painter, and designer Shen Wei is internationally renowned for the breadth and scope of his artistic vision. Admiration for his talent has earned Shen Wei numerous awards, including a MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship, the US Artists Fellow Award, a John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship, Australia’s Helpmann Award, and a 2012 Center Choreography Fellowship. Most recently, he was honored with the Audi-China 2012 Artist of the Year Award, GQ-China 2013 Artist of the Year Award, and the 2013 Chinese Innovator Award from The Journal- China. A founding member of the Guangdong Modern Dance Company, Shen Wei came to the US in 1995 to study with the Nikolais/Louis Dance Lab. In the same year, he was invited to present his work at the American Dance Festival (ADF). In July 2000, he founded Shen Wei Dance Arts at ADF. The company quickly entered the international touring circuit, performing at premier festivals and venues worldwide. He has received numerous commissions to support his creative works for Shen Wei Dance Arts, including multiple commissions from ADF, Het Muziektheater, the Lincoln Center Festival, and the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, as well as from The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Park Avenue Armory, ’s New Vision Arts Festival, and the Edinburgh International Festival. Shen Wei, who was the lead choreographer for the opening ceremonies of the Olympics, has also created dances for Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal, Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo, and the , and he choreographed the Rome Opera’s production of Rossini’s Moise et Pharaon, conducted by Ricardo Muti. In 2013, Shen Wei choreographed, directed, and designed a new production of Carmina Burana for Teatro di San Carlo in Naples, Italy. The production, which included Shen Wei Dance Arts’ dancers, toured last fall to the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg, Russia and will have its American premiere at the Spoleto Festival USA in 2016.

As a visual artist he has had solo shows in both New York and Hong Kong, and most recently at the Crow Collection of Asian Art in Dallas, Texas. In December 2014, Miami Dade College’s Museum of Art+Design hosted a solo exhibition of his work in conjunction with Art Basel/Miami Beach.

About the Company One of the premier international dance companies, Shen Wei Dance Arts has won worldwide acclaim for “amassing a body of works so strikingly original they defy categorization” (The Boston Globe). The dances Shen Wei makes for his company draw on influences as varied as traditional Chinese culture and arts, European Surrealism, American high modernism, and the ritual power of ancient drama. Celebrated for its “gorgeous visual imagery” (The London Times ), the company’s works reflect the compositional rigor of Shen Wei the visual artist—incorporating striking design and imaginative use of space into striking kinetic stagescapes. The company’s dancers have been hailed as “a breed apart: lissome, precise, expressive—and totally at one with Shen Wei’s choreographic vision” (The Herald, Scotland).

Since its founding in 2000, Shen Wei Dance Arts has performed in 138 cities, in 31 countries, on five continents, and has appeared at prestigious festivals and venues worldwide, including the Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, the Spoleto Festival, frequent performances at the American Dance Festival, the Los Angeles Music Center, Venice Biennale, Sadler’s Wells, the Barbican Centre, Het Muziektheater, the Edinburgh International Festival, the Berliner Festpiele, and the Sydney Festival. In the US, Shen Wei Dance Arts has performed in 25 of the 50 states, gave the first dance performances at Frank Gehry’s Disney Hall in Los Angeles, and recently completed a unique 5-year performance residency at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. The company performs annually in New York City, where it has been presented by the Lincoln Center Festival (5 times), the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Park Avenue Armory, Works & Process at the Guggenheim, Asia Society, and Fall for Dance at City Center.

Recent company highlights include performances at the Festival Iberoamericano de Teatro de Bogotá in Colombia; the Festival de Danse in Cannes, France; a 3-week tour to China with performances at the Shanghai International Arts Festival and Beijing’s National Theatre of China, as part of the quadrennial Theatre Olympics Festival; performances at the Stanislavsky Theatre in Moscow, Russia; and a four-city tour of Italy, including Milan. In December of 2014, the company premiered a site specific work at the MDC Museum of Art + Design in Miami in conjunction with an exhibit of Shen Wei’s paintings during Art Basel/Miami Beach and took part in the inaugural season of Paul Taylor’s American Modern Dance at Lincoln Center. Upcoming engagements include performances at the University of Arizona in Tucson, Florida State

University in Tallahassee, and the Detroit Music Hall Center for Performing Arts, as well as tours to Italy, Austria, Germany, and China.

Biographies Artistic Collaborators Scott Bolman (Lighting Designer) is a New York City-based designer and educator working in a diverse array of performance mediums, including theater, dance, music, and opera. As a lighting supervisor and production manager, Scott has traveled across North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia for companies such as Shen Wei Dance Arts, Trisha Brown Dance Company, Köln- based music ensemble musikFabrik, the , and Seattle-based KTDance. Scott graduated magna cum laude from Amherst College (Amherst, MA in 1997) and received his MFA from the Yale School of Drama (New Haven, CT in 2003). Scott served as an adjunct professor at Montclair State University, a substitute teacher at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, and is currently in his second year of teaching for the MFA directing program at the Brown-Trinity Rep Consortium. Scott is a founding member of Wingspace design collective.

Elena Comendador (Costume Designer) began her costume design career more than 15 years ago. She has designed for Ailey II, , Compleixions Contemporary Ballet, Connecticut Ballet, Montgomery Ballet, ABT II, Philadanco, Morphoses, and Kazuko Hirabayashi Dance Theater, among others. She has collaborated with various choreographers such as Jessica Lang, Troy Powell, Francesca Harper, Kevin Wynn, Sean Curran, Elie Lazar, and Darrell Moultrie. In 2007, Comendador founded Treehouse Productions, a costume design company that produces commissioned works by other designers. Since its inception, Treehouse Productions has constructed costumes for major dance companies and receives annual design commissions from The Ailey School and Theater’s Make a Ballet Program. Comendador received her BA degree in Women’s Studies at Columbia University and completed her MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts at Goddard College. She is on the faculty of The Ailey School and also is an Assistant Professor of Dance at Marymount Manhattan College’s Dance Department.

Rocco DiSanti (Production Manager/Projection Designer) has designed projections for numerous Broadway productions such as The Columnist (Manhattan Theatre Club), Wit (MTC), Collected Stories (MTC), and Time Stands Still (MTC). Regionally, and off-Broadway, he has created projections and video for productions of The Adventure of Fishy Waters: In Bed With The Blues (Crossroads Theatre), Second Chance (Signature Stage), Completeness (Playwrights Horizons), Inner Voices (Primary Stages), A Second Chance (The Public), Bright New Boise (Obie Award, Best New Play, Partial Comfort Productions), Imelda the Musical (Pan Asian Rep), and Monster (P.A.R.). DiSanti has also designed for operas such as I Fioretti in Musica, Alli Uccelli e Al Lupo (La Mama). He has been honored with the Robert L.B. Tobin Director-Designer Showcase.

Christina Watanabe-Jensen (Lighting Director) is a New York City- based lighting designer. Her work has been seen at The Public Theatre (Under the Radar Festival), Intar, The Bushwick Starr, Theater for the New City, and The Ohio Theatre, to name a few. Christina has designed and mentored at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts (Macbeth, Violet) and with the Yale Dramatic Association (A Midsummer Night’s Dream). Other design work includes Ralph Lauren’s Madison Avenue windows. Christina has toured with Shen Wei Dance Arts, Jonah Bokaer, and . She holds an MFA from NYU and is a member of USA 829. www.StarryEyedLighting.com.

Dancers Catherine Coury is a native of Detroit and graduate of the University of Michigan and joined Shen Wei Dance Arts in 2013. As a freelancer, Catherine trained in with Vertigo Dance Company and has worked closely with such New York-based artists as Shannon Gillen, Andrea Miller, Loni Landon, and LoudHoundMovement. From 2011 to 2013 Catherine served as the Executive Director of The Playground NYC and the Development Associate of Gallim Dance. Special thanks to her family, friends, and teachers for their unwavering love and support.

Gwendolyn Gussman hails from Colorado and is a graduate of Denver School of the Arts. While in Denver she trained and was an apprentice with Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble. In 2014, Gwendolyn graduated with honors from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts with a BFA in Dance. During her time in New York, she has had the pleasure of performing works by Charlotte Boyd-Christenson, Sean Curran, Roger C. Jeffrey, Deborah Jowitt, and Nathan Trice. Gwendolyn joined Shen Wei Dance Arts in 2014.

Jordan Isadore is a dancer/choreographer originally from Northern California. He received his BFA in Dance from California State University Long Beach in 2009. Post graduation, Isadore worked with Los Angeles company BODYTRAFFIC, performing works by Barak Marshall and Alex Ketley. In 2011, he relocated to New York where he’s worked with Christopher Williams, Andrea Miller, Sydney Skybetter, Jennifer Edwards, and most recently Shen Wei Dance Arts. In addition to working with these choreographers, Isadore is one of the creators and editors of the blog, SARADUJOUR.COM, where he and San Francisco-based artist Nicole Bridgens remix contemporary dance, pop culture, and dance history.

Kate Jewett joined Shen Wei Dance Arts in 2005. As a company member, teacher, rehearsal director, and teaching artist, she has conducted master classes at various venues and has performed all over Europe, Asia, Australia, and the US. Her own works have been performed at DeSales University, the United Nations, Park Avenue Armory, Milan, and the Fabbrica Europa and Performatica festivals. Named Director of Education and Outreach for Shen Wei Dance Arts in 2008, she has created a dance-in-education program for New York City schools. Kate has been Rehearsal Director for Shen Wei Dance Arts since January 2009.

Burr Johnson is a dancer/choreographer based in Brooklyn. He holds a BFA in Dance and Choreography from Virginia Commonwealth University and works with choreographers John Jasperse, Helen Simoneau, Christopher Williams, and Shen Wei. He has performed in two reconstructions of Laura Dean’s dances: Tympani (1980/2008) and Infinity (1990/2009). In 2013, he premiered Christopher Williams’ choreography in Peter Sellars’ The Indian Queen. He has also worked for Walter Dundervill, Ryan McNamara, Benny Nemerofsky Ramsay, and Yozmit. His choreographic work has been presented through Movement Research at Judson Church, Underexposed at Dixon Place, OneArmRed, Elizabeth Dee Gallery, Emergency Glitter at Abrons Art Center, Josée Bienvenu Gallery, Danspace Project, and New York Live Arts. In moments away from dance, Burr enjoys gardening and cats.

Cynthia Koppe was born in Singapore and graduated from Cornell University with a double major in Dance and Sociology. In addition to working with Shen Wei, she currently works with Liz Santoro and Pierre Godard, and teaches Pilates, yoga, and bodywork. She would like to thank all of her many teachers as well as her students, from whom she has learned so much. She has danced with Shen Wei Dance Arts since 2009.

Janice Lancaster Larsen started working with Shen Wei Dance Arts in 2005. She received her MFA from Hollins University/American Dance Festival, BFA from the University of NC School of the Arts, Restorative Yoga certification through Judith Lasater, and Hatha Yoga certification from the Asheville Yoga Center. She has received commissions at the Bard Music Festival, Robert Wilson’s Watermill Center Benefit, the Bessie Schönberg Choreographers Residency, the Hubbard Street 2 Dance Company, the Black Mountain College Museum + Art Center, and many through co-founding VIA Dance Collaborative. She has staged work at Universidad de las Américas, City Dance Center, Roger Williams University, University of NC School of the Arts, and SUNY Fredonia.

Russell Stuart Lilie graduated from Idyllwild Academy in 2008 and completed his BFA in Dance at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts in 2011. Since graduation, Russell has danced for Shen Wei Dance Arts, Greene Lilie, Dai Jian Dance, Sara Du Jour, and others. His choreographic works have been presented at NYU, Danspace, La MaMa, Gibney Dance Center, and Bennington College. He has also taught dance, dance composition, and improvisation in New York, at Bennington College, and at Beijing Normal University in China.

Chelsea Retzloff joined Shen Wei Dance Arts in early 2011. Originally from Eureka, CA, she graduated the Daniel G. Aldrich Outstanding Senior for the class of 2007 at UCSB with a BFA in Dance and distinction in Chemistry. She has worked with Santa Barbara Dance Theater, David Dorfman Dance, MacArthur Dance Project, Christopher Williams, Infinite Light, and Glitter Kitty Productions. In addition to dancing, Chelsea tutors math and chemistry throughout NYC. Last year, she joined the SWDA dance-in-education teaching staff and led the company’s program at PS5 this season.

Jennifer Rose received her BFA in dance from Temple University in 2006. She also attended The Ailey School and the American Dance Festival and worked with Philadanco II. She has danced professionally with Kun-Yan Lin/Dancers and toured internationally with him for six wonderful years. She has also worked with Keith Thompson’s Dancetactics, Bill Young, Erick Montes, Olive Prince Dance, and Manuel Vignoulle and currently dances with Company Stephanie Batten Bland. She joined Shen Wei Dance Arts in 2014.

Gage Self was born in Texas and is a recent graduate of the Ailey/Fordham BFA program with a concentration in choreography. During his time as a student, he was a guest artist with Hope Stone Dance Company (Houston, TX) and performed works by William Forsythe, Alvin Ailey, and Paul Taylor. He has also worked with choreographers such as Robyn Mineko, Sylvain Emárd, Bryan Arias, Jane Weiner, JoAnna Mendl-Shaw, Nicholas Villeneuve, Alexandre Proia, and Jessica Lange. Gage is very excited to begin working with Shen Wei Dance Arts this season.

Zak Ryan Schlegel is a choreographer, teacher, and dance artist. He holds a BFA in Dance Performance from Chapman University in Orange County, CA. Upon graduating, he joined Backhausdance, under Artistic Director Jennifer Backhaus, and moved to Los Angeles where he has performed a diverse range of work in collaboration with Ryan Heffington, Kitty McNamee, and WIFE. He has trained with Rafael Bonachela at Sydney Dance Company and Sarah Slipper & Lucas Crandall at Northwest Dance Project. Zak is Co-Artistic Director of LA-based AXIOM Dance Theatre where he creates and presents original work with partner Denna Thomsen. He is the proud recipient of the 2014 Youth America Grand Prix Outstanding Choreographer Award. 2015 marks his first season with Shen Wei Dance Arts.

Austin Selden, originally from Farmington Hills, MI, received his BFA from the University of Michigan. He lived in Philadelphia for one year where he worked with Kun-Yan Lin/Dancers and SHARP Dance Company. Since moving to Brooklyn, he has danced with Artichoke Dance Company, Amy Chavasse, Catherine Galasso, Janice Lancaster-Larsen, and Nadia Tykulsker. He currently creates/presents dance and video works with his collaborator, Sarah Konner. Other ongoing collaborations include Jessica Harris, Dai Jian, and Megan Kendzior. He has danced with Shen Wei Dance Arts since 2011.

Alex Speedie is a native of Austin, CO, and received his BFA from North Carolina School of the Arts. He has danced for Mark Dendy and Oliver Steele and has performed works by Lar Lubovitch, Merce Cunningham, and Larry Keigwin. He studies capoeira and enjoys participating in downhill racing sports. Alex began working with Shen Wei Dance Arts in 2011.

Andrea Thompson trained at the ’s Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School, The Ailey School, and the San Francisco Conservatory of Dance. These schools, as well as programs with Springboard Danse Montréal, Nederlands Dans Theater, and Batsheva Dance Company provided opportunities to perform works by William Forsythe, Ohad Naharin, Alex Ketley, Christian Burns, Marina Mascarell Martinez, Gregory Dolbashian, Idan Sharabi, Danielle Russo, and Robyn Mineko Williams. Professionally, Andrea has danced with the Foundry, Zhukov Dance Theatre, and LoudHoundMovement. She spent two seasons with Hubbard Street 2, performing works by Loni Landon, Alex Soares, Alejandro Cerrudo, Ihsan Rustem, and Bryan Arias before joining Shen Wei Dance Arts.

Michael Wright is a professional dance artist living in New York City. Since moving to New York, Wright has worked with the New York Metropolitan Opera Ballet, Satellite Collective, Exit 12 Dance Company, The Chase Brock Experience, and currently with Shen Wei Dance Arts and Steeledance. He also worked as a dancer at Disneyland from 2008 until 2009 and again in 2012. As a dance educator, he has had the privilege of teaching at Peridance, Steps on Broadway, and at studios and universities both domestically and abroad. Wright holds a BFA in Dance Performance from Southern Methodist University. He first performed with Shen Wei Dance Arts in 2011.

Ricardo Zayas is a native of Brooklyn, NY. He studied on scholarship at the schools of the Dance Theater of Harlem and the . In 2005 he graduated with honors from Fordham University and was invited to join Ailey II in his senior year. Ricardo has also danced with Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Sidra Bell Dance New York, Post:Ballet, Washington National Opera, Los Angeles Opera, and Alonzo King/LINES Ballet. He is also in the currently running Queen of the Night at the Diamond Horseshoe. In 2009, Dance Magazine named him one of the “25 to Watch.” He danced with Shen Wei Dance Arts in 2006 and returned to the company in 2013.

Key Staff Geoff Cohen (Executive Director) is the co-Founder of the groundbreaking New York Musical Theatre Festival. For 8 years he guided the Mike Ockrent/Alan Menken/Lynn Ahrens/Susan Stroman production of A Christmas Carol for Madison Square Garden and general managed The Wizard of Oz in NYC and on its national tour with Mickey Rooney, Roseanne, and Eartha Kitt. Geoff has managed Paper Mill Playhouse, George Street Playhouse, York Theatre Company, and many shows on Broadway, Off-Broadway and Off-Off- Broadway. He served as Company Manager for the world premiere of Athol Fugard’s Master Harold…and the Boys and presented L’Histoire du Soldat with the Boston Symphony. Having presented and managed dance companies, musicians, concerts, and events across North America, Geoff’s work has received accolades including Grammy nominations, BizBash recognition, and a host of awards for artistic excellence. He received an MFA from the Yale School of Drama where he worked and studied with Lloyd Richards, Earle Gister, Ben Mordecai, Len Vignola, George White, and Ed Martenson.

Diane Rosenblatt (Director of Development and External Affairs) is an arts administrator and development professional with two decades of experience, Diane Rosenblatt served as a fundraising consultant to several dance organizations, including Shen Wei Dance Arts, before joining the Shen Wei Dance Arts staff. Prior to turning her focus exclusively to fundraising and development, she served as Executive Director of the Armitage Foundation/Armitage Gone! Dance (2007- 2010), where she oversaw a 32% growth in the company’s operations. She served as the Executive Director of Doug Varone and Dancers for ten years, where she produced more than 20 new Varone works and guided the organization’s growth from a small organization to one with a million-dollar operating budget. She has also served as the Marketing and Public Relations Director of the Michigan Theater in Ann Arbor, Acting Executive Director of the Michigan Dance Association, and Managing Director of Michael Mao Dance. She completed graduate coursework as a PhD candidate in History at the University of Michigan and holds a BA from Boston University. She has published several articles on dance for Michigan publications. She is a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

Shen Wei Dance Arts Acknowledgments In ongoing support of its mission, the company wishes to thank Jodee Nimerichter and the American Dance Festival; Nigel Redden, the Lincoln Center Festival, and Spoleto Festival USA; Alicia Adams and the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts; Rebecca Robertson and Park Avenue Armory; Arlene Schuler and ; and Mary Sharp Cronson and Works & Process at the Guggenheim.

Shen Wei Dance Arts’ programs are supported, in part, with public funds from the National Endowment for the Arts, the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, the New York State Council on the Arts, the US-Russia Bilateral Commission of the US State Department and the US State Department/US Embassies in Russia and China. Major support is provided by the SHS Foundation, the Winston Foundation, the Shubert Foundation, and the Trust for Mutual Understanding. Additional support is provided by the , the Jerome Robbins Foundation, and the Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation/U.S. Artists at International Festivals. Special thanks to the entire staff at American Dance Festival; Richard Feldman and the SHS Foundation; Lawrence W. Greene, Esq; Jan Krukowski and Nancy Harrow.

Staff • Artistic Director: Shen Wei • Executive Director: Geoff Cohen • Director of Development and External Affairs: Diane Rosenblatt • Office and Finance Manager: Yunlin Zhu • Rehearsal and Education Director: Kathleen Jewett • Associate Rehearsal Director: Sara Procopio • Production Manager and Projection Director: Rocco DiSanti • Lighting Designer: Christina Watanabe-Jensen • Stage Manager: Katie Houff • Company Manager and Assistant to the Artistic Director: Stephen Xue • Wardrobe Supervisor: Russell Stuart Lilie Make-up Supervisor: Ricardo Zayas

For U.S. and Canada, Asia, Australia, and Middle East (with exceptions) Margaret Selby, CAMI Spectrum Columbia Artists Management 5 Columbus Circle @1790 Broadway New York, NY 10019 Tel: (212) 841-9554 | Fax: (212) 841- 9770 Email: [email protected]

presents

BODYTRAFFIC

Co-Artistic Directors: Lillian Barbeito and Tina Finkelman Berkett

Dancers: Tina Finkelman Berkett, Christina Bodie, Melissa Bourkas, Michele Carter, James Gregg, Joseph Kudra, Lindsey Matheis, Miguel Perez, Guzmán Rosado, Matthew Rich, Andrew Wojtal

Company Manager: Dora Quintanilla

Production Manager: Burke Wilmore

Board of Directors: Jamie Bishton, Sandra Carroll, Sharon Darnov, Jane Jelenko, Paul Lester

Advisory Board: Glenn Edgerton, Glorya Kaufman, Elizabeth Levitt Hirsch, Chad Smith, Renae Williams Niles

Agent: Margaret Selby, CAMI Spectrum

Sunday, June 14-Tuesday, June 16 8:00pm Reynolds Industries Theater

Performance: 100 minutes including intermission

And at Midnight, the Green Bride Floated Through the Village Square... Premiere: The Joyce Theater, New York, NY, 2012

Choreography: Barak Marshall

Music: Abaca String Band, Anatol Stefanet, the Barry Sisters’ Chiribim Chiribom, Boom Pam, Fanfare Ciocarlia, Margalit Oved, Oy Division, Sinfonye, Yasmin Levy, Zoltan and His Gypsy Ensemble

Sound Design: Giori Politi and Barak Marshall

Text: Margalit Oved, Barak Marshall, traditional Yiddish, Ladino, and Judeo-Arabic sayings and songs

Costume Design: Raquel Barreto

Lighting Design: Burke Wilmore based on an original design by Kindred Gottlieb

Dancers: Tina Finkelman Berkett, Christina Bodie, Melissa Bourkas, Michele Carter, Joseph Kudra, Lindsey Matheis, Miguel Perez, Guzmán Rosado, Matthew Rich, Andrew Wojtal

Program Note: Originally narrated by my mother, the acclaimed artist Margalit Oved, this work is based in part on a true story about a family of eight sisters and one brother who were neighbors of my mother’s family in Aden, Yemen. The house they lived in became known as “The Burning House” because of the fighting, screaming, and cursing that was heard from it at all hours of the day and night.

It is a morality tale filled with dark humor that tells the story of how jealousy doomed all nine of the family’s children to a life filled with rage, unhappiness, and loneliness. The soundtrack is comprised primarily of Jewish love songs and hymns from the Yiddish, Ladino, and Yemenite traditions. -Barak Marshall This work was commissioned by The Joyce Theater Foundation in New York City with the support of The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

This work was made possible in part by Roy and Edna Disney/CalArts Theater (REDCAT), and The A.W.A.R.D. Show! 2011: Los Angeles grant funded by a generous contribution from The Boeing Company.

This work was generously underwritten by the Elizabeth Levitt Hirsch and The Mortimer & Mimi Levitt Foundation. Thank you to Levitt Pavilions for providing musical inspiration.

Intermission

Once Again, Before You Go Premiere: Lensic Performing Arts Center, Santa Fe, NM, November 2014

Choreography: Victor Quijada

Music Composer: Jasper Gahunia

Costume Design: Leon Wiebers

Lighting Design: Yan Lee Chan

Dancers: Tina Finkelman Berkett, James Gregg, Miguel Perez, Guzmán Rosado, Andrew Wojtal

Once again, before you go was made possible by the New England Foundation for the Arts’ National Dance Project, with lead funding from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, with additional support from the National Endowment for the Arts.

This work was generously underwritten by Nathan and Karen Sandler.

This work was co-commissioned by The Music Center.

The presentation of Once again, before you go was made possible by the New England Foundation for the Arts’ National Dance Project, with lead funding from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, with additional support from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Pause

O2JOY Premiere: The Joyce Theater, New York, NY, 2012

Choreography: Richard Siegal

Composers: Oscar Peterson’s Mumbles, Billie Holiday’s On the Sunny Side of the Street, Ella Fitzgerald’s All of Me, Glenn Miller’s Taps Miller, Oscar Peterson’s My One and Only

Music Editing: David Karaganis

Costume Design: Rita DiLorenzo and Richard Siegal

Lighting Design: Burke Wilmore based on an original design by Kindred Gottlieb

Dancers: Tina Finkelman Berkett, Melissa Bourkas, Miguel Perez, Guzmán Rosado, Andrew Wojtal

About BODYTRAFFIC BODYTRAFFIC is helping establish Los Angeles as a major center for contemporary dance. Founded in 2007 by Lillian Barbeito and Tina Finkelman Berkett, BODYTRAFFIC has surged to the forefront of the concert dance world. Named “the company of the future” by The Joyce Theater Foundation, Dance Magazine’s "25 to Watch" in 2013, and "Best of Culture" by the Los Angeles Times, the young company is already internationally recognized for their high quality of work.

Repertory includes works by Kyle Abraham, Lillian Barbeito, Sidra Bell, Stijn Celis, Sarah Elgart, Alex Ketley, Loni Landon, Barak Marshall, Andrea Miller, Laura Gorenstein Miller, Joshua Peugh, Miguel Perez, Victor Quijada, Zoe Scofield, Hofesh Shechter, Richard Siegal, and Guy Weizman & Roni Haver.

BODYTRAFFIC has performed for sold-out audiences at prestigious theaters and festivals throughout North America, including The Joyce Theater, Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, New York City Center’s Fall for Dance, Chutzpah! Festival in Vancouver, Laguna Dance Festival, The Broad Stage in Santa Monica, Annenberg Center in Philadelphia, and World Music/CRASHarts in Boston. BODYTRAFFIC has performed with the Los Angeles Philharmonic for its opening night gala conducted by Gustavo Dudamel, and most recently collaborated with sculptor Gustavo Godoy on a site-specific endeavor at the Music Center Plaza. In 2015, BODYTRAFFIC engagements include The Joyce Theater in New York, The Broad Stage in Santa Monica, the American Dance Festival in North Carolina, as well as Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival in Massachusetts.

BODYTRAFFIC has received generous support from The Joyce Theater Foundation, The Sydney D. Holland Foundation, The Mortimer & Mimi Levitt Foundation, Jewish Community Foundation of Los Angeles, The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation, and Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation. BODYTRAFFIC was awarded NEFA’s National Dance Project Production and Touring Grants to commission work by choreographer Victor Quijada. Additionally, choreographer Loni Landon was awarded a Choreography Fellowship from the Princess Grace Foundation for a new creation with BODYTRAFFIC.

BODYTRAFFIC is selected to participate in DanceMotion USA℠ 2015, a dynamic cultural diplomacy program that supports United States foreign policy goals by engaging international audiences through educational opportunities, cultural exchange, and performance, an initiative of the US Department of State and produced by BAM. www.BODYTRAFFIC.com.

Co-Artistic Directors Lillian Rose Barbeito (Co-Artistic Director) has a BFA from The Juilliard School where she studied on a 4 year, full-tuition scholarship awarded by Tomorrow’s Leaders of America. As a dancer, Lillian has had an extensive performance career that took her to Europe, New York, and then finally to Los Angeles, where she founded BODYTRAFFIC with Tina Berkett. She has taught internationally for organizations such as CALARTS, Idyllwild Arts Academy, L’Artere in Quebec City, Loyola Marymount University, Lyon Opera Ballet, Northwest Dance Project, San Francisco Conservatory of Dance, Southland Ballet Academy, The Wooden Floor, UCLA's department of World Arts and Cultures, and Westside Academy of Dance. Lillian is one of 15 teachers in the world who is certified to teach Anouk van Dijk’s groundbreaking Countertechnique. She has choreographed over 50 works for highschools, universities, competitions, and regional ballet companies and professional modern dance companies throughout the US and Canada.

Tina Finkelman Berkett (Co-Artistic Director/Performer) grew up in New York City. Under the tutelage of Michele Cuccaro Cain, she trained and learned to love dance. Tina attended Barnard College, Columbia University. Upon graduation she joined Aszure Barton & Artists and performed with the company throughout the US, including at Jacob’s Pillow and Spoleto Festivals. Tina became Aszure Barton’s assistant and taught alongside Barton both in the US and abroad. She had the incredible honor of being a founding member of Mikhail Baryshnikov’s Hell’s Kitchen Dance. In 2007, she moved to Los Angeles and founded BODYTRAFFIC with Lillian Barbeito.

Choreographers Barak Marshall is the son of acclaimed dancer, choreographer, and singer Margalit Oved and is one of Israel’s most celebrated choreographers. Three years after accidentally starting to dance at the age of 26, his company appeared at the prestigious 1998 Paris Bagnolet Competition where it swept the awards before going to tour Europe—including performances at the Lyon Bienale de la Danse and Theatre de la Bastille in Paris. In 1999, Ohad Naharin invited Barak to become the Batsheva Dance Company’s first-ever house choreographer. A severe leg injury forced him to stop dancing in 2001. Seven years later, the Suzanne Dellal Centre asked him to return to Israel, marking the beginning of an artistic partnership. His works Monger, Rooster, and Wonderland, have been performed over 200 times including appearances at Montepellier Danse, London’s Dance Umbrella, Jacob’s Pillow, Holland Dance Festival, Lyon Maison de la Danse, and Royce Hall. Barak is also a singer and has performed as a soloist with Yo-Yo Ma and . He is currently completing a Creative Capital music production with Margalit Oved and as well as new works for Ballet Jazz de Montreal and companies in London, Germany, and South Africa. Barak studied philosophy at Harvard.

Victor Quijada’s work eloquently re-imagines, de-constructs, and applies choreographic principles to hip-hop ideology, examining humanity through a unique fusion of aesthetics. His vision stretches into the arena of theatrical interpretation, improvisational approaches, and the visual imagery of film. A magnetic and expansive dancer, by age 26, Victor had moved from the hip-hop clubs of his native Los Angeles to a performance career with internationally-acclaimed postmodern and ballet dance companies such as THARP!, Ballet Tech, and Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal. Since creating RUBBERBANDance Group in 2002, Victor has choreographed over 24 short and full-length pieces both within the company structure and as commissions, and has toured with his company across North America, and in Europe, , and Mexico. He has over a dozen film credits to his name either as choreographer, director, or dramaturge. Victor received the Bonnie Bird North-American Award and the Peter Darrell Choreography Award in 2003, the OQAJ/RIDEAU Prize in 2009, and a Princess Grace Awards Choreographic Fellowship in 2010. From 2007 to 2011, he was an artist-in-residence at the Cinquième Salle of Place des Arts in Montreal.

Richard Siegal is the Founder and Artistic Director of The Bakery Paris–Berlin (2005). Recognized by a New York Dance and Performance Bessie Award, The German National Theater Faust Award, S.A.C.D. Prize, a Beaumarchais, and The Mouson Award, Richard Siegal has generated international attention for a body of work that includes performances, new media projects, workshops, and publications. He has been commissioned by festivals and venues including Festival d'Automne, Rencontres Chorégraphiques, Ircam, Centre Pompidou, YCAM, Tanz im August, Ballett Frankfurt, Danspace/NYC, and Théâtre National de Chaillot. His work with live musicians has led him to collaborate with Alberto Posadas (Glossopoeia), Diane Labrosse (Double Story), Lorenzo Bianchi (©oPirates, Homo Ludens), Eric-Maria Couturier (Op.Infinity and Homo Ludens), Wolfgang Zamistil (Homo Ludens and As If Stranger), Arto Lindsay (Muscle), and Hubert Machnik (Civic Mimic). Collaborations with architects and architectural designers include work with François Roche (Civic Mimic), Didier Faustino (Still Life), Virginie Mira (Stranger Trilogy, Glossopoeia), Peter Zuspan (Multinatural (blackout) and Muscle), and Alexander Kada (Venice Biennale of Architecture). Richard Siegal has been Artist/Choreographer-in-Residence at ZKM/ Karlsruhe, Bennington College, and The Baryshnikov Arts Center. As a faculty member of the American Dance Festival, he curated the annual Forsythe Festival. Siegal is a MacDowell fellow and honorary member of The 's Benoit de la Danse.

Performers Melissa Bourkas born and raised in Toronto, Canada, Melissa began her professional training at the National Ballet School of Canada under Mavis Stains. Melissa continued her education, receiving a BFA in Dance and Choreography with a minor in social sciences from the California Institute of the Arts. Upon graduation Melissa danced with in where she performed original works by Eduardo Vilaro, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, and José Limón. While working with choreographer Alex Ketley in Seattle, WA, through Arc Dance, BODYTRAFFIC was made known to Melissa and the rest is history. Melissa joined BODYTRAFFIC in the spring of 2011 and has had the opportunity to be in the creation processes with choreographers Barak Marshall, Stijn Celis, Sidra Bell, Kyle Abraham, and Hofesh Shechter. Since moving back to LA Melissa has also worked commercially dancing for various artists such as Florence and the Machine, Jason Derulo, Kevin Eubanks, and Major Lazer. She has also performed on X-Factor and The Voice and filmed various commercials.

Christina Bodie is originally from Edmonton, Alberta, and studied in the professional division of the School. She went on to study at The Juilliard School in New York City, graduating in 2005 with a BFA. Upon graduation, Christina danced with the Baryshnikov Arts Foundation and later joined the Koresh Dance Company in Philadelphia. After two seasons with Koresh, Christina returned to Canada in 2007 to join Les Ballets Jazz de Montréal (BJM Danse), where she danced for eight seasons. Throughout her career she has danced the works of renowned choreographers such as Crystal Pite, Robert Battle, Aszure Barton, Barak Marshall, Ohad Naharin, Rodrigo Pederneiras, Cayetano Soto, Mauro Bigonzetti, and Andonis Foniadakis. In addition to teaching master classes all over the world, she has been on faculty for organizations such as Regional Dance America, Greater Washington Dance Center, Montreal Dance Network, Le Domaine Forget Academy of Music and Dance, and The Victoria School for the Performing Arts. Christina joined BODYTRAFFIC in June 2015. Michele Carter grew up in Southern California. In May of 2014, she graduated with a BFA from The Juilliard School under the direction of Lawrence Rhodes. During her time at Juilliard, Michele performed the works of Pina Bausch, Eliot Feld, Martha Graham, José Limón, Paul Taylor, Matthew Neenan, Susan Sheilds, Alex Ketley, Alexander Ekman, and Alejandro Cerrudo. Through training in the US and abroad, she has had the pleasure of working with choreographers such as Sharon Eyal, Gustavo Ramirez Sansano, Didy Veldman, Stephan Laks, and Idan Sharabi. Her fondest dancing experiences include performing at the Tanztheater Wuppertal Opernhaus in Germany and at the Edinburgh Playhouse in Scotland. Michele joined BODYTRAFFIC in 2014.

James Gregg was born in Wheatridge, CO, and raised in Oklahoma. As a performer, James worked with Les Ballet Jazz de Montreal, Aszure & Artists, RUBBERBANDance Group, and River North Dance Company. Having the experience to work with these artists gave James the tools to create his own language and helped mold his choreographic voice. He has set choreographic works on Danceworks Chicago, Ballet X, Northwest Dance Project, Nashville Ballet's Emergence, Springboard Danse Project Montreal, River North Dance Company, Elements Contemporary Ballet, and L’Ecole Superieure de Danse de Quebec. Most recently, James won 's 2014 New American talent choreographic competition and was a finalist in Milwaukee Ballets’s 2013 Genesis Choreographic competition and in 2011 was the winner of the International Choreographic Competition at Festival des Arts de Saint-Sauveur. James joined BODYTRAFFIC in 2015.

Joseph Kudra was born in Chicago, IL, and began his training at the age of nine at the American Dance Center under the direction of Jack and Kathleen Villari. He has worked with River North Chicago Dance Company, DanceWorks Chicago, Luna Negra Dance Theatre, and most recently Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet. Kudra has performed works by choreographers such as Robert Battle, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Alexander Ekman, Andonis Foniadakias, Emanuel Gat, Johan Inger, Alex Ketley, Jiri Kylian, Crystal Pite, Gustavo Ramirez Sansano, Hofesh Shechter, Jo Stromgren, Christian Spuck, and Edgar Zendejas. Joseph joined BODYTRAFFIC in 2015.

Lindsey Matheis is from North Carolina and trained at UNC School of the Arts, LINES Ballet, Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, and Batsheva Dance Company. Upon completion of the LINES Ballet training program in 2009, she joined Northwest Dance Project. She has performed original roles in works by Danielle Agami, Patrick Delcroix, Gregory Dolbashian, Loni Landon, Andrea Miller, Jiří Pokorný, Benoit-Swan Pouffer, Ihsan Rustem, Kate Wallich, Wen Wei Wang, Yin Yue, Edgar Zendejas, and others. In addition, she has produced/directed several dance festivals in Portland, OR, to critical acclaim. Lindsey is extremely excited to be joining BODYTRAFFIC.

Miguel Perez has a BFA from the University of Arizona where he was fortunate enough to receive a 4-year scholarship in dance. He has danced for both River North Dance Company and Hubbard Street II in Chicago. Shifting from concert to commercial dance, Miguel moved to Las Vegas to dance in Celine Dion’s A New Day at Caesars Palace and her world tour Taking Chances, where he served as dance captain. After performing in Cirque Du Soleil’s production of Elvis, Miguel decided to move to Los Angeles where he has performed with BODYTRAFFIC, Lumanario Ballet, and Terri Beeman’s circus show. He has also filmed two workout videos for Hip Hop Abs and Dancing with the Stars. Miguel has appeared on So You Think You Can Dance, America's Got Talent, Ms. USA Pageant, Julie Andrews tribute show, as a back up dancer for Paulina Rubio and Leona Lewis on Dancing with the Stars, and danced in the movie Behind the Candelabra. When Miguel is not performing, he teaches and sets his choreography on companies, universities, and studios throughout the US. He has made works on Las Vegas Contemporary Dance Theater, the University of Las Vegas Nevada, Ballet Folklorico Arizona, and BODYTRAFFIC, where he has been a company member since 2009.

Matthew Rich hails from Las Vegas, NV, where he studied at the Dance Zone under the direction of Jami Artiga and Kaydee Francis. Rich graduated from the Las Vegas Academy of International Studies, Performing and Visual Arts in 2004. From 2005 through 2015 Rich danced with Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet in New York City, working with world renowned choreographers such as Ohad Naharin, Crystal Pite, Hofesh Shechter, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Jacopo Godani, and Alexander Ekman, among others. Rich has also appeared in the 2011 film The Adjustment Bureau with Matt Damon and Emily Blunt. Matthew joined BODYTRAFFIC in 2015.

Guzmán Rosado started dancing at the International School of Dance of Carmen Roche Scaena in Madrid on a scholarship sponsored by the Ministerio de Cultura de Madrid. Guzmán danced with Ballet Joven de Carmen Roche until 1999, when he was offered a scholarship to attend the School of American Ballet (SAB). After his time at SAB, Edward Villella invited him to dance with . From 2002 to 2007, Guzmán danced with Companhia Portuguesa de Bailado Contemporaneo. In 2007, with André Mesquita and Teresa Alves da Silva, Guzmán co-founded a cultural platform, Tok’Art. He has performed extensively as a guest artist throughout Europe. He teaches ballet, yoga, and movement workshops. Guzmán is currently BODYTRAFFIC’s resident filmmaker and has won awards for his film work. Guzman joined BODYTRAFFIC in 2012.

Andrew Wojtal is a native of Portland, MN, and is a 2011 graduate of California Institute of the Arts. A 2010 recipient of the Princess Grace Dance Scholarship, Andrew has previously performed with Shen Wei Dance Arts (New York, NY), ARC Dance Project (Seattle, WA), and Island Moving Company (Newport, RI). His commercial credits include appearances on NBC’s Parenthood, MTV's VMAs with Taylor Swift, as well as The Living Wake starring Jesse Eisenberg. Andrew’s choreography has been presented by REDCAT (Los Angeles, CA), Bates Dance Festival (Lewiston, ME), and Ruhrtriennale Festival at Pact Zollverein (Essen, Germany). He received assistant choreographer credit for the Los Angeles Philharmonic's opening gala performance held at Walt Disney Concert Hall (Los Angeles, CA) in September of 2012. Andrew joined BODYTRAFFIC in 2010. Production Team Raquel Barreto (Costume Designer) is a Brazilian-born costume designer working in theater, dance, and opera. Raquel has also collaborated with choreographers Yolande Snaith, Robert Moses, and Allyson Green. She received an MFA in Costume Design from UC San Diego and is on the design faculty at UCLA.

Rita DiLorenzo (Costume Designer) studied fashion at Apparel Arts in San Francisco and received her bachelor of arts from San Francisco State University. Designing primarily in the women's contemporary market, she has worked with such notable companies as Banana Republic, Joie, and Forever 21. Rita currently lives and works in Los Angeles.

Jasper Gahunia (aka DJ Lil’ Jaz, eljay II) (Music Composer) is a DJ, producer, songwriter, musician, and teacher. He began his ground- breaking musical career as a specialized DJ (turntablist), competing in Toronto-area DMC competitions in the mid-1990s, winning the Toronto DMC DJ competition title three times and becoming the Canadian DMC Champion in 1998. During this competitive run, he also shared the International Turntablist Federation (ITF) Western Hemisphere Team title with his crew, Turnstylez, and became ITF World Beat Juggling Champ a year later. Jaz has graced stages worldwide as a DJ and keyboardist with Nelly Furtado and k-os. He currently teaches the first-ever “Scratch from Scratch: DJ Fundamentals” course at Toronto’s Royal Conservatory of Music, the institution from which he obtained his classical music degree in piano. He has also collaborated with the Canadian Opera Company in the production of a series of mini-operas fused with hip-hop beats and scratching. He has created the musical scores for many of Victor Quijada’s stage productions and commissions, as well as for the 2012 award-winning short film, Gravity of Center.

Kindred Gottlieb (Lighting Designer) began designing lights in 1992 for the Amherst 5-College Dance Department. After serving as Lighting Design Associate at Seattle Repertory Theater she moved to Berlin where she became Technical Director of the dance theater DOCK 11 and worked as a free-lance sculptor. She designed lights for many Berlin-based dance companies including Felix Ruckard, Zen in the Basement, Yuko Caseki, Sten Rudstrom, Tanzakademie Balance, and the Ponderosa Dance Festival. For the past six years Kindred served as Master Electrician for the UCLA Theater Department and most recently designed lights for Helios Dance Theater’s performances The Lotus Eaters and Beautiful Monsters.

Yan Lee Chan (Lighting Designer) is based in Montreal and has worked in the performing arts for more than a decade. He first studied lighting design at the Saint-Hyacinthe School for Theatre Arts, where he earned a degree in stage management and technical direction. After graduation, he worked primarily in Europe, collaborating with Olivier Duplessis and other dance artists. Since his early teens, Yan has also performed as a sleight-of-hand magician and he has subsequently developed new lighting concepts that create stage illusions. Yan Lee Chan has worked with many Canadian choreographers and performing arts companies including Victor Quijada’s RUBBERBANDance Group and its various commissions, notably with BODYTRAFFIC, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, , and Scottish Dance Theatre.

Dora Quintanilla (Company Manager) is originally from Monterrey, México. Her studies and career as a dancer informed her understanding on how to handle the production and managing of dance companies. She has collaborated as a performer, stage manager, production/tour manager, and assistant to Artistic Directors with different national and international artists in multidisciplinary projects. She served as Artist & Event Services Manager at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival for five years, focusing on arranging all artistic and administrative logistics, and the many other facets of this 10-week Internationally renowned dance festival. She is happy to have joined the BODYTRAFFIC family in 2013.

Leon Wiebers (Costume Designer) has designed productions in the US and internationally. He is a recent Fulbright Research Scholar to South Korea examining traditional dress. His recent credits include The Music Man (Glimmerglass Festival and the Royal Opera in Oman) and The King and I (Maltz Jupiter Theatre), both directed by Marcia Milgrom Dodge, and Il Trovatore for the Sacramento Opera. He is a long-term collaborator at California Music Circus. His awards include a Fulbright Research Grant to Korea, Backstage West Garland Award, and LA Weekly Awards for Three Sisters for Interact Theatre and an LA Ovation Award for Ubu Roi at A Noise Within. He currently holds a faculty position at Loyola Marymount University and is a member of United Scenic Artists, Local 829.

Burke Wilmore (Production Manager & Lighting Designer) grew up in Sun Valley, ID, and now lives in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. He is a member of United Scenic Artists Local 829 and an honors graduate of Wesleyan University. He was the resident designer for Battleworks (2001–2010) and lit Robert Battle’s Juba, In/Side, Takademe, The Hunt, and Strange Humors for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. He designed Stephen Petronio’s Tragic Love for Ballet de Lorraine at the Montpelier Festival. Since 2005, he has been the resident designer for Keigwin + Company. His work is in the repertories of Sweden’s NorrDans and Holland’s Introdans. He has also lit the work of Camille A. Brown (Mr. Tol E. Rance, City of Rain, Good & Grown) and Brian Brooks (Again Again ). He frequently collaborates with Broadway star André de Shields, for whom he lit the Louis Armstrong musical Ambassador Satch, and designed scenery and lighting for de Shields’ production of Ain’t Misbehavin’. He also designed scenery and lighting for Apollo Club Harlem, directed by Maurice Hines. Wilmore leads the production team and serves as Associate Producer for FOCUS Dance and Gotham Dance Festival presentations in venues across New York City.