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Home , Dance troupe, Death Grips, Donald McKayle, Frank Gehry, Ryan Heffington, Ulysses Dove

Presents OPENING NIGHT

WELCOME Jodee Nimerichter ADF Executive Director

Steve Schewel Mayor, City of Durham

PERFORMANCE BY Dayton Contemporary Company Dedicated to Donald McKayle

Thursday, June 14, 2018 at 7:00pm Reynolds Industries Theater

Jeraldyne Blunden, Founder Debbie Blunden-Diggs, Artistic Director Ro Nita Hawes-Saunders, Chief Executive Officer Crystal Michelle, Associate Artistic Director Michelle VanHuss, Director of Touring & University Initiatives Audrey Ingram, Company Manager Matthew J. Evans, Technical Director Travis Dwire, Stage Manager L’Amour, Wardrobe Manager

Dancers Devin Baker, Qarrianne Blayr, Trezon Carnell Dancy, Alexandria Flewellen, Michael Green, G. D. Harris, Stevie Lamblin, Robert Pulido, Elizabeth Ramsey, Nile Alicia Ruff, Quentin Apollo, Vaughn Sledge, Matthew J. Talley, Sheri “Sparkle” Williams, and Countess V. Winfrey

These performances are dedicated to Donald McKayle.

Thursday, June 14 at 7:00pm Friday, June 15 at 8:00pm Reynolds Industries Theater RAINBOW 'ROUND MY SHOULDER Original Premiere, 1959 | DCDC Premiere, 1987

Choreography Donald McKayle Music Traditional music arranged by Robert DeCormier and Milton Okun from the Collection of John and Allan Lomax Costume Design Original costumes by Domingo A. Rodriguez, recreated for DCDC by Ayn Wood Lighting Design John Rensel

Men on the Chain Gang Devin Baker, Trezon Carnell Dancy, Michael Green, Robert Pulido, Quentin Apollo Vaughn Sledge, Matthew J. Talley Solo I Quentin Apollo Vaughn Sledge Solo II Devin Baker (June 14) Michael Green (June 15) Sweetheart, Mother, Wife Qarrianne Blayr (June 14) Countess V. Winfrey (June 15)

Notes The chain gang working along rural roads in the South has become a thing of the past for most states, but at one time it was a common sight to see a group of men linked together at the ankles with a length of chain, leaving or returning to a prison farm. A woman appears in their dreams, and to each prisoner, she is a sweetheart, mother, or wife. Yearning for freedom, two men escape only to die in their quest. This dance mirrors the lost hope and frustrations of these men on the chain gang.

Rainbow 'Round My Shoulder, choreographed by Donald McKayle, performed by DCDC, and produced by Paul Taylor American , was honored with a 2016 New York Dance & Performance Award (“Bessie”) for Outstanding Revival. AWASSA ASTRIGE/OSTRICH Original Premiere, 1932 | DCDC Premiere, 1997

Choreography Asadata Dafora Restaged by Ella Thompson-Moore Music Carl Riley Performed by Christopher Ward and Jennifer Brining Costume Design Catti Lighting Design Craig Miller

Dancer G. D. Harris

Notes A warrior imitates the graceful but powerful movements of the ostrich, king of the birds.

The reconstruction of this work was made possible by the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

INTERMISSION INDESTRUCTIBLE World Premiere, June 2018, , Durham, NC

Choreography Abby Zbikowski Music Death Grips Costume Design L’Amour Lighting Design Matthew J. Evans

Dancers Trezon Carnell Dancy, Alexandria Flewellen, Robert Pulido, Nile Alicia Ruff, Quentin Apollo Vaughn Sledge, and Countess V. Winfrey

Notes For the making of Indestructible, I employed the same practice-based creative process with DCDC that I have been cultivating over the past six years with my company, Abby Z and the New Utility. While working this way, we foregrounded the act of moving and repeating in order to locate tactics and new techniques for surviving this mentally and physically taxing work, a continuous and relentless task that directly taps into knowledge gained from our individually lived experiences. Physical ideas and choreographic structures for this work pull from prior pieces with my company, including “abandoned playground” and “the new utility.” I’d like to thank the cast of six dancers, and the whole company at DCDC, for their ongoing dedication to this work, and a huge thank you to my rehearsal assistant during the process, Fiona Lundie, and the maintenance rehearsal director, Jennifer Meckley.

Commissioned by the American Dance Festival with support from the Doris Duke/ SHS Foundations Award for New Works. THIS I KNOW FOR SURE... Premiere, 2017, Dayton, OH

Choreography Ray Mercer Music Bongi Duma, , Olafur Arnalds, Peter Gregson, and Ludovico Einaudi Costume Design Elena Comendador Lighting Design Matthew Evans

I. Genesis: The Preamble Devin Baker, Qarrianne Blayr, Trezon Carnell Dancy, Michael Green, Stevie Lamblin, Robert Pulido, Elizabeth Ramsey, Nile Alicia Ruff, Quentin Apollo Vaughn Sledge, Matthew James Talley, and Countess V. Winfrey II. Trois Elizabeth Ramsey, Nile Alicia Ruff, and Countess V. Winfrey III. He, Him, Himself Devin Baker, Trezon Carnell Dancy, Stevie Lamblin, Quentin Apollo Vaughn Sledge, and Matthew James Talley IV. A Pair of Connections Stevie Lamblin & Robert Pulido Nile Alicia Ruff & Quentin Apollo Vaughn Sledge Countess V. Winfrey & Michael Green V. Just Him Devin Baker VI. Omega: The Postscript The Ensemble

Notes Featured in the American Dance Abroad publication Pitchbook: Volume IV. ABOUT DAYTON COMPANY Dayton Contemporary Dance Company was founded in 1968 to create performance opportunities for dancers of color. Nearly 50 years later, it remains rooted in the African American experience, committed to the development of diverse movement artists on the global stage. ​A co-recipient of one of the dance world’s highest honors, the 2016 "Bessie" Award for Outstanding Revival, DCDC has been presented by the American Dance Festival, Paul Taylor American Modern Dance, and Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival and supported by National Endowment for the Arts and New England Foundation for the Arts among others. ​DCDC was part of ADF’s Black Tradition in American Modern Dance program which included the reconstruction of master works by African American choreographers on the company. The works were toured across the US and were complemented by humanities discussions. The company was also featured in ADF’s Emmy Award- winning performance documentary Free to Dance and its companion program Dancing in the Light, which were featured on public television. The culturally diverse company is dedicated to exceptional performance and quality community engagement. DCDC has toured the world, dancing onstage for packed houses in Bermuda, Canada, Chile, China, France, Germany, Poland, Russia, and South Korea and recently completed its participation in the seventh season of DanceMotion USA as cultural ambassadors in Kazakhstan and Russia.

DEBBIE BLUNDEN-DIGGS (Artistic Director) became Artistic Director for Dayton Contemporary Dance Company in 2007. For over 20 years she performed with the company, appearing in most of the company’s repertoire. Before becoming Artistic Director, she served as the company’s Associate Artistic Director, Deputy Director for Arts and Operations, and Resident Choreographer. In addition to her choreographic and artistic leadership, Ms. Blunden-Diggs is the Executive Director of Jeraldyne’s School of the Dance, the cornerstone to Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, and she works closely with DCDC’s pre-professional company, DCDC2. She has created works for the company which have become part of the company’s artistic blueprint. Her notable works include Configurations, Kaleidoscope, Fragments, In My Father’s House, and Trac. Her first pieceVariations in Blue, composed when she was seventeen, was submitted as an entry in the Young Choreographers Showcase and selected for inclusion in the National Choreographic Plan. She has contributed an impressive body of work including No Room, No Place, No Where for which she received a Monticello Award in 1982. In May 2002, she adjudicated the Regional Dance America Northeast Competitions. Ms. Blunden-Diggs was Co-Director/Choreographer for The Human Race Theatre’s production of Crowns, as well as Director/Choreographer for Central State University’s original production of In The Pursuit of Wind among others. She created for and worked with students at University of Dayton, Sinclair Community College, Wright State University, Central State University, South Dayton Dance Theatre, and Stivers School for the Arts. She served on the Board of Directors for The International Association of Blacks in Dance from 2000 to 2006 and currently since 2015. She has received numerous awards and accolades. Among them are honors from Regional Dance America, Monticello Choreographic Fellowships in 1979 and 1980, and two Individual Fellowship Awards from the Ohio Arts Council in 1981 and 1984. The Fisk University Alumni Association honored her with an Excellence in Artistry Award, and she was awarded a Montgomery County Arts and Cultural District Master Fellowship for artistic excellence and community outreach initiatives in 2000. In 2014, she received the Image of Hope Youth Advocacy Award for her contributions to improve the lives of youth in the Greater Dayton area. Ms. Blunden-Diggs is an adjunct professor at University of Dayton in the Theatre, Dance, and Performance Technology Program, and serves on the Seedling Foundation Board for Stivers School for the Arts. CRYSTAL MICHELLE PERKINS (Associate Artistic Director) is a choreographer, performer, and intermedia artist, who serves as the Associate Artistic Director of Dayton Contemporary Dance Company (DCDC). Previous to her appointment, she was a dancer with DCDC’s professional touring company for nine seasons. She served as resident choreographer and was charged with maintaining an extensive repertory of masterworks by beloved African American choreographers, including works by Donald Byrd, Donald McKayle, and Dianne McIntyre. In 2014, she received the Individual Excellence Award from the Ohio Arts Council and the Josie Award, which recognizes exceptional performance in the art of dance. Crystal holds an MFA in Dance from The Ohio State University, a BFA in Dance Performance from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX, and is a member of the Association of Performing Arts Professionals inaugural class of Leadership Fellows. She is honored to serve on the OhioDance Board of Trustees. As a choreographer, performer, and researcher, she has traveled both nationally and internationally, including to Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, where she began The Beautiful Archive Project, an audio archive centered on the perception of black female embodiment in contemporary dance performance. The cornerstone of her choreographic research, the collection operates as the foundation for Boxing Up Beautiful, an intermedia performance investigation of those same ideals. Ms. Perkins has collaborated with the Dayton Philharmonic, Blackbird String Quartet, The University of Dayton’s Department of Music, and the Khalid Moss Jazz Trio. The latter created an original composition for her ensemble work entitled Unrested and Unfaithful, which sits in DCDC’s permanent repertoire. The Descent of this Water: Rain (2014), an embodied reflection on the process of migration for people of color in the American south, was commissioned by the Dublin Arts Council as a site-specific collaborative community project. Ms. Perkins has created dance works and taught master classes for Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, Cutno Dance, SMAG Dance Collective, and Stivers School for the Arts Dance Ensemble. She has been a guest artist for the New Orleans Association/ NOLA, the Augusta , Compton Dance Theatre, and The Moving Architects. Currently, she is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Dance at The Ohio State University, where she teaches composition and contemporary movement practice. MATTHEW J. EVANS (Lighting Designer, Production Manager) Most recently, Matt has designed the original lighting plots for the following DCDC productions: Vantage Points, The Littlest Angel, Etchings, and Tapestries at ARTS 651 in Brooklyn, NY. Originally from Davenport, IA, Matt graduated in 1994 from Teikyo Marycrest University with a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Arts. Matt serves as a faculty member in the Theatre, Dance, and Performance Technology Program at the University of Dayton and is the Theatre Manager of Boll Theatre. He has worked as the Technical Director, Lighting Designer, and Scenic Designer for several of UD productions. Matt was involved in over 60 productions from 1996-2010 at LaComedia Theatre in Springboro, OH, as the Production Manager, Technical Director, Set Designer, and Scenic Artist. In addition, Matthew successfully established a freelance career collaborating with many regional companies including Opera Saratoga in Saratoga Springs, NY, The Barter Theatre in Abingdon, VA, University of Wisconsin– Platteville, Circa 21 Dinner Theatre in Rock Island, IL, Enchanted Hill Playhouse in Nappanee, IN, Sorg Opera in Middletown, OH, Horsefeathers and Applesauce Dinner Theatre in Winfield, KS, and Ghostlight Theatre Inc. in Davenport, IA. Matthew resides in Lebanon, OH, with his wife Melanie, his son Camden, and Walter kitty. TRAVIS DWIRE (Stage Manager) is from New Lebanon, OH, and is a graduate of UD’s Theatre, Dance, and Performance Technology program. During his five years at UD, Travis worked in Boll Theatre to help design and build the main stage shows. Along with former classmate Brett Reese, he is a three-time consecutive champion of the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival’s Tech Olympics. Travis is looking forward to taking his passion for theater and the arts to places in and outside of Dayton while pursuing his career. He would like to thank all of those who have helped him get where he is now and hopes that you enjoy the show L’AMOUR (Wardbrobe Manager) Turn down the lights... Pump up the music. It’s show time. Commanding the stage is fashion icon, L’Amour Ameer—at 6’4" he’s built with power and grace (thanks to his early life as a professional dancer). His hometown is Dayton, OH, but every city wants to claim him, especially and New York, where he has lived for periods of time. His reputation as a first class designer is spreading around the world too. His recent whirlwind visit to Liberia only solidified L’Amour’s reputation. Dayton’s fashion week “Inside Couture” labeled L’Amour Ameer the hidden jewel of fashion. L’Amour Ameer’s line under his new custom cut couture label takes into account everyone who wants to look good and can now afford it because he makes his fashion accessible to those who work for a living. But celebrities have clamored for his designs as well: the string of esteemed names wearing an original L’Amour couture outfit includes Vivica Fox, Bill Cosby, comedian Eddie Griffin, legendary jazz great Miles Davis, and international beauty queens including St. Croix and Ms. Virgin Islands. L’Amour is a father, a man of strong faith, and he is humbled by his God-given talent to bring beauty to the world. Life is worth living, and—Dahling!—you are not truly living unless you are draped in L’Amour couture. DEVIN BAKER (Indianapolis, IN) trained with Deeply Rooted Dance Theater in Chicago and has performed for Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble, Seamless Dance Theater, and Deeply Rooted Dance Theater, along with various choreographers such as Ray Mercer, Milton Myers, Kevin Iega Jeff, and Nejla Yatkin. This is his third season with DCDC. His most memorable performance in a DCDC concert: “When we performed Rainbow 'Round My Shoulder at .” QARRIANNE BLAYR (Fayetteville, NC) earned her BFA at Howard University, studying under Sherrill Berryman-Johnson, Pat Thomas, Sandra Fortune-Green, Katherine Smith, Akua Kouyate, and Assane Konte. She also studied traditional Jamaican dance at University of West Indies at Mona. In 2004, Ms. Blayr founded the performing arts group Arts International. She joined DCDC’s first company in 2012 after having performed for two seasons in DCDC2, the company’s pre- professional ensemble. Of the choreographers she has worked with, Sherrill Berryman-Johnson has been the most influential in helping her become a “moving/ thinking vessel.” Her favorite DCDC repertory piece to perform is Amen Corner of the dance concert Body Talk. TREZON CARNELL DANCY (Hartford, CT) graduated cum laude with a BFA in Dance and Performance at Ohio University. This is his first season with the first company. Mr. Dancy performed in Kyle Abraham’s Quiet Dance and choreographed Commencement for the 2015 Ohio Dance Festival at Ohio University. He explains why he wants to dance: “The reason I choose to dance is to give the audience a chance to see themselves within the movement. I dance to impact and unfold the body so that the message is being told.” ALEXANDRIA FLEWELLEN (Columbus, OH) is completing her senior year at Wright State University. Ms. Flewellen performed one year with DCDC2. She joins first company this season. The choreographer who has most influenced her is DCDC alum Dwight Rhoden. "He challenged my usual way of moving and helped me find a different way of thinking about movement." On why she is dancer: "I chose to be a dancer because I need to dance, and it is who I am." MICHAEL GREEN (Midlothian, VA) joined the company in 2007 after graduating with a BFA from Butler University the same year. Starting at the age of 4, Mr. Green studied dance at Jessica Morgan’s School of Dance, Ingrid’s Dance Theater, and Richmond Ballet School. He also trained at the School of American Ballet, the Rimsky-Korsakov in St. Petersburg, Russia, the National Taiwan University of the Arts, Ballet Austin, Boston Ballet, and Interlochen Performing Arts School. In 2016, he performed in Donald McKayle’s Rainbow ‘Round My Shoulder at David H. Koch Theatre in Lincoln Center in . DCDC received a "Bessie" Award for this performance. Mr. Green has toured with DCDC to Chile and China. He credits Donald Byrd as the choreographer who has most influenced him: “Mr. Byrd was influential in changing the way I approach technique. His clarity made me take a look at what is important as an artist.” GD HARRIS (New York, NY) danced with DCDC from 1991 to 2012, when he retired from the stage. He continued working with DCDC behind the scenes in various capacities as company manager and touring/production manager. After leaving the company in 2015, Mr. Harris obtained his certification in Medical Insurance Billing and Office Administration. Currently, Mr. Harris is the Compliance/Human Resource Administrator for 4EverReady Home Care & Transportation. Never leaving the stage completely, you can catch him performing with the South Dayton Dance Theatre's production of The Nutcracker as Drosselmeyer. STEVIE LAMBLIN (Huber Heights, OH) studied in the DCDC2 pre-professional ensemble for three years before joining the company in 2015. Ms. Lamblin studied dance at Dayton Dance Conservatory for 16 years. She has taken masterclasses throughout Ohio, Indiana, Massachusetts, and New York. She graduated cum laude from Wright State University with a Bachelor’s of Science in behavioral neuroscience. Currently she pursues her Master of Science in clinical mental health counseling. From 2002 to 2006 Ms. Lamblin was a Mini Dugout dancer for the Dayton Dragon’s baseball team. The choreographer who most impacted her is Shonna Hickman-Matlock “because she believed in me.” ROBERT PULIDO (, CA) enters his third season with DCDC. In 2015, he graduated from California State University of Fullerton with a Bachelor of Arts in dance. He performed in the Dance Teacher’s Summit and Capezio A.C.E. Awards and in the Nutcracker under director Lois Ellyn of Nouveau Chamber Ballet. In 2016, he performed in Donald McKayle’s Rainbow ‘Round My Shoulder at David H. Koch Theatre in Lincoln Center in New York City. Mr. Pulido was a teacher’s assistant at the Los Angeles Dance , where he trained for ten years. The choreographer who has most influenced him is Alvin Rangel, who has worked with DCDC: “His movement flows continuously with a few surprises here and there. He made me use and adapt the floor to my body.” ELIZABETH RAMSEY (Toledo, OH) enters her second year with the company this season. For three years she performed in DCDC2 and in 2016 she graduated with a BFA from Wright State University. Her choreography was chosen to premier in Wright State’s Spring Dance Concert. She has studied with the Joffrey Ballet, Complexions, and MIP. Ms. Ramsey chose her career in dance because dance “creates beautiful minds and bodies and allows great connections and conversations between humans.” She names Shonna Hickman-Matlock as a choreographer who influenced her because “she made me mentally sharper and she helped my body understand mature movement.” NILE ALICIA RUFF (, DC) enters her second season with the company. A 2014 graduate of Point Park University with a BFA in Dance, she received a 2014- 15 scholarship to attend the Ailey School. Formerly Ms. Ruff was a member of the Coyaba Dance Theatre. Her favorite dance work performed by DCDC is Shed because “it’s about shedding stigmas and judgments and getting to true love of self. I’m about that and this piece shows it!” Ms. Ruff also explains why she for DCDC: “I dance with DCDC because it’s a place to improve yourself and it feels safe to do so. That’s because there’s so much humanity here.” QUENTIN APOLLO VAUGHN SLEDGE (Chicago, IL) began studying dance with Homer Hans Bryant, a former member of the . Mr. Sledge graduated summa cum laude from Morehouse College in , GA, where he earned a degree in Business Administration with a concentration in management. He also received recognition as a National Society of Collegiate Scholar and accepted into a training program at Gotta Dance Atlanta under the direction of Daryl Foster and his LIFT company. In 2016, Mr. Sledge performed in Donald McKayle’s Rainbow ‘Round My Shoulder at David H. Koch Theatre in Lincoln Center in New York City. He credits DCDC’s Associate Artistic Director, Crystal Michelle, as an important influence on his artistry because “she is an astounding choreographer who has poured her years of knowledge into her work at DCDC in such a short time!” Mr. Sledge joined DCDC’s first company in 2014. MATTHEW J. TALLEY (Washington, DC) enters his second season with the company. He studied with George de la Pena for two years at The Joffrey School and spent two summers at on full scholarship. Mr. Talley was a soloist at Missouri Ballet Theatre and performed one season with the Taurus Broadhurst Project. His most memorable DCDC performance to date was “performing for students at Bethune-Cookman University. After the concert we had a Q&A where everyone would stand and tell us how happy and grateful that we came to perform for them. That was very special to me.” His reason for becoming a professional dancer: “I didn’t choose to be a dancer. Dance chose me to be one of its movers.” SHERI “SPARKLE” WILLIAMS (Dayton, OH) enters her 44th season dancing with DCDC! Ms. Williams is also an original member of the New York based Complexions Contemporary Ballet. She has received numerous awards throughout her career, including the JOSIE Award, Fisk University’s Excellence in Artistry Award, Lifetime Achievement Award from the Montgomery County Arts and Cultural District, New York Dance and Performance Award (the "Bessie"), and Ohio Governor’s Award for the Arts in the category of Individual Artist, to name a few. As a nationally certified fitness professional Ms. Williams also serves as DCDC’s fitness trainer. Ms. Williams credits the late choreographer Ulysses Dove as an important artistic influence. “He demanded a level of virtuosity that I was vehemently challenged to deliver.” Her most memorable moment in her long career: “Performing the work Growth in Merida, , in a theater built in 15 A.D.! When I finished, the crowd stomped their feet and repeatedly called out my name.” COUNTESS V. WINFREY (Nashville, TN) began her dance training at Dance with Stacy Dance Studio, where she danced more than five years. She also attended Wharton Arts Magnet School where she majored in dance and art. She later continued her training at Nashville School of the Arts. Attending college at the University of Memphis, Countess graduated magna cum laude with a BS in Health and Human Performance and a minor in dance in 2011. She has also participated in a variety of dance festivals including the American High School Dance Festival, the American College Dance Festival (2009-2012), the American Dance Festival, and the David Dorfman Dance Winter Intensive. After graduating, Countess joined DCDC2 in 2012, where she danced for two years while having the opportunity to perform with the first company in her second year. She has performed works by Paul Taylor, David Dorfman, Rodney A. Brown, Rob Priore, William B. McClellan, Jr., and many other choreographers. This is her third year with the first company.

CHOREOGRAPHERS DONALD MCKAYLE (1930-2018) Choreographer, director, and educator Donald Cohen McKayle was born on July 6, 1930 in New York City to Eva Wilhelmina Cohen McKayle and Philip Augustus McKayle. Inspired by a performance, he began dancing his senior year in high school, and won a scholarship to the New Dance Group in 1947. In 1948, McKayle choreographed his first piece of work with the New Dance Group and premiered his solo piece, Saturday's Child. From 1951 to 1969, McKayle founded and directed his own dance company, Donald McKayle and Company, which premiered his first major work entitled Games in 1951. McKayle then went on to choreograph masterworks Rainbow 'Round My Shoulder, District Storyville, and Songs of the Disinherited. Golden Boy (1964) was his first Broadway production, followed by I'm Solomon (1969) and Dr. Jazz (1975). McKayle directed and choreographed (1974), which was awarded a Tony for best musical. He was responsible for the entire concept, staging, and choreography of the award-winning Sophisticated Ladies (1981). McKayle has also choreographed for films, including Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1970), (1972), and The Minstrel Man (1976). McKayle has also choreographed stage acts for singers such as and Rita Moreno. In 2001, he choreographed the monumental ten-hour production of Tantalus. The repositories for McKayle’s work include the American Dance Theatre, the San Jose Ballet, and the Los Angeles Contemporary Dance Theatre. He served as head of the Inner City Repertory Dance Company from 1970 to 1974, and then as choreographer for the Limón Dance Company since 1995. In all, McKayle choreographed over ninety performances for dance companies in the US, Canada, Israel, Europe, and South America. He has taught at , The , the American Dance Festival, and in Europe. McKayle served as dean of the School of Dance at the California Institute of the Arts, and as professor of dance and the artistic director for the University of California, Irvine Dance. McKayle received numerous honors and awards, including an Outer Critics Circle Award, a NAACP Image Award, the Capezio Award, the Samuel H. Scripps/ American Dance Festival Award, the American Dance Guild Award, a Living Legend Award from the National Black Arts Festival, two Choreographer’s Fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Dance/USA Honors, the Lifetime Achievement Award, the Annual Award from the Dance Masters of America, the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Dance Under the Stars Choreography Festival, the Black College Dance Exchange Honors, the Award, and the American Dance Legacy Institute’s Distinguished and Innovative Leadership Award, among others. In 2005, McKayle was honored at the John F. Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, and presented with a medal as a Master of African American Choreography. The 2016 "Bessie" for Outstanding Revival was presented to Rainbow ’Round My Shoulder by Donald McKayle, performed by Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, and produced by Paul Taylor American Modern Dance at the David H. Koch Theater, New York, NY. He has been named by the Dance Heritage Coalition as "one of America’s Irreplaceable Dance Treasures: the first 100." ASADATA DAFORA (1890-1965) was born in Freetown, Sierra Leone, the great- grandson of a former slave who returned from Nova Scotia to his homeland. His birth name is uncertain but was probably Austin Asadata Dafora Horton. Dafora attended Wesleyan High School in Freetown and moved to Europe in 1910. His life in Europe is not well documented, but he is believed to have studied opera in Germany and Italy from 1910 through 1912. Dafora is also reported to have been a member of the British Army during World War I. In 1929, Dafora arrived in New York intending to pursue a career in opera. He began working with a group of African men who frequented the National African Union, a social club. From these initial efforts he formed Shogola Oloba, an African troupe of performers. His troupe performed scenes from Zoonga, a dance opera of his composition, at the Communist Party Bazaar at Madison Square Garden in New York City in 1933. The following year Dafora premiered the dance opera Kykunkor (Witch Woman) at the Little Theater in New York City. A novelty in the because of its African theme, Kykunkor told the story of a bridegroom who had been cursed by a scorned lover. The performance was a critical success, and by 1935 the group had become the Troupe of the Federal Theatre Project. It was featured in Orson Welles' production of Macbeth. In 1938, Shogola Oloba performed Zunguru, a work in the style of Kykunkor. It was revived in 1940 and again in 1958 with the participation of Esther Rolle (best known for her portrayal of Florida Evans on the television sitcom Good Times). In 1960, Dafora returned to Freetown and passed directorship of his troupe to Rolle. The following year he once again returned to the United States, where he died in Harlem Hospital in 1965. ABBY ZBIKOWSKI is a choreographer, Assistant Professor of Dance at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign and on faculty at the American Dance Festival. Her choreographic work with her company, Abby Z and the New Utility, has been presented by the Gibney Dance Center, Movement Research at Danspace Project, and most recently the Abrons Arts Center where they had a sold out run of their latest piece, abandoned playground. She has been an artist in residence as part of the nEW Festival in Philadelphia, the American Dance Festival, and the Bates Dance Festival. Abby has studied intensively at Germaine Acogny's L'École de Sables in Senegal, holds a BFA in dance from Temple University, and an MFA in dance from The Ohio State University, where she worked closely with mentors Bebe Miller and Vickie Blaine. As a performer Abby has worked with Charles O. Anderson/Dance theater X, Vincent Mantsoe, and the Baker & Tarpaga Dance Project. She has been on faculty at The Ohio State University and has taught technique and creative process abroad at the Academy of Culture in Riga, Latvia as part of GPS (Global Practice Sharing) sponsored by Movement Research. RAY MERCER, a native of Omaha, NE, is in his 14th year as a member of the Tony Award-winning cast of Disney’s The Lion King. Throughout his ongoing Broadway run, he has simultaneously emerged as one of New York City’s most prolific choreographers. Mercer’s dynamic, visually striking and thought-provoking choreography has won the best onstage presentation award seven times at Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS’ annual Gypsy of the Year competition, more than any other choreographer. Recipient of Joffrey Ballet's Choreographers of Color Award and a Capezio Ace Awards finalist, Mercer has created work on Ailey II, Dallas Black Dance Theatre, Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, New Jersey Ballet, the Pensacola Ballet, and Philadanco, among others, and for Dancers Responding to AIDS, a program of Broadway Care/Equity Fights AIDS. Mercer started his dance training at the age of 17 when he studied at the University of New Orleans. He has performed with Chicago’s Deeply Rooted Dance Theater, as a guest artist with the Boston Ballet, and on the national tour of The Lion King. He’s worked with performers Garth Fagan, George Faison, , Kevin Iega Jeff, Louis Johnson, Rod Stewart, and more. Currently the resident choreographer for the Ailey/Fordham Bachelor of Fine Arts program, Mercer also directed and choreographed for the Smithsonian Oman Project, where his choreographic work is archived in the Smithsonian . Just last year, Mercer choreographed Deep Love: A Ghostly Rock Opera at The New York Musical Theatre Festival. Mercer and his work as a choreographer have been recognized by , Chicago Sun-Times, and Movmnt Magazine. Presents

Saturday, June 16 & Sunday, June 17 at 7:00pm Durham Performing Arts Center ARTISTIC DIRECTOR Shen Wei

DANCERS Lilly Balch Kate Jewett Janice Lancaster Larsen Russell Stuart Lilie Chelsea Retzloff Jennifer Rose Zak Ryan Schlegel Alex Speedie Maria Volpe Michael Wright

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Diane R. Rosenblatt

Neither by Shen Wei Dance Arts was commissioned by BAM and co-commissioned by the Performing Arts Center at Purchase College. Lead funding for the creation of Neither was provided by the SHS Foundation, the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, the US-China Cultural Institute, a Cultural Associate of the Committee of 100, Shirley Young, Chair, the Howard Gilman Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional institutional support was provided by the Irwin S. Scherzer Foundation, the Harkness Foundation for Dance, and La Fondazione I Teatri di Reggio Emilia (Italy). Public support for the creation of Neither was provided by the National Endowment for the Arts and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs.

A special thanks to the following individuals for supporting the creation of Neither: Gold Sponsors: Celia and Silas Chou, Shirley Young Silver Sponsors: David S. Brown, Joan Granlund, Helen and William Little, Maria Pyrros Vergos Bronze Sponsors: Susan Baker and Michael Lynch, Ingrid Ehrenberg and Joe Chan, Toni Wang McNicoll and Patrice McNicoll, Dana Tang Benefactors: Noreen and Kenneth Buckfire, Michèle and Steve Pesner Patrons: Eileen Rosenau, Mei Wu Stanton, Tim Tompkins, Barbara and Donald Tober, Mrs. Allyson Tang and Dr. Thomas Widmann, Calvin Tsao

Shen Wei Dance Arts gratefully acknowledges the generous support provided to our organization by the SHS Foundation, the Howard Gilman Foundation, the Winston Foundation, the Shubert Foundation, the US-China Cultural Institute, the Hyde and Watson Foundation, Jody and John Arnhold, the Jerome Robbins Foundation, the Harkness Foundation for Dance, the Joyce Mertz Gilmore Foundation, the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature, the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council and the National Endowment for the Arts. We also extend our sincere thanks to the Shen Wei Dance Arts Board of Directors and our many individual contributors. NEITHER

Concept, choreography, set, and costume design by Shen Wei Music by Morton Feldman Libretto by Samuel Beckett Lighting design by Jennifer Tipton Projection by Rocco Di Santi Assistant lighting designer Chuan-Chi Chan Costumes, Part I crafted by Jenny Lai Costumes, Part II crafted by Shen Wei and dancers

Music Morton Feldman Neither. Libretto by Samuel Beckett used by arrangement with European American agent for Universal Edition Vienna, publisher and copyright owner.

Libretto Neither. Music by Morton Feldman. Libretto by Samuel Beckett. Copyright ©1977 by Universal Edition Vienna. Copyright© renewed. All rights reserved.Used by permission of European American Distributors Company, U.S, and Canadian agent for Universal Edition

Recording Recording of Morton Feldman - Neither (col legno, WWE 1CD 20081). An opera with words by Samuel Beckett. Performed by Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, conducted by Kwamé Ryan. Soprano: Petra Hoffmann. © 2000 col legno Musikprodktion GmbH ℗ 1998 Bayerischer Rundfunk Shen Wei, Untitled No. 1 , oil and acrylic on linen canvas, 86” x 196.” Courtesy of the artist. NEITHER to and fro in shadow from inner to outer shadow from impenetrable self to impenetrable unself by way of neither as between two lit refuges whose doors once neared gently close, once away turned from gently part again beckoned back and forth and turned away heedless of the way, intent on the one gleam or the other unheard footfalls only sound till at last halt for good, absent for good from self and other then no sound then gently light unfading on that unheeded neither unspeakable home —Samuel Beckett ABOUT SHEN WEI Hailed as “one of the most expansive, creative minds in the arts,” (Pia Catton, The New York Sun), choreographer, director, and painter 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 2007 MacArthur Fellowship, the US Artists Fellow award, and a John Simon Guggenheim Shen Wei at Teatro di San Carlo, photo by Francesco Squeglia Fellowship. Other accolades include Australia’s Helpmann Award, the Nijinsky Emerging Choreographer Award, the Algur H. Meadows Prize, Les Étoiles de Ballet Award, (Ballet2000 Magazine), the Audi-China 2012 Artist of the Year Award, GQ China 2013 Artist of the Year Award, and the 2013 Chinese Innovator Award from -China. Most recently, he was honored with the Asian Cultural Council’s 2017 John D. Rockefeller 3rd Award. Shen Wei has received 23 commissions from major presenting institutions to support his creative work, including multiple commissions from the American Dance Festival, Het Muziektheater, Lincoln Center Festival, and Kennedy Center, as well as from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Park Avenue Armory, Hong Kong’s New Vision Arts Festival, Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts, Edinburgh International Festival, and, most recently, BAM and the Performing Arts Center at Purchase College. Born in China’s Hunan province in 1968, the son of Chinese opera professionals, Shen Wei was trained from youth in the rigorous practice of Chinese opera performance and traditional Chinese ink painting and calligraphy and was a performer with the Hunan State Xian Opera Company from 1984 to 1989. During his student years, he studied Western visual art, which propelled an interest in modern dance. In 1989, he began modern dance training at the American Dance Festival’s program at the Guangdong Dance Academy in China. In 1991, at the age of 23, he became a founding member of the Guangdong Modern Dance Company, the first such company in China. Upon receipt of a fellowship, he moved to New York City in 1995 to study with the Nikolais/ Louis Dance Lab and, in the same year, was invited to create work at the American Dance Festival. In July 2000, he founded Shen Wei Dance Arts (SWDA) at ADF and his company quickly entered the international touring circuit. The lead choreographer for the Opening Ceremonies of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Shen Wei has also created dances for Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal and and choreographed the Rome Opera’s production of Rossini’s Moise et Pharaon, conducted by Ricardo Muti. In 2013, Shen Wei was commissioned to create a new work for the in Amsterdam, and he choreographed, directed, and designed a new production of Carmina Burana for the chorus, orchestra, and ballet of Teatro di San Carlo in Naples, Italy, with his company performing in leading roles. His work as a visual artist and choreographer has entered into a new dialogue in a series of performative installations and site-specific works which have been presented at a number of and galleries including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, North Carolina Museum of Art, Collezione Maramotti in Italy, Mana Contemporary, the Forum at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, Rockbund Museum of Art in Shanghai, MDC Museum of Art + Design in Miami, Guggenheim Museum, and Asia Society Hong Kong Center and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. As a painter, Shen Wei has had solo exhibitions in leading galleries and museums: Chambers Fine Art Gallery (New York), Crow Collection of Asian Art (Dallas), Hong Kong Cultural Center, and Tucson Museum of Art. In the fall of 2015, he participated in a group show at London’s Fine Art Society's exhibition Performance & Remnant. Shen Wei’s recent large-scale painting series has received significant acclaim in the art world. Shen Wei: In Black, White and Gray, a solo exhibition featuring 11 of his large-scale paintings, was shown at the MDC Museum of Art+Design during Art /Miami Beach (December 2014). Shen Wei: Dance Strokes, an exhibition of Shen’s paintings with site specific performances, opened at Asia Society Hong Kong Center during Art Basel/Hong Kong (March 2016). A solo exhibition of his paintings will be presented in Shanghai at the Power Station of Art, China’s first contemporary , in the fall of 2018. SHEN WEI DANCE ARTS 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 dances Shen Wei makes for his company utilize his Natural Body Development Technique, which is a unique amalgamation of Western contemporary dance and Eastern movement techniques and practices. His works draw on influences as varied as traditional Chinese culture and arts, European Surrealism, American high , and the ritual power of ancient drama. Celebrated for its “gorgeous visual imagery” (The London Times), the company’s dances reflect the compositional rigor of Shen Wei the visual artist— incorporating striking design and imaginative use of space into mesmerizing kinetic stagescapes. The company’s dancers have been hailed as, “a breed apart: lissome, precise, expressive—and totally at one with Shen’s choreographic vision” (The Herald, Scotland). Since its founding in 2000, Shen Wei Dance Arts (SWDA) has performed in 140 cities, in 33 countries, on five continents, and has appeared at prestigious festivals and venues worldwide, including the Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, Spoleto Festival USA, frequent performances at the American Dance Festival, the , Venice Biennale, Sadler’s Wells, the Barbican Centre, Het Muziektheater, the Edinburgh International Festival, the Berliner Festpiele, and the 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 five-year performance residency at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. The company performs annually in NYC, where it has been presented by the Lincoln Center Festival (five times), the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Park Avenue Armory, Works & Process at the Guggenheim, The , Asia Society, Fall for Dance at City Center, and BAM’s Next Wave Festival. Recent company highlights include performances at the Festival Iberoamericano de Teatro de Bogotá in Colombia; Festival de Danse in Cannes, France; performances at Stanislavsky Theatre in Moscow, Russia; MDC’s Museum of Art+Design, in conjunction with Art Basel/Miami Beach; a four-city tour of Italy, including Milan; performances at Lincoln Center, as part of the inaugural season of Paul Taylor’s American Modern Dance; and the premiere of Untitled No. 12-2 at the 2015 Spoleto Festival USA. More recently, the company performed at the Guggenheim Museum in NYC, premiered a site specific work at Asia Society Hong Kong Center during Art Basel-Hong Kong, and toured to Germany, Austria, and Luxembourg. Last season SWDA debuted at the Brooklyn Academy of Music’s Howard Gilman Opera House as part of the 2016 Next Wave Festival, where the company gave the world premiere of Shen Wei’s Neither. The BAM debut was followed by a three-city tour of China, with performances at Shanghai’s Grand Theatre, Beijing’s National Centre for the Performing Arts, and Zhuhai’s Grand Theater; domestic touring of Neither; and the premiere of a site- specific work created for the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. Highlights of the current season have included company debuts in Chicago (at the landmark Auditorium Theater) and Vancouver, at the Vancouver International Dance Festival, and a tour to China with performances at the Belt and Road Festival in Shenzhen. SWDA is delighted to be returning to the American Dance Festival. Shen Wei Dance Arts provides workshops and classes for pre-professional and professional dancers at its new home studio on ’s Upper West Side. Since 2008, Shen Wei Dance Arts has presented arts-in-education programs in NYC public schools, relating dance and visual arts to curriculum-based goals, serving hundreds of students annually. At home and on tour, Shen Wei Dance Arts engages in cultural diplomacy and activities promoting intercultural understanding, often leading talkbacks and participating in symposia. Lilly Balch Kate Jewett Janice Lancaster Larsen

Russell Stuart Lilie Chelsea Retzloff

Jennifer Rose Zak Ryan Schlegel Alex Speedie

Maria Volpe Michael Wright DANCERS LILLY BALCH, originally from Vero Beach, FL, is a recent graduate of the Boston Conservatory where she received her BFA in dance. During her time at the conservatory she performed works by Mark Morris, Adam Barruch, Anna Myer, Colleen Thomas, Omar Carrum, and Claudia LaVista. Lilly joined Shen Wei Dance Arts in 2015. 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, the Fabbrica Europa, and Performatica festivals. She served as Shen Wei Dance Arts Director of Education and Outreach from 2008 to 2015, during which time she developed the company’s award-winning dance-in-education program for the New York City Schools. Kate has served as Rehearsal Director for Shen Wei Dance Arts repertory since January 2009. JANICE LANCASTER LARSEN joined Shen Wei Dance Arts in 2005. She received her BFA in dance from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts and an MFA in dance from Hollins University/American Dance Festival. She is a certified Hatha Yoga and Relax and Renew® Restorative Yoga instructor. As a choreographer, Larsen has received commissions from the Bard Music Festival, Robert Wilson’s 19th Annual Watermill Center Summer Benefit, the Bessie Schönberg Choreographers Residency on the Yard, Hubbard Street 2 Dance Company, the Black Mountain College Museum + Art Center, and VIA Dance Collaborative (NYC). She has taught and staged work at Universidad de las Américas (Puebla, Mexico), City Dance Center (Bethesda, MD), Roger Williams University (Bristol, RI), North Carolina School of the Arts (Winston-Salem, NC), and SUNY (Fredonia). This year she looks forward to joining Wake Forest University’s Department of Theatre and Dance as their Teaching Scholar Post-Graduate Fellow. 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. Lilie joined Shen Wei Dance Arts in 2011 and has also worked with Greene Lilie, Dai Jian Dance, Sara Du Jour, Jordan Isadore, and others. His works have been presented at NYU, Danspace, La MaMa, Gibney Dance Center, and Bennington College. He also teaches dance, dance composition, and improvisation in New York City, and at colleges nationally and internationally. CHELSEA RETZLOFF, Company Manager, Education Director, and dancer, is originally from Eureka, CA, and holds degrees in dance and chemistry from UC Santa Barbara, where she graduated with distinction in chemistry, and as the Daniel G. Aldrich Outstanding Senior for the Class of 2007. Retzloff joined Shen Wei Dance Arts in 2011 and has toured with the company throughout the world. In addition to being the Company Manager and assisting with company rehearsals, Chelsea leads the company’s award-winning arts-in-education programming at New York City’s PS5 and PS1. In addition to her work with Shen Wei Dance Arts, she tutors math and chemistry for public and private school students throughout NYC. She has worked with Christopher Williams, Santa Barbara Dance Theater, David Dorfman Dance, MacArthur Dance Project, and Glitter Kitty Productions. Chelsea is a founding member of the Round Table, a collaborative group of women artists based in NYC. 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 them for six wonderful years. She has also worked with Keith Thompson’s Dancetactics, Bill Young, Erick Montes, Olive Dance, and Manuel Vignoulle and currently dances with Company Stephanie Batten Bland. Rose joined Shen Wei Dance Arts in 2013. ZAK RYAN SCHLEGEL is a choreographer, teacher, and dance artist. He holds a BFA in Dance Performance from Chapman University in Orange County, CA. Schlegel has performed a diverse range of work in collaboration with LA-based Ryan Heffington, Kitty McNamee, WIFE, and Backhausdance. He has trained with Rafael Bonachela at Sydney Dance Company, Sarah Slipper, and Lucas Crandall at Northwest Dance Project. Schlegel 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. Schlegel joined Shen Wei Dance Arts in 2015. 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 , , and Larry Keigwin. He studies capoeira and yoga and enjoys participating in downhill racing sports. Speedie joined Shen Wei Dance Arts in 2011. MARIA VOLPE graduated summa cum laude with a BFA in Dance from Rutgers University’s Mason Gross School of the Arts in 2015 and is a certified Pilates teacher. In 2013 she studied abroad in London at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance. She has performed in works by Larry Keigwin, Stefanie Batten Bland, Keith Thompson, and Randy James. Maria joined Shen Wei Dance Arts in 2015. 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 Steeledance. He also worked as a dancer at Tokyo 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 has danced with Shen Wei Dance Arts since 2011. DESIGNERS JENNIFER TIPTON (Lighting Designer) is well known for her work in theater, dance, and opera. Her recent work in opera includes Gounod’s Romeo et Juliette directed by Bart Sher at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. Her recent work in dance includes Alexi Ratmansky’s Shostakovich Trilogy for American Ballet Theater. In theater her recent work includes Richard Nelson’s first Gabriel Family playHungry at the New York Shakespeare Festival in New York. Tipton teaches lighting at the Yale School of Drama. She received the Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize in 2001, the Jerome Robbins Prize in 2003, and in April 2004 the Mayor’s Award for Arts and Culture in New York City. In 2008 she was made a United States Artists “Gracie” Fellow and a MacArthur Fellow. ROCCO DI SANTI (Projection and Video Designer) has worked on productions including, on Broadway: The Snow Geese, The Columnist, Wit, Collected Stories, and Time Stands Still. Off-Broadway: Pip’s Island, Incident at Vichy (), Desire, Lift, Inner Voices (59E59), Completeness (Playwrights Horizons), A Second Chance (The Public), and more. Regional: Kansas City (St. Louis Rep and Cincinnati Playhouse), The Threepenny Opera, Spin, Company, and A Second Chance (Signature Theatre). He was nominated for a 2012 Henry Hewes Design Award for Completeness. JENNY LAI (Costume Fabrication), under the label Not Aligne, creates ready- to-wear collections, custom performance-wear for musicians and dancers, and collaborative projects around the world as a mobile studio. The brand was founded with the goal of making the physical experience of dressing a surprising and playful experience within itself. Transformation and movement are built into the design, engaging the wearer in the creative process. Lai is a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design and has worked around the world from Amsterdam to Mexico City to South Africa. notaligne.com PRODUCTION JESSIE KSANZNAK (Production Stage Manager) is thrilled to be working with Shen Wei Dance Arts. She currently splits her time between New York and Vancouver working for dance, television, circus, and special events. Career highlights include New York Fashion Week, The House of Dancing Water (Dragone , Macau), Voyage de la Vie (Resorts World Sentosa, Singapore), Queen of the Night (Diamond Horseshoe, NYC), ’s 50th Anniversary Tour, Trisha Brown Dance Company, Dance Company, The Joffrey Ballet, and Ailey II. CHUAN-CHI CHAN (Lighting Supervisor and Assistant Lighting Designer) is a 29th Helen Hayes Award Nominee for Outstanding Lighting Design, Resident production and is a faculty member for the Department of Drama and Theatre, National Taiwan University, teaching lighting design for the performing arts. Select Lighting Design credits include The Servant of Two Masters (Theatre For A New Audience, 2016, Repertory Theatre, 2013, Guthrie Theater, 2012)Mother Courage and Her Children (Harold Clurman Lab Theater, 2016) Xanadu, Peter Pan, Les Miserables (Connecticut Repertory Theatre, 2015 Nutmeg Summer),August: Osage County (Greenray Theatre Company, March 2014, Taipei, Taiwan), and God of Carnage (Shanghai Dramatic Art Center, China, 2011). Miss Chan received her MFA in Design from the Yale School of Drama, and a BA (Drama and Theater) from National Taiwan University. In Taiwan she worked on productions with Dance Company, Tanner Ensemble, Ming Hwa Yuan Arts & Cultural Group, and many others. NOAM BLANKS (Set Production Manager) is a New York based production manager, carpenter, and theater artist with a Master of Fine Arts from the New School for Drama in Manhattan. He works with multiple off-broadway houses including The Signature Theatre, The Public, Ars Nova, Classic Stages, , etc. IDO LEVRAN (Projections Director) has been designing and programming projections on and off Broadway and around the country. Some credits include - Broadway: The 's Visit (Programmer), The Columnist (Asst. Designer). Off- Broadway: All the President's Men at The Public, Troilus & Cressida at Shakespeare in the Park, Second Chance at The Public (Asst. Proj. Designer), Completeness at Playwrights Horizons (Asst. Proj. Designer), Shen Wei Dance Arts (Projections Director) Regional: I Dream at Opera Carolina (asst. Proj. Designer), 45 Plays for 45 Presidents at MRT. Other credits include: Columbinus, Three Sisters, Ruiend, Rags, Good Soul Of Szechuan, Sweet Charity, Bright Lights Big City, Girl Gone and Thoroughly Modern Millie as well as multiple productions around the world. DIANE ROSENBLATT (Executive Director) is an arts administrator and development professional with more than two decades of experience. She joined Shen Wei Dance Arts in 2011, first as Director of Development and External Affairs, later becoming the company’s Executive Director. Prior to joining Shen Wei Dance Arts she served as Executive Director of the Armitage Foundation/Armitage Gone! Dance (2007-10), where she oversaw a 32% growth in the company’s operations. She was the Executive Director of Doug Varone and Dancers for 10 years, where she produced more than 20 new Varone works and guided the organization’s growth from a small company to one with a million dollar operating budget. She has also served as the marketing and public relations director of the MichiganTheater in Ann Arbor and Acting Executive Director of the Michigan Dance Association. 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. OUR HEARTFELT THANKS to the Shen Wei Dance Arts Board of Directors and Advisory Council for its invaluable support. Shen Wei Dance Arts Board of Directors Advisory Council Toni Wang McNicoll, Co-Chair Celia Chou Maria Pyrros Vergos, Co-Chair Caroline Cronson Shen Wei, President Kenneth Foster Eric Wei, Treasurer Stephanie French Mei Wu Stanton, Secretary Pieter Hoffman David S. Brown, Chair Emeritus Karen Hsu Helen Y. Little, Chair Emerita Susan Kessler Susan L. Baker Patricia Pei William M. Carey Norma Stevens Charles L. Reinhart Jennifer Tipton Jin Wang Shirley Young

A VERY BIG THANK YOU to Jodee Nimerichter, David Ferri, and the ADF staff. In ongoing support of our mission Shen Wei Dance Arts wishes to thank Jodee Nimerichter and the American Dance Festival, Nigel Redden and Spoleto Festival USA, Alicia Adams and the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Rebecca Robertson and Park Avenue Armory, Mary Sharp Cronson and Caroline Cronson and Works & Process at the Guggenheim, Joe Melillo and BAM, Arlene Schuler and New York City Center. Sincere thanks to BAM and the Performing Arts Center at Purchase College for their support of Neither. A very special thanks to Richard Feldman and the SHS Foundation and Jan Krukowski and Nancy Harrow. Enormous thanks to both Chair Emerita, Helen Little, and Chair Emeritus, David Brown, for their years of service and dedication. Sincere gratitude to Board Co-Chairs Toni Wang McNicoll and Maria Pyrros Vergos. Our sincerest thanks to our Neither Sponsor Committee Chair and Co-Chairs: Shirley Young, Chair; Helen Little, Mei Wu Stanton and Maria Pyrros Vergos, Co-Chairs. Sincere gratitude to Barbara Monk Feldman, Norman Ryan, Intuit Movement Lab: Kim Gibilisco and Bob Turner, Paul Ziemer, and our interns Roza Savelyeva and Darcy Davies. Our sponsor committee, all of our generous donors and volunteers. Shen Wei Dance Arts is a 501(c) 3 not-for-profit organization. Donations are greatly appreciated and may be made payable and sent to: SHEN WEI DANCE ARTS 165 West 86th Street, 4th fl. New York, NY 10024 STAFF Artistic Director,Shen Wei Executive Director,Diane Rosenblatt Rehearsal Assistants, Chelsea Retzloff and Alex Speedie Company Manager & Education Director, Chelsea Retzloff Production Stage Manager,Jessie Ksanznak Set Production Manager,Noam Blanks Lighting Supervisor,Chuan-Chi Chan Projections Director,Ido Levran Assistant Stage Manager, Darcy Davies Studio & Finance Manager, Angelic Martinez Wardrobe Supervisor, Russell Stuart Lilie Assistant Stage Manager and Wardrobe Assistant, Darcy Davies Make-up Supervisor, Lilly Balch Interns, Darcy Davies and Roza Savelyeva TOUR REPRESENTATION US, Canada, Asia, Australia, and Middle East (with exceptions) Margaret Selby, Selby Artists Management Germany, Austria, Switzerland Meinrad Huber, Ecotopia Dance Productions United Kingdom, Israel, New Zealand Gillian Newson, Dance Arts UK Central and South American, and Mexico Maria Rita Stump, Antares Promocoes Italy, Greece, Eastern Europe, Lebanon Francesca Zitoli, A.T. E. R. 2017 ADF FUND CONTRIBUTORS Includes contributions received through June 7, 2018 VISIONARY Office of Cultural Affairs, Nancy Carver McKaig ($100,000+) Consulate General Carlton Midyette Doris Duke Charitable of Israel in New York Office of Cultural Affairs, Foundation Parkinson's Foundation Consulate General Duke University PNC of Israel in Atlanta SHS Foundation Adam Reinhart Caroline and Arthur Rogers Robert and Mercedes Judith Sagan INNOVATOR Eichholz Foundation Russell Savre ($50,000+) The Catering Company of South Arts 315 Fund Chapel Hill* SunTrust Foundation City of Durham The Esther and Otto Taiwan Academy of National Endowment for Seligmann Foundation, TECRO/Ministry the Arts Inc. of Culture in Taiwan North Carolina Arts The Mary Duke Biddle The Jones Dance Education Council Foundation Scholarship Susan Rosenthal and The Harkness Foundation PRODUCER Michael Hershfield for Dance ($25,000+) Trust for Mutual Asian Cultural Council PIONEER ($5,000+) Understanding The Shubert Foundation 21c Museum Hotel Durham* CREATOR ($2,500+) SUSTAINER Anonymous American Tobacco Campus ($10,000+) Anonymous Association of Performing Arnhold Foundation Anonymous Arts Professionals, Inc. CAMBRiA Hotel* Bernard Bell and Stacy Suzanne Begnoche and Fox Family Foundation Cole Pavan Reddy Thomas R. Galloway Brenda Brodie Josh Bond and Quentin Pell Giorgios Hospitality & Life Susan and Thomas Carson Durham Merchants style Group and Tom and Nancy Carstens Association Charitable Parizäde* Carolina Woman Foundation Li Hong and Yabin Wang Magazine + Durham/ Dr. James A. Frazier Curt C. Myers Chapel Hill Magazine + C. Thomas Kunz Nasher Museum of Art Bruce and Rebecca Elvin North Carolina Museum of New England Foundation Susan T. Hall Art for the Arts Richard and Ford Hibbits Eugene Oddone and Grace Mary Love May and Paul Couchman Gabrielson Sam's Quik Shop and Craven Allen Gallery, Jim Sanders, in memory of Sam's Bottle Shop* House of Frames* Dora C. Sanders SciMed Solutions, Inc. Durham Arts Council Anne Sena, in memory of Smitten Boutique Enterprise Holdings Sue Crawford Spain-USA Foundation Foundation Angela Sessoms, in honor Cultural Center John and Carolyn Falletta of the Christopher The Israel Center of the B. Gail Freeman and Susan Cherry Family Durham-Chapel Hill Gidwitz James N. Siedow, in Jewish Federation Gateway Building memory of Mary Siedow Thomas S. Kenan III Company Mindy and Guy Solie, Misty and John Gay in honor of Jodee INVESTOR ($1,000+) Laura and Bob Gutman Nimerichter Adrienne Arsht Center for Ivy Community Service Helen and Richard Tapper the Performing Foundation of Cary, Inc. Dianne and Daniel Vapnek Anonymous Jewelsmith Inc. Wells Fargo Arts of Miami-Dade County Drs. Samuel Katz and WUNC+ Marcia Angle and Mark Catherine Wilfert Lyell and Paul Wright Trustin Fund of Gene and Diane Linfors Triangle Community EiIeen Greenbaum and LEADER ($500+) Foundation Lawrence Mintz ACME Plumbing Company Melinda and David Tom Mitchell and Jill Over Alliance Thomas Jodee Nimerichter and Atelier N Fine Jewelry Connie and Elliot Bossen, Gaspard Louis, in honor Don Ball Silverback Foundation of Mary Lou Sarah and Christopher Alison S. Bowes Nimerichter, Girish Bean BuildSense Bhargava, and Rodger Blackman & Sloop Certified Bull City Advisors Belman Public Accountants Amy Chavasse and Dan Partners in Performance Dan and Kathy Burns, in Kindlon, in memory of Picnic* memory of Allen D. Rodger Belman Francine and Benson Roses and in honor of Christopher Rand Pilloff Russ Savre Construction PMG Arts Management, Rosie Canizares Classic Graphics* LLC Carolina Women's Sharon M. Connelly, in Québec Government Wellness Center honor of Charles and Office in New York Robin L. Dennis Stephanie Reinhart and RED Collective: Connie Duda|Paine Architects Gerry and Martha Semans, Jerry Conrad, Duke Asian | Pacific Myers Chloë Seymore Studies Institute Elkin Family Fund Patricia Pertalion Judy and Shannon Courtney Ellis Patricia S. Peterson Hallman emma delon Piedmont Investment Charlotte and Andrew Eno Ventures Advisors, LLC Holton Jim and Jane Finch David and Ingrid Pisetsky Joe Van Gogh* Beth Friedland, Anne and Billy Pizer Michael and Mary Justice in memory of Shirley Mary Regan Jane Kestenbaum Friedland Ride Cycle Studio Edward and Connie Campbell and Susana Gerry Riveros and Gay McCraw Harvey Bradley Hank Majestic Susan Herst, Broker/ Rebekah Shoaf Lisa J. McQuay Partner, Urban Durham Bill and Lucy Stokes North Carolina State Realty Debara Tucci and Kevan Employees Combined Angela Hodge and Adnan VanLandingham Campaign Nasir Ward Design Group John Victor Orth Hodge Kittrell Sotheby's Myra and Nils Weise Philip Pavlik International Realty, Andy and Ginny Widmark Josephine Rand, in honor Jack Arnold Cynthia Wyse of Gerri Houlihan Scott and Julie Hollenbeck Sandy and Art Rogers Kate Kadoun, in memory Karen Soskin and Stephen of Stephanie Reinhart COLLABORATOR Haskin Kennon Craver, PLLC ($250+) Sharon Taylor and Willie KONTEK Systems, Inc. Elizabeth M. Amend Covington Larry's Coffee* Lisa Berot Svetkey - van der Leland Little Auctions Mimi Bull, in honor of Horst Fund of Triangle Allen and Lucy Martindale Jodee Nimerichter Community Leon Meyers, Nicola Bullock Foundation, in honor of in honor of the Janice Christensen Diane Robertson Saunders-Roses family Leah Cox and Bob Bursey The Mad Popper* Morgan Imports Linda Y. Cooper The Walling Family Nana's Taco Todd Dickinson and Helen Anne Wall Thomas Richard Newell and Kalevas Mr. and Mrs. Scott B. Bonnie Nevel Mia and Scott Doron Wishart Northgate Associates LLLP Paula and Dale Graff Douglas Young and One Forty Salon and Blow Guglhupf Bakery, Cafe, Patricia Petersen Dry Bar and Restaurant* Richard and Janice Palmer Gayla Halbrecht Pappas Capital, LLC. ENTHUSIAST ($100+) Treat Harvey and Regina Alan Teasley Carolyn Aaronson de Lacy, in honor of Mary Thacher Kathryn Andolsek Jodee Nimerichter Katrin A. Thompson, Hope Blecher, in honor of Dorothy L. Heninger in honor of Gerri Loren Sass Brian E. Hogg Houlihan Julia Borbely-Brown Jane Hoppin Amy and Pete Tyler Dorothy Rose Borden, Joseph P. Horrigan Art Waber and Alyson in memory of Julia D. Gerri Houlihan, Colwell-Waber Wray in memory of Rodger Peggy Wallin-Hart, Kayla Briggs Belman in memory of Rodger Carol and Webb Burgess Lori N. Jones Belman Karen Campbell and Bob Marlene Kibler Martin Wechsler and Galloway Nathanael and Brianne David Fanger Carol Cappelletti and Dan Kibler, in honor of Patricia L. Weeks, Weinlandt Cynthia Wyse in memory of Rodger Diane and Chuck Catotti Judy Kinberg, in honor of Belman Cocoa Cinnamon* Jodee Nimerichter Laura Weisberg and David Betsy Collie - Rapid Gigi Krapels Wong, in honor of Results Fitness Shelli Lieberman Lillian and Sam Jeffrey Collins and Rose William Lynch Weisberg Mills Elaine and Lee Marcus Lynn E. Whitaker Joanne and Michael Mark McCarty, in memory David and Rita Whitney Cotter of Rodger Belman Allen and Claire Wilcox Janet Dale Kellie Melinda Heather and David Sarah Deutsch Linda Miller, in memory of Yeowell Duke Durham Rodger Belman Sandra Zellinger Neighborhood Patricia Mydlow and Gary Partnership Pakes FRIEND ($1-$99) Salena and Douglas Elish Norman G. Owen and Anonymous Dawn E. Enochs Roberta Yule Owen Anonymous Muki W. Fairchild and Doren Madey Pinnell Anonymous Charles Keith Margaret and Justin Anonymous Alison and Scott Potnick Anonymous Gatherum Sandra Reid, in memory of Glenna Batson Carmelo Graffagnino Rodger Belman Jay and Belva Jenny and John Grant Jeanne Ruddy Lori Snyder Bennear Marie Grauerholz Ellen Stone Evelyn S. Dean and Ann Taylor BLOK Architecture, PLLC. Craig Bouchard and Tonia James Marsh Burton-Bouchard, Jeanine McClain in memory of Rodger Kathi Mello Belman Denny and Helen O'Neal Chris and Mandy Brannon Sarah Peterson Carol Burgess Abigail Reid Daniel Ellison Jeanna M. Reschly Jenny and Monty Favret Susan Ross and Tom Kelsey L. Favret Hadzor Russell Favret Loren Sass Sylvia Favret, in honor of Ruth Satinsky Sieber Kelsey Favret Scott Shore and Rebecca Emily Feldman-Kravitz and Boston Rich Kravitz, in honor of Dallas and Donna Rebecca Elvin Stallings, in memory of Joyce and David Gordon, Mary Lou Nimerichter in memory of Mary Lou Michael Stolbach Nimerichter Deborah Swain, in Jami Grossfield memory of Betty Kovak Priscilla A. Guild Caitlyn Swett Deborah and Keith Hall Robert Swett Bobbie Hardaker, Gale Touger in memory of Dr. Dorothy Uhl William T. Hardaker, Jr. Daryl Farrington Walker, Tom and Polly Harris in honor of Lola Davis Scott and Richard Hill Jones Diana Hoffmaster Nicolle Wasserman Julie Horton and Bill Beard Mary Water Margaret Hurwitz Erin Whyte Robert Jankowski Elizabeth Johnson, in honor of Nancy McKaig Sara Juli and Chris Ajemian Jane Kelly Sarah Louisa Lanners Judi Lilley CAPITAL CAMPAIGN FUND SAMUEL H. SCRIPPS STUDIOS $100,000+ Jason D. Palmquist Carol and Curt Richardson SHS Foundation and Caroline and Arthur Rogers Alice and Clarke Thacher Richard E. Feldman, Esq. Andy and Barbra Allen and Diane Wold $75,000+ Rothschild $100+ Allen D. Roses, MD Alex Sagan and Julie B. Tom and Shauna Farmer The Scripps Family Altman John and Lucy Grant Bruce Sagan $20,000+ Kevin and Myra Kane Paul and Ann Sagan Jody and John Arnhold Dan and Martha Milam Jim and Mary Siedow Li Hong and Yabin Wang Stettner Family Jay and Toshiko Tompkins Martha and Curt Myers Elizabeth and Keith $2,500+ Wexelblatt $10,000+ Amy and Jeffrey Silverman Anonymous <$100 Robert Battle $1,000+ Laura Bowen Mr. and Mrs. John W. Mr. and Mrs. Pete Molly Brown Claghorn III and RBC Allison, Jr Denise Harrison Wealth Management Eileen and Lowell Aptman Coolie and Thad Monroe The Elvin Family Robert and Kathleen Fox Family Foundation Buchholz Alex and Ada Katz Mimi Bull Ozzie and Mary Nagler George and Ginger Elvin Charles L. Reinhart Laura and Bob Gutman Judith Sagan Roger and Joan Hooker $5,000+ $500+ Richard and Dierdre Arnold Gerri Houlihan Keith and Brenda Brodie Stephen H. Judson Sharon M. Connelly William Lynch Mitchell deLong and Betty Ted Rotante Burton Michael and Joan Spero Joseph Fedrowitz and Elizabeth and Larry Wilker Mitchell Vann Wellspring Fund of Triangle Pamela and Isaac Green Community Foundation and Family $250+ Ford and Richard Hibbits Piedmont Investment Jodee Nimerichter and Advisors, LLC Gaspard Louis Dan and Kathy Burns ENDOWMENT FUND

$2,000,0000+ Dr. Charlotte Clark Doris Duke Charitable Foundation Mary and Bill Dewey SHS Foundation Thomas Fenn $250,000 - $499,000 Stephen Gheen and Cathy Moore National Endowment for the Arts GlaxoSmithKline, Inc. John Hammond $100,000 - $249,000 Evan and Suma Jones Paul J. Schupf Lori Leachman and Peter Lange Luise Scripps Chapel Hill Investment Advisors Nancy B. Sokal The Mary Duke Biddle Foundation $15,000 - $50,000 Josie Patton Anonymous Kathy and John Piva Beinecke Family Mary Regan Herbert M. Lehman and Susan Ross and Tom Hadzor Edgar B. Lehman Michael C. Schindler Gayle Miller $100 - $200 Estelle Sommers Anonymous Anne Wall Thomas Terri Arledge $5,000 - $10,000 Lori Arthur Thomas S. Kenan Foundation Off Topic Book Club Thomas S. Kenan, III Mary G Campbell Douglas Zinn Craven Allen Gallery, House of Frames $1,000 - $4999 Al and Karen Crumbliss Carolyn Aaronson M'Liss and AnsonIn Dorrance Tom Kearns and Jane Ellison Earl Dowell John and Carolyn Falletta Cavett and Barker French Jenny Semans Koortbojian Malcolm and Elizabeth Gillis Jodee Nimerichter and Gaspard Louis Janet L. Grogg Kathy and John Piva Dr. and Mrs. Robert Heckel Barbra and Andy Rothschild Elizabeth K. Hussey Guy and Mindy Solie Mr. and Mrs. A. Bradley Ives Mrs. Jerome J. Stanislaw Kevin and Myra Kane $250 - $500 Lisa and Emil Kang Jack Arnold and Robin Harris John and Joy Kasson Robert and Beverly Atwood Moyra and Brian Kileff Timothy Kuhn Marilyn Metcalf Shelli Lieberman Joseph P. Morra David Lindquist and Paul Hrusovsky Patrick and Pamela Murphy R.M. Lowder Dr. and Mrs. David A. Orsinelli D.G. and Harriet Martin Susan and Lars Pedersen Lanier and James May Dorothy Silverherz Mac and Wendy McCorkle Maria Romano Melissa Mills Wade and Ann Smith Darelyn"DJ" and Barry Mitsch G Sefton Stevens James and Susan Moeser Kathleen and Matthew Sullivan Ted and Pati Opalka Ryan and Bronwyn Thornburg Richard and Janice Palmer Robert W. Upchurch Joan C. Pharr Mary and Brent Voelkel Wyndham Robertson David and C.C. Winslow Carolina and Arthur Rogers Beverly Biggs Kay and Mark Rountree Patrick and Evelyn Coleman Judith Ruderman Charles R. "Chuck" Davis Reid Saleeby Melynn Glusman and Tim Nordgren Dr. and Mrs. Robert E. Scheiber Jodi and Glenn Preminger Kathy and Steve Simon Lori Sisk Patricia L. Spencer Andrew Tansey and Lou Frost Leo and Laurie Lambert and the Faculty and Staff of Elon University Jane Shuping Tyndall Tyler Walters and Julie Janus Walters $25 - $75 Patricia Basta and Edgar Hill Paul Noonan Mr. and Mrs. Edward Toth Kate and Coke Ariail Andrew and Caelia Bingham Mary Ann Black Anne Craver Cathy Eason Allison Haltom and David McClay Contributions to the Jacqueline M. Zinn James Marksbury Fund are included in the Endowment.

Sunday, June 17th, 2:00-3:30pm White Lecture Hall on Duke University's east campus | FREE and open to the public!

A discussion celebrating 30 years of modern .