Tag: Arts Center

Deborah Wingert/Lydia Johnson Dance Salon

Above: Deborah Wingert

Sunday March 23, 2014 – Friends – long-time and new – of Lydia Johnson Dance gathered at Manhattan Movement and Arts Center this afternoon for a salon/studio presentation of Lydia’s latest work-in-progress, set to the Mozart Fantasy in C-minor, K. 475. Wearing one of her many hats, the extraordinary Deborah Wingert – teacher, choreographer, stager for the Balanchine Trust, and ballet mistress for Lydia Johnson Dance – gave a pre-salon class, demonstrated her inspirational coaching abilities, and spoke of her life as a dancer whose career took wing with Balanchine’s blessing.

First, a class. The dancers of Lydia’s company come from varied backgrounds. Deborah, who teaches Company class weekly for LJD, has been imbuing a feeling of stylistic unity in the dancers. Lydia’s choreographic vision is an unusual fusion of ballet and contemporary; Deborah’s class work places an emphasis on ballet while at the same time encouraging the individuality of expression of each dancer. It seems like a paradox, but it’s happening.

The Mozart-in-progress opens with a lyrical solo danced by Katie Martin; throughout this work, Lydia provides each of her dancers with prominent passages allowing their singular qualities to shine thru.

One extended segment is a duet for Sarah Pon and Anthony Bocconi (above), dancing in a realm of tenderness and trust.

A duet for Blake Hennessy-York and Chazz Fenner-McBride (above), which the boys have just started working on, was coached by Deborah and in the span of a few moments took on a more vivid quality, having made slight adjustments in placement and support. Chazz, the newest dancer in Lydia’s company, brings the same sincerity to his dancing here that made his performances in Robin Becker’s INTO SUNLIGHT so meaningful.

Kerry Shea, Laura DiOrio, Lisa Borres and Min Kim along with Katie and Sarah create beautiful shapes and a sense of quiet urgency as they come and go with dream-like unpredictability – all of this to Mozart’s peerless melodies.

LJD‘s Steve Cramer interviewed Deborah (above); she spoke of the affinity that has developed between Lydia Johnson and herself, and of their shared belief in the communicative power of music. Deborah further regaled us with stories of working for Mr. B, sharing anecdotes which were moving and witty by turns.

As a savory ‘dessert’, Kerry Shea and Eric Williams (above) performed a duet from Lydia’s ballet NIGHT OF THE FLYING HORSES, to a score by Osvaldo Golijov. My friend Lisette Oropesa and I shared a secret smile as the haunting melody of “Je crois entendre encore” from Bizet’s PECHEURS DES PERLES suddenly materializes in a Golijovian incarnation. I was so glad to have my friends Lisette, Steven and Joe at the studio today; this was Lisette’s first opportunity to witness dance at close range, and I think it really moved her, especially since her beloved Mozart was an integral element of the afternoon.

The new Mozart, along with the Golijov and Lydia’s ravishing Schubert ballet NIGHT AND DREAMS, will all be part of her upcoming season at Ailey Citigroup in June; details will be forthcoming.

March 23, 2014
Ballet Next @ MMAC

Wednesday March 28, 2012 – For the second in their Exhibitions Series at Manhattan Movement and Arts Center, Ballet Next presented a delightful programme of new and classic works performed by world-class dancers to live music. Above: Ballet Next’s founding artists Michele Wiles and Charles Askegard, photo by Kokyat. Click on the image to enlarge.

Cellist Elad Kabilio and the Ballet Next music ensemble struck up the celebratory processional from the final act of Tchaikovsky’s SLEEPING BEAUTY as the house lights dimmed. Ana Sophia Scheller and Joaquin de Luz then appeared as Aurora and her Prince to dance the celebrated wedding pas de deux. These two remarkable dancers gave an elegant interpretation of this duet. Ana Sophia is a beautiful and aristocratic young Princess, dancing with her signature polished technique and vastly pleasing mastery of classic style. Joaquin looks like the perfect teenaged Prince; his dancing vivid, his feet in 5th position right out of a textbook. It was so purely enjoyable to watch these beloved dancers at close range and bask in their musicality and artistry. Bravi! Bravissimi!!

New choreography is a key element of Ballet Next‘s mission and tonight we were shown a new pas de deux choreographed by Charles Askegard. Charles mentioned that this was not his first choreographic endeavor, and he also spoke of the challenges of dancing your own choreography. Using excerpts from Stravinsky’s enchanting Baiser de la Fee, the opening duet passage has a frisky playfulness but also moments of romance. Michele Wiles and Charles each have a solo with jazzy inflections woven in, and the coda has a twist of irony. Excellent choice of music (very well-played) and – of course – great dancing.

We had previously seen the duet ENTWINED that Margo Sappington created as a calling card for Ballet Next. Now the choreographer is enlarging on this work, adding a solo for Michele Wiles and a marvelous pas de trois. Ms. Sappington spoke of her desire to fashion one more movement for this piece – a duet for two women. Pianist Ben Laude invested the Satie works with moody, dusky colours. In the opening pas de trois, Charles Askegard employs his renowned partnering skills as he manipulates the heavenly bodies of Ana Sophia Scheller and Georgina Pazcoguin with silken assurance. The new solo for Michele Wiles explores her more vulnerable, dreamy side. And then there’s the sensuous duet danced by Georgina Pazcoguin and Charles Askegard which gives us the feeling of eavesdropping on something very tender and very private.

The evening ended with the music ensemble, now harpsichord- rather than piano-based, playing Vivaldi’s rollicking La Follia as two majestic ballerinas, Michele Wiles and Drew Jacoby, danced in unison and ‘spoke’ to one another in a complex gestural dialect. In this Mauro Bigonzetti dancework, solo passages for each of the two women show off their unique feminine powers before they reunite in a fast-paced finale, settling at last into the same enigmatic pose that opened the piece. Brilliant dancing from Mlles. Wiles and Jacoby, and spirited playing from the musicians left the audience exhilarated.

The next Ballet Next Exhibition will be April 25th at Manhattan Movement and Arts Center. And it has just been announced that the Company will be at The Joyce for a week in October.

March 28, 2012
Master Class: Herman Cornejo @ MMAC

Monday February 20, 2012 – Herman Cornejo, one of the most dazzling dancers on the face of the Earth, gave a Master Class at Manhattan Movement and Arts Center today. The studio was packed with young dancers and Herman generously extended the normal 90-minute class time by adding an extra half-hour for the boys. And then he stayed on beyond that, working on specifics with the guys who were – of course – thrilled with this unexpected bonus. After about five minutes of impromptu coaching, Herman asked if the studio was needed for another class; since it wasn’t, he seemed to be settling in for some intensive work with the dancers. When I left, they were still at it – with Herman demonstrating some phenomenal combinations and sharing the secrets of the phenomenal technique.

Herman has a melodious speaking voice, sometimes slipping charmingly into Spanish. The Argentine premier danseur clearly loves his craft and is anxious to share his knowledge; he encourages the dancers to find the balance between lyricism and the dynamics of the movement. His own impeccable style is so fluid, graceful and yet thoroughly masculine, and he worked patiently with the boys to explore the mechanics of the basic steps on which they can build the expressive qualities of their dancing.

Watching Herman toss off his combinations was both a revelation and an inspiration. Seeing him perform with ABT at The Met is always thrilling – a GISELLE he danced with Xiomara Reyes remains in my mind as a highlight of the last three decades of ballet-going – and watching him at close range in the studio was an inspiring experience. I’d been having kind of a down day but observing this class really gave me a rush; imagine if I’d actually been able to take the class! I found myself envying the young dancers and again wishing to be 50 years younger and knowing that this was what I was meant to have done. Illusions are by their nature sweet, as the Marquise de Merteuil would say.

As I passed by the huge studio window while heading home, I saw that the boys were still dancing away, with Herman right in the thick of things. What a generous artist and person. I came home and grabbed my ABT schedule; I have to see Herman Cornejo onstage again at the earliest opportunity.

My gratitude to Herman, MMAC’s Erin Fogarty and publicist Michelle Brandon Tabnick for allowing me to watch this uplifting class. Erin and I had a great time comparing our (lack of) photographic skills. A few of my pictures are here.

February 20, 2012
Pointe & Pirouettes @ MMAC: Francois Perron

Monday February 21, 2011 – A day-long ballet fete at Manhattan Movement and Arts Center which featured classes taught by Francois Perron and Wendy Whelan as well as toe-shoe fittings provided free of charge by various manufacturers of the satiny slippers.

I arrived to watch Francois’ class at 10:30 AM. I had never met him before; he’s a tall and very charming gentleman and I really enjoyed listening to him give the exercises and combinations with his delicious accent from the Parisian boulevards. Francois had a studio full of students and he called them to order and plunged into the plies without preamble.

The best description of Francois Perron’s class is, it’s a lyrical experience. His style brings out the musicality and grace of the dancers. He said one thing that struck me as so essential: “Elegance is the key.” Beyond that were some more specific suggestions: “Glue your bellybutton to your spine” (if I could master that one I would look 20 pounds thinner!) and “You won’t gain any strength from (over-bending) your wrists.” He pointed out the importance of always closing tendus in a complete 5th, especially tendus to the back, and the necessity of keeping the feet fully pointed no matter how fast you are moving.

There were several notable dancers in the class; Kyle Hiyoshi (above), currently at SAB, stood out for clarity and smoothness of technique and a really nice presentation. There were others I’d love to single out but I don’t know their names: here are some of the girls I kept my eye on. Shoot me a comment if you recognize them:

There were others, too often too far out of the range of my small camera. I also felt a bit like an eavesdropper shooting them at their work, but I guess it is something they need to get accustomed to as dancers.

In many of my pictures the dancers flashing by me appeared on my little screen only as a blur of movement.

The class progressed to what seemed to me to be some pretty demanding center work. The students swept across the floor in pairs after which Francois gave them additional tips. If I was a young ballet dancer here in New York City, I’d want to take class from Francois every week. There’s an old-world feeling in his method that should not be lost.

Following Francois’ class I ran over to Thai Basil for a delicious solo lunch, then made a quick trek to Lincoln Center to check the NYCB lobby casting sheet for changes in their final week and there ran into Wendy Whelan – wearing the most fetching coat – who was en route to MMAC to teach. Half an hour later, I was in her studio along with Matt Murphy who took time from his busy schedule to come and photograph one of our mutually favorite ballerinas giving class. That story will be found here, along with Matt’s photos.

February 21, 2011
Pointe & Pirouettes @ MMAC: Wendy Whelan

Monday February 21, 2011 – New York City Ballet’s principal ballerina Wendy Whelan gave an afternoon class at Manhattan Movement and Arts Center as part of their day-long Pointe and Pirouettes event. I asked Matt Murphy, dance photographer de luxe, to meet me there and he was happy to since he is as big a fan of Ms. Whelan as I am.

Wendy’s classroom was filled to capacity with dancers from many levels. Rather than ‘talking down’ to some of the youngest dancers, Wendy set the pace and complexity of the exercises and combinations quite high, giving the girls a taste of what they’ll need to be prepared to do as they dance into the future. Wendy gave gentle and helpful corrections, mixed in with more specific remarks about body placement and keys to projecting the movement into the performing space.

One thing she spoke of which I think is sometimes not given enough attention in class is using the eyes while you are dancing. Not only must you watch where you are going, but you need to look to your hand in an extended port de bras or to your foot in develope to say to the audience: “Look how beautiful this movement is!” Sure enough, I’ve seen her do this so many times when watching her from my high/side perch at NYC Ballet performances: she’ll look right up along her arm and hand and right into my eyes. This kind of contact draws the viewer into the dance and makes it personal. How wonderful to find among the photos Matt sent me this very image, above. (Of course all the professional ballerinas know this ‘eye-language’, but there’s something extra captivating about peering thru your opera glasses into Wendy’s gaze.)

I loved her barre excercise based on envelope, a move I hardly ever think about – and how beautifully she executes it. This in fact was one thing about the class that I found most intriguing: how difficult it is to look at anyone else when Wendy Whelan is in the room. But despite the allure of watching her demonstrate, she deflects attention to the students; she treats them all as colleagues and fellow travelers on the path that turns work into art.

Despite the studio being filled to bursting, I couldn’t help but wish that even more students could have had the benefit of taking Wendy’s class.

There were a few dancers in the room that I recognized from other visits to MMAC…

…including the young ballerina Amy Gilson (above) who caught my eye and Matthew’s lens.

One of the most distinctive and delightful people in the New York City dance world, Deborah Wingert – an outstanding teacher and priestess of Terpsichore in her own right – took Wendy’s class. Kokyat and I are especially enamoured of Ms. Wingert and her lovely spirit.

As the class flew by, I felt an urge to clamber up onto the piano and set the clock back by a half-hour or so just to keep Wendy and the dancers there a bit longer.

I’ve saved the best for last. I am not sure how Matthew managed in this crowded and bustling studio setting to capture this portrait of Wendy but I am so glad that he did, and I’ll let him keep the secret of this capture all to himself. It’s one of my favorite images ever of this fascinating dancer.

My thanks to Wendy, Francois Perron, Matt Murphy, MMAC‘s Erin Fogarty and the publicist Michelle Brandon Tabnick – and all the dancers – for a beautiful late-Winter day full of dance.

All photos by Matthew Murphy.

February 21, 2011
Columbia Ballet Collaborative @ MMAC

Sunday November 21, 2010 matinee – The Columbia Ballet Collaborative under the artistic direction of Elysia Dawn gave an afternoon of dance at Manhattan Movement and Arts Center with a new work by Pennsylvania Ballet’s Choreographer in Residence Matthew Neenan starring New York City Ballet principal dancer Amar Ramasar, as well as a premiere work by CBC’s resident choreographer Emery LeCrone. The programme also featured new works by Zalman Grinberg, NYCB soloist Adam Hendrickson, Summer Jones and Amanda Lowe. Photo at the top: from a rehearsal of Emery LeCrone’s new CBC work entitled Palindrome; photo by Kokyat.

The afternoon started well and built from there; each choreographer’s voice was clearly expressive and there was a fine variety of musical styles to keep the ear as content as the eye.

Summer Jones presented Sound in One Movement to a violin solo composed and played ‘live’ by Philip Wharton. Structured with an opening duet followed by a quartet and then an ensemble passage featuring a prominent pas de deux couple the choreographer showed an interesting grasp of having different people doing different things at the same time; the attractive music helped to blend these elements into a cohesive whole.

Matthew Neenan, resident choreographer of Pennsylvania Ballet, set the andante of Vivaldi’s Cello Concerto in A minor as a pas de deux for Elysia Dawn and New York City Ballet principal dancer Amar Ramasar. Both dressed in black, the dancers performed this duet with a quiet tenderness that never became saccharine. With his inherent star power, Amar could easily have turned this adagio into a personal showpiece but instead he gallantly kept the focus on his beautiful partner.

“A wonderful voice, not suited for singing” was my initial thought on hearing Joanna Newsom for the first time singing Sawdust and Diamonds as the score of Amanda Lowe’s Then and Never. I’d had the same reaction the first time I heard Alanis Morisette – til she won me over with The Uninvited. Anyway, after a few moments Ms. Newsom and her harp started weaving a spell. And the choreographer took up the thread and wove it into a really impressive piece for nine women which had an Isadora Duncan feel (or was I having a Duncan hangover from last night?) but which also had a clarity of structure that was refreshing in its appeal. The nine girls took the music and the choreographer’s vision and gave the piece a transportive feminine energy.

Last week Zalman Grinberg set Debussy to very appealing effect at the Young Choreographers Showcase. Today he scored again using a familiar piece (Chopin Impromptu #4) and creating a trio for three sylphs on pointe (The Impromptu Fantasise) that seemed on the face of it to be a reverie in romantic-style classicism; by incorporating subtle contemporary touches here and there Zalman gave the piece a unique quality. His three ballerinas – Caitlin Dieck, Kara Buckley and Katie Kantor – were attractive components of the work’s success. I look forward to following Zalman’s choreographic work in the coming months; he seems to have something unique to say and he isn’t afraid to use the classics as a basis for expression.

The afternoon was on an impressive roll and New York City Ballet’s Adam Hendrickson took up the torch with a wonderfully satisfying piece entitled Sun Will Set. The gently rhythmic score by Zoe Keating evoked cradles, rocking chairs or the endless thrum of a spinning wheel as this Americana ballet evolved with imaginative clarity. Four women in plain soft-coloured shifts gather, glean and weave in a gestural language of repetitive tasks. From their busywork, each has a solo phrase just long enough to make a personal impression before stepping back to the collective. Music, movement and mood were finely integrated; the piece really drew me in. Kudos to the four girls – Sophie Alpern, Lauren Alpert, Lauren DeMaria and Alexandra McGlade – who gave life to Adam’s vision. Past works of Adam’s that I’ve seen tended to feature virtuoso passages for male dancers; in extending his range here, I felt that Adam’s moving steadily along on a unique choreographic path. I will be watching to see where it leads him.

Above: Kokyat’s photo of Erin Arbuckle rehearsing Emery LeCrone’s Palindrome. Here Emery has produced another intriguing dancework to add to her treasury with Palindrome, a dark work set to an often ominous-sounding score culled from music of Chris Clark and Venetian Snares. Four dancers – Erin Arbuckle, Rebecca Azenberg, Paul Busch and Richard Isaac – move thru this stark soundscape with powerful individual performances.There are duets – Erin and Paul, Rebecca and Richard – and a passage of communal port de bras that seems to communicate some ancient language. The choreography flows forward and then at a point everything flows in reverse. Kokyat and I had seen a developmental rehearsal of this piece early on in the process, and a second rehearsal when it was fully set (photo of Erin Arbuckle above by Kokyat) but in the costumed and lit final product there was still a lot to discover.

Manhattan Movement and Arts Center is becoming one of my favorite destinations in the New York dance world. From ballet classes taught by Deborah Wingert to watching Joy Womack rehearsing an Avi Scher solo, Kokyat and I have had some great times at MMAC in recent months. I always look forward to going there.

November 21, 2010