NEW YORK CITY: CAPITAL OF THE W ORLD!

WHAT IS VICTORY DANCE?

The New Victory Theater is thrilled to present VICTORY DANCE, a series specially curated to introduce younger audiences to the incredible artistry and diversity of dance in New York City. This four-week dance series will showcase a cross-section of New York-based choreographers and companies.

"New York is home to so many extraordinary dancers, choreographers and companies who are thrilled to perform for young people from within their community."

DIRECTOR OF ARTISTIC PROGRAMMING

THE NEW VICTORY® THEATER A New 42nd Street® project

New Victory® School Tool® Resource Guides PROGRAM A MEET THE COMPANIES

DOUG VARONE AND DANCERS BILL SHANNON

Doug Varone and Dancers has commanded attention for its Bill Shannon is a street performer, renowned dancer and expansive vision, versatility and technical prowess. On the conceptual, interdisciplinary artist who creates site-specific concert stage, in opera, theater and on the screen, Varone's work in galleries, theaters and on the street. Shannon is kinetically thrilling make essential connections and widely recognized in the dance and performance art world, mine the complexity of the human spirit using both the smallest the underground hip hop and club dance scene, the urban gesture or full-throttle bursts of movement. arts movement and the disabled artist community. The recent major focus of Shannon's work has been on bringing dance Doug Varone and Dancers are among the most sought after and movement to audiences as site-specific video installations, ambassadors and educators in the field. For the past 17 years, and developing wearable video art for performance and the company’s annual summer intensive workshops at leading entertainment. universities attract students and professionals from around the globe. Varone, his dancers and designers have been honored with 11 Bessie Awards. In celebration of their 30th anniversary DECADANCETHEATRE season, the company is touring and reconstructing major dances from past repertory, as well as recent new works and New York Dance and Performance Award (Bessie) nominee company premieres. for Outstanding Emerging Choreographer, Decadancetheatre has been redefining theatrical hip hop since 2004. Based in Brooklyn, Decadancetheatre has become a key ambassador of authentic hip hop culture around the world through BUGLISI DANCE THEATRE performances, workshops and creative commissions. Led by artistic director Jennifer Weber, the company represents a Founded in 1993 by artistic director Jacqulyn Buglisi, Terese global vision of hip hop with an international roster of dancers Capucilli, Christine Dakin and Donlin Foreman, who performed from the U.S., France, Germany, Norway, Nigeria and Japan. together as principal dancers of the Dance Company (Victory Dance, 2015) the award-winning Buglisi Dance Theatre (BDT) is acclaimed for poignant, theatrical dances and imaginative multi-disciplinary collaborations that promote awareness of social issues and embolden audiences to recognize within themselves their own humanity. In her four-decade career as a choreographer, artistic director, dancer and master teacher, Jacqulyn Buglisi has made an indelible impact on the field of dance. Using literature, history, and heroic archetypes as primary source material, Buglisi crafts dances that promote awareness of global issues and of the human condition.

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THE NEW VICTORY® THEATER 5 NewVictory.org/SchoolTool A New 42nd Street® project © The New 42nd Street, Inc. New Victory® School Tool® Resource Guides PROGRAM B MEET THE COMPANIES

PREETI VASUDEVAN’S THRESH (WITH AMAR RAMASAR)

Preeti Vasudevan is an award-winning choreographer, educator and movement analyst. She is an exponent of classical Indian dance (Bharatanatyam) creating new provocative contemporary works in the Indian tradition. Original works performed by her company, Thresh, have earned international acclaim for their fresh juxtaposition of traditional and contemporary voices.

RONALD K. BROWN/EVIDENCE

Founded by Ronald K. Brown in 1985 and based in Brooklyn, EVIDENCE, focuses on the fusion of with contemporary and spoken word. This work provides a unique view of human struggles, tragedies and triumphs. Brown uses movement as a way to reinforce the importance of community in African American culture and to acquaint audiences with the beauty of African forms and rhythms.

HEIDI LATSKY DANCE

Heidi Latsky Dance (HLD), a New York-based company, dedicates its work to redefining beauty and virtuosity through provocative performance and discourse. It uses performers with unique attributes to bring rigorous, passionate and innovative dance works to diverse audiences. Since its inception in 2001, the company has received numerous awards, commissions and residencies. In 2006, it began the dynamic ongoing project of integrated works featuring people with disabilities.

Photo: Yi-Chun VICTORY

THE NEW VICTORY® THEATER 6 NewVictory.org/SchoolTool A New 42nd Street® project © The New 42nd Street, Inc. New Victory® School Tool® Resource Guides HANDOUT / INSIDE THE DANCE

A collection of ritual AFRO-CUBAN DANCE: Cuban dances, which are best described as free, electric and tribal, that reflects the four main groups of Africans—the Arará, Kongo-Angola, Yoruba and Carabali—who were transported to Cuba.

BALLET: Dance form using precise and highly formalized set steps and gestures. Classical , which originated in Renaissance Italy and established its Photo: Erin Baiano present form during the 19th century, is characterized by light, graceful movements and the use of pointe BHARATANATYAM: shoes with reinforced toes.​ One of eight classical dance forms in India, this style of traditional dance is the intersection of dance, music, literature, philosophy, sculpture and spirituality. Each gesture and CONTEMPORARY: movement contains meaning and A free and expressive style of serves to tell a specific story. dance that came about in response to more structured dance forms, HIP HOP: A contemporary style of like ballet and tap. It is not bound dance that includes a variety of urban dance by rhythms and the movement is a styles, like b-boying/b-girling, popping and release from tension. Photo: Jim Carmody locking.

LYRICAL: A dance style created by merging ballet, jazz and contemporary JAZZ: Before the 1950s, jazz dance referred to dance techniques. dance styles that originated from African American vernacular dance. In the 1950s, a new genre of jazz dance — modern jazz dance — emerged, with roots in Caribbean traditional dance. Moves used In Jazz Dance include Jazz Hands, Sideways Shuffling and Rolled Shoulders.

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THE NEW VICTORY® THEATER 7 NewVictory.org/SchoolTool A New 42nd Street® project © The New 42nd Street, Inc. New Victory® School Tool® Resource Guides W HAT DO YOUR KIDS KNOW? BEFORE

Prior to attending VICTORY DANCE with your kids, find out what their previous experience is with dance and how much they already know about it.

Use the Prior Knowledge questions below as a guide for your reflection. In the process of exploring these areas, you’ll spark their curiosity about the show and enhance their anticipation for the trip. How do you define dance? Have you seen dancers live on stage before? What style of dance were they performing? What style of dance do you enjoy most, either as a dancer or audience member? What qualities make a dance piece interesting for you to watch? If you had to put together a program of your favorite dancers (famous or not) who would be on your list? Based on the descriptions in the VICTORY DANCE program that you are going to see, which are you most excited about and why?

AFTER

Reflect with your kids after the show.

What was the experience like of seeing live dance on stage? Has your understanding of dance changed in any way? If so, how? Did any of the dances surprise you? If so, how? Did you have a favorite dance piece? Which was it and why? Do you have a new understanding for the term “dance fusion?” What do you think it means?

BODY ENERGY SPACE TIME (B.E.S.T.)

Throughout this resource guide, you and your kids will be introduced to activities around dance. Have them refer to the B.E.S.T. chart (Body, Energy, Space and Time) to help them make interesting choices about their dance movement pieces.

The Elements of Dance sets were created through a partnership between Walker Art Center and Perpich Center for Arts Education using frameworks and tools developed by Diane Aldis for Perpich professional development and outreach programs.

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THE NEW VICTORY® THEATER 8 NewVictory.org/SchoolTool A New 42nd Street® project © The New 42nd Street, Inc. New Victory® School Tool® Resource Guides HANDOUT BEING YOUR B.E.S.T. THE ELEMENTS OF DANCE*

BODY ENERGY SPACE TIME PARTS FLOW PLACE SPEED HEAD FREE GENERAL SLOW ARMS BOUND SELF FAST HANDS ACCELERATION PELVIS WEIGHT SIZE DECELERATION LEGS STRONG BIG RHYTHM ELBOWS LIGHT SMALL BREATH ETC. NEAR REACH PULSE FORCE FAR REACH SHAPES SMOOTH CURVED (SUSTAINED) LEVEL STRAIGHT SHARP HIGH ANGULAR (SUDDEN) MEDIUM TWISTED LOW SYMMETRIC STILLNESS ASYMMETRIC ACTIVE DIRECTION PASSIVE FORWARD RELATIONSHIPS BACKWARD NEAR SIDEWAYS APART DIAGONAL ALONE UP OR DOWN AROUND BELOW PATHWAY

BESIDE STRAIGHT Photo: Nikki Carrara ETC. CURVED *The Elements of Dance BALANCE CIRCULAR sets were created through ZIGZAG a partnership between ON Walker Art Center and Perpich Center for Arts OFF Education using frameworks FOCUS and tools developed by SINGLE Diane Aldis for Perpich professional development MULTI Photo: Erin Baiano and outreach programs.

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THE NEW VICTORY® THEATER 9 NewVictory.org/SchoolTool A New 42nd Street® project © The New 42nd Street, Inc. New Victory® School Tool® Resource Guides CREATIVITY PAGE PROGRAM A PREPARE AND REFLECT What will you see at VICTORY DANCE this summer? Take a guess! Before seeing the show, answer the questions below for each of the images shown. After you see the show, fill out the back to reflect on your experience of seeing the show.

What is the dance style of each piece? What music do you think each of the performers are moving to? What question do you have for each of the performers?

CERS AN RE D T D EA N H A T E E N C O N R A A D

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TEACHER'S NOTE: PLEASE PRINT DOUBLE-SIDED. CREATIVITY PAGE PREPARE AND REFLECT Compare and contrast what you thought you would see on stage to the dance pieces presented!

What words would you use to describe each piece? How did the music contribute to each performance? What is a new question you have for one or more of the performers in each piece?

CERS AN RE D T D EA N H A T E E N C O N R A A D

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B D CREATIVITY PAGE PROGRAM B PREPARE AND REFLECT What will you see at VICTORY DANCE this summer? Take a guess! Before seeing the show, answer the questions below for each of the images shown. After you see the show, fill out the back to reflect on your experience of seeing the show.

What is the dance style of each piece? What music do you think each of the performers are moving to? What question do you have for each of the performers?

H E RES ENC TH ID ’S EV N / A N V W E O D R B U S . K A V D I L T A E

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SH (WITH A RE MA TH R E ’S R C N A N A M A V A D E S Y D A K U R S S ) T A A V

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TEACHER'S NOTE: PLEASE PRINT DOUBLE-SIDED. CREATIVITY PAGE PREPARE AND REFLECT Compare and contrast what you thought you would see on stage to the dance pieces presented!

What words would you use to describe each piece? How did the music contribute to each performance? What is a new question you have for one or more of the performers in each piece?

H E RES ENC TH ID ’S EV N / A N V W E O D R B U S . K A V D I L T A E

N E

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O

P R

SH (WITH A RE MA TH R E ’S R C N A N A M A V A D E S Y D A K U R S S ) T A A V

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