Tag: Amanda Selwyn Dance Theatre

Amanda Selwyn Dance Theatre ~ Studio Event

Above: the dancers of Amanda Selwyn Dance Theatre, photo by Christopher Duggan

Wednesday January 15th, 2020 – In preparation for their 20th season, Amanda Selwyn Dance Theatre tonight opened their studio doors to friends of the Company for a preview of Hindsight, which will have its premiere performances March 5th – 7th, 2020, at the Baruch Performing Arts Center. Hindsight looks back fondly on two decades of Selwyn repertory, whilst also looking ahead – in new choreography – to the promise of the future.

This evening’s open rehearsal took place at the Ailey Studios. As audience members settled in, we watched the dancers taking class. Amanda then welcomed us, and introduced her talented dancers in a series of excerpts from past productions which will be integrated into Hindsight as well as new passages created specially for the upcoming performances.

The Selwyn dancers are exhilarating to watch, each one very much a part of the collective whilst also displaying distinctive personalities; they shine forth in these images from the evening’s presentation captured by the renowned dance photographer Christopher Duggan:

Manon Hallay

Minseon Kim, Sho Miya, Manon Hallay

Sho Miya

Ashley McQueen

Michael Bishop, Misaki Hayama

Nolan Elsbecker, Ashley McQueen, Sho Miya, Misaki Hayama

The Company Dancers: Torrey McAnena (rehearsal director), Michael Bishop, Nolan Elsbecker, Alisa Gregory, Manon Hallay, Misaki Hayama, Isaac Kerr, Minseon Kim, Ashley McQueen, Sho Miya, Lauren Russo, and Evita Zacharioglou.

~ Oberon

January 22, 2020
At Amanda Selwyn’s Open Rehearsal

Above: Sarah Starkweather, Manon Halley, and Misaki Hayama of Amanda Selwyn Dance Theatre; photo by Hayim Heron

~ Author: Oberon

On Monday, October 15th, 2018, I caught up with Amanda Selwyn when her company presented an open rehearsal at the Ailey Studios.

Over the past few years, my interest in dance has slowly been fading. But there are a few choreographers who will always draw me back, and Amanda is one of them; I can honestly say I’ve never seen a Selwyn work I didn’t like…or love.

So when I received an invitation to an open rehearsal of Amanda’s new work-in-progress, CROSSROADS, I rearranged my schedule so as to attend. Inspired by the art of Magritte and Escher, Amanda is collaborating with scenic and costume designer Anna-Alisa Belous for this production. CROSSROADS will be performed June 20th thru 22nd, 2019, at New York Live Arts.

Amanda Selwyn’s danceworks are always a collaborative effort on the part of choreographer and her dancers. In the early phases of creation, the individual dancers come up with phrases or gestures. These movement motifs are taken up by the company, tried in unison. If the consensus is positive, the phrase becomes an experimental element which may be elaborated upon, broken down or re-shuffled, and finally assimilated into the dance. These motifs may appear in various guises – as solo, duet, or ensemble passages – as the work develops. Amanda is the mastermind who assembles, enhances, and molds the finished product.

So this evening, I was really happy to see Amanda again, she being one of my favorite danceworld personalities. Three women I’ve met before – Torrey McAnena, Manon Halley, and Sarah Starkweather – are pillars of the Selwyn ensemble. I was delighted to see that Misaki Hayama, who danced recently with Roberto Villanueva’s BalaSole Dance Company, has joined Amanda’s troupe. Alex Cottone has danced for Amanda before, but I had not previously met him. Two new male dancers have just recently joined the Company: tall and athletic Fabricio Seraphim, and a vibrant, energetic young man named Yoshio Pineda.

Here are some images by Hayim Heron from this studio presentation:

Alex Cottone

Torrey McAnena

Fabricio Seraphim and Torrey McAnena

Manon Halley

Sarah Starkweather, Alex Cottone

Misaki Hayama, Sarah Starkweather, Yoshio Pineda

Torrey McAnena

Sarah Starkweather

All photography by Hayim Heron

It was simply great to watch these dancers, and to feel re-connected to Amanda Selwyn’s work. Now I need to get in touch with her and visit some upcoming rehearsals.

~ Oberon

October 24, 2018
At Amanda Selwyn’s Open Rehearsal

Above: Sarah Starkweather, Manon Halley, and Misaki Hayama of Amanda Selwyn Dance Theatre; photo by Hayim Heron

~ Author: Oberon

On Monday, October 15th, 2018, I caught up with Amanda Selwyn when her company presented an open rehearsal at the Ailey Studios.

Over the past few years, my interest in dance has slowly been fading. But there are a few choreographers who will always draw me back, and Amanda is one of them; I can honestly say I’ve never seen a Selwyn work I didn’t like…or love.

So when I received an invitation to an open rehearsal of Amanda’s new work-in-progress, CROSSROADS, I rearranged my schedule so as to attend. Inspired by the art of Magritte and Escher, Amanda is collaborating with scenic and costume designer Anna-Alisa Belous for this production. CROSSROADS will be performed June 20th thru 22nd, 2019, at New York Live Arts.

Amanda Selwyn’s danceworks are always a collaborative effort on the part of choreographer and her dancers. In the early phases of creation, the individual dancers come up with phrases or gestures. These movement motifs are taken up by the company, tried in unison. If the consensus is positive, the phrase becomes an experimental element which may be elaborated upon, broken down or re-shuffled, and finally assimilated into the dance. These motifs may appear in various guises – as solo, duet, or ensemble passages – as the work develops. Amanda is the mastermind who assembles, enhances, and molds the finished product.

So this evening, I was really happy to see Amanda again, she being one of my favorite danceworld personalities. Three women I’ve met before – Torrey McAnena, Manon Halley, and Sarah Starkweather – are pillars of the Selwyn ensemble. I was delighted to see that Misaki Hayama, who danced recently with Roberto Villanueva’s BalaSole Dance Company, has joined Amanda’s troupe. Alex Cottone has danced for Amanda before, but I had not previously met him. Two new male dancers have just recently joined the Company: tall and athletic Fabricio Seraphim, and a vibrant, energetic young man named Yoshio Pineda.

Here are some images by Hayim Heron from this studio presentation:

Alex Cottone

Torrey McAnena

Fabricio Seraphim and Torrey McAnena

Manon Halley

Sarah Starkweather, Alex Cottone

Misaki Hayama, Sarah Starkweather, Yoshio Pineda

Torrey McAnena

Sarah Starkweather

All photography by Hayim Heron

It was simply great to watch these dancers, and to feel re-connected to Amanda Selwyn’s work. Now I need to get in touch with her and visit some upcoming rehearsals.

~ Oberon

October 23, 2018
Amanda Selwyn’s Green Afternoon

On June 13th, 2013 Amanda Selwyn Dance Theatre offered a summer evening of dance at a private function in East Hampton. Photographer Nir Arieli produced these images of Amanda’s dancers from this outdoor event.

Click on each photo to enlarge.

Jenny Gillan

Emily Pacilio

Torrey McAnena

Randall Anthony Smith

Emily Pacilio

Sarah Buscaino

Jenny Gillan

Amanda Selwyn Dance Theatre recently performed IT’S A GAME at Manhattan’s New York Live Arts; an article about the performance may be found here.

July 19, 2013
Amanda Selwyn’s IT’S A GAME

Photo by Brian Krontz; click on the image to enlarge.

Friday June 28th, 2013 – Amanda Selwyn Dance Theatre presenting IT’S A GAME at New York Live Arts down in Chelsea on Pride Weekend 2013. The atmosphere in the neighborhood was palpable as the gay and lesbian community celebrate the good news handed down from the Supreme Court earlier this week. Amanda’s 50-minute work, inspired by the designs of Alexander McQueen and the magic of Harry Potter, was a decorative diversion on this start-of-summer evening.

In April, photographer Matt Murphy and I had stopped in at Amanda’s studio while IT’S A GAME was being created. Now the dancework has been dressed (Ana-Alisa Belous designed the fanciful costumes) and superbly lit (Dan Ozminkowski). Music from no fewer than 14 artists comprises the score for the dancing which takes place in three brief ‘acts’, each with several sub-sections.

IT’S A GAME begins with a ritualistic entree of the six dancers, each holding a glowing orb. Emily Pacilio has a beautifully expressive solo danced in a stream of light, set to a soulful Russian-sounding theme. The ensemble weave about the solo dancer, enticing her into the community.

Then the games begin: large chess pieces are moved across squares of light; later dice and playing cards will be introduced. These props are used as fantasy elements, drawing the dancers into fleeting duets (with some very clever partnering motifs) and playful ensembles. The choreographer’s feel for visual polyphony keeps the focus of the work shifting from dancer to dancer: solo opportunities weave into the mix, and the sense of physicality between the dancers is maintained as the lighting steers our attention from one movement pattern to the next. A rectangular pathway of light surrounds the playing field, the dancers trace their steps around it in one of the evening’s most striking moments.

The dice are thrown, the cards are dealt…checkmate. The dancers have returned – now in striped beachwear – with their hand-lights, now glowing red. One expects an elaborate, playful finale but instead the work ends on a question-mark, and a sudden plunge into darkness.

The only slight flaw in the evening was the raising of the house lights
between the work’s thee sections. This tended to break the spell
somewhat, with the audience becoming restless and whispery. Better to
keep things in the dark.

The dancers showed high commitment to the movement and music: four well-contrasted personalities among the women, and two long-limbed boys with flourishing extensions. Here are some of Brian Krontz’s images from the dress rehearsal:

Emily Pacilio

Victor Larue, Torrey McAnena

Randall Anthony Smith

Jenny Gillan

Sarah Buscaino

Victor Larue

Emily Pacilio

Randall Anthony Smith

Victor Larue

All photography by Brian Krontz.

June 28, 2013
Amanda Selwyn’s DETOUR/Gallery

Images from the dress rehearsal of Amanda Selwyn Dance Theatre‘s production of DETOUR; all photos by Kokyat. Above: Joori Jung.

Catherine Coury

Jenny Gillan

Robert Vail

Robert Vail, Catherine Coury

Robert Vail

Justin Lynch, Francsco Silvino

Justin Lynch, Francisco Silvino

Francisco Silvino

Joori Jung

Catherine Coury, Francisco Silvino

Final ensemble

Click on the images to enlarge.

June 22, 2012
FIVE MINUTES: Amanda Selwyn Dance Theatre

Saturday June 25, 2011 – Coming down to the wire after my busiest few weeks ever, I spent the afternoon watching some of my favorite NYCB dancers at Tom Gold’s studio (more about that later), then headed downtown to experience a new company: Amanda Selwyn Dance Theatre. I hardly ever get a chance to try something different because my calendar is so full, but the publicist who invited me to Selwyn cunningly attached photos by Paula Lobo (above) and Christopher Duggan to her invitation. Both the dancers and the stage images caught my fancy. I’m glad I went: FIVE MINUTES was 100% enjoyable.

As my friend Tom and I found our seats at Dance Theater Workshop, the projection of a large digital clock onstage was ticking down the seconds til the performance began. It started on the dot and ran in a series of finely-paced scenes for exactly 55 minutes.

Working with a compilation score, each movement of which lasts five minutes, Selwyn presents her six dancers in ten seemingly un-related short works each with different costumes, lighting, projections and moods. The underlying theme is the passage of time and how we spend it; some of these vignettes flew by, others took a more leisurely pace. Working in various combinations (solo, duo, trio, ensemble) Selwyn’s very attractive dancers each have ample opportunity for both technical and personal expression. The dancing was excellent, the ever-changing musical and visual settings giving each dancer the possibility to explore many moods.

As the evening unfolded, there were some particulary luminous moments such a the sustained, lyrical duet for Robert Vail and Joori Jung (above, Christopher Duggan photo). Later, two strikingly beautiful men, Francisco Silvino and Louie Marin, dance conjoined solos in pools of light, the musculature of their torsos set aglow.

Throughout the evening the lighting and projections created dreamlike settings (Paula Lobo image, above) which wrapped the dancers in colour or created chiaroscuro effects. Each five-minute segment held the imagination. There were moments of wit but they never descended to cuteness; the dancers did speak briefly: “You have five minutes…”

Paula Lobo image, above. In less than an hour, Amanda Selwyn and her troupe had given us dance that was entertaining and lovely to watch along with a reminder that time is fleeting: use yours wisely.

We came out into the Chelsea evening where the streets had a special energy: on the eve of Gay Pride Day 2011, the New York City gay community and their suppportive friends had much to celebrate.

Dancers: Jenny Gillan, Ashleigh Gurtler, Joori Jung, Louie Marin, Francisco Silvino, Robert J. Vail

Sound Design for Five Minutes by Joel Wilhelmi. Costume Design is by Anna-Alisa Belous. Lighting Design is by Dan Ozminkowski. Projection Design is by C. Andrew Bauer. Scenic Design is by Tom Gleeson. Stage Manger: Tiffany Tabatchnick.

June 25, 2011