Tag: Barnard College

Prelude: Claudia Schreier & Co

Claudia Schreier & Co will be at The Joyce on July 21st and 22nd, 2017, as part of the theatre’s two-week ballet festival. The performances are sold out.

On Wednesday evening, July 19th, photographer Travis Magee and I stopped in at the Barnard College studios where rehearsals have been taking place. The dancers were running thru CHARGE, Claudia’s large-scale ballet set to a vibrant score by the Dutch composer Douwe Eisenga. For this ensemble work, Claudia has gathered together an outstanding group of dancers; although it’s an ad hoc ensemble, they’ve already developed the feeling of a Company.

Here are more of Travis’s images from CHARGE:

Elinor Hitt and Craig Wasserman

Elizabeth Claire Walker

Claudia & Company

While the dancers caught their breath after two runs of CHARGE, members of the choral group Tapestry filed into the studio and arranged themselves in a semi-circle to sing the music of Tomás Luis de Victoria and Sergei Rachmaninoff which comprise the setting of Claudia’s breathtaking pas de deux, VIGIL.

VIGIL is danced by guest artist Wendy Whelan and Dance Theater of Harlem’s Da’Von Doane. Working together for the first time, Wendy and Da’Von have formed a partnership based on resonant technique and spiritual affinity. Their dancing is borne up by the heartfelt, resplendent harmonies of Tapestry, making this is a dance experience sans pareil.

More of Travis Magee’s photos from VIGIL:

The Joyce performances by Claudia Schreier & Co will further feature ballets set to music of Leonard Bernstein, Marc Mellits, Dmitri Shostakovich, Alfred Schnittke, and Ellen Taafe Zwilich. Unity Phelan, Jared Angle, and Cameron Dieck – all from New York City Ballet – will appear in prominent roles.

All photos by Travis Magee.

July 19, 2017
Columbia Ballet Collaborative: Rehearsals

Above: choreographer Lisa de Ribere works on a pas de deux to be danced by Rebecca Azenberg and John Poppe at the upcoming performances by Columbia Ballet Collaborative.

Friday October 27th, 2012 – I stopped by at Barnard College where two of the five choreographers involved in the upcoming performances by the Columbia Ballet Collaborative were rehearsing. Lisa de Ribere is creating an ensemble work, while Emery LeCrone is reviving a solo piece originally made on Drew Jacoby, and now to be danced by Kaitlyn Gilliland.

Lisa’s studio was my first stop; several dancers I know were there and she was sorting out a fast-paced section of her two-part ballet which uses music by John Pizzarelli (Traffic Jam) and Norman Dello Joio – an interesting pairing to be sure.

At the start of the pas de deux (above) in which Rebecca and John slowly and warily investigate one another before moving on to a more intimate quality.

Rebecca Azenberg & John Poppe

Click on each image to enlarge.

I then moved to the Streng Studio where choreographer Emery LeCrone (above) was working with one of Gotham’s most gorgeous dancers, Kaitlyn Gilliland, on a solo entitled ARIA.

Kaitlyn Gilliland

Set to music by the Balanescu Quartet, ARIA is a space-filling solo which suits Kaitlyn long limbs and her innate spiritual quality to perfection. Emery and Kaitlyn have an easy rapport and mutual appreciation, so the rehearsal was a particularly pleasant experience.

Kaitlyn!

The Columbia Ballet Collaborative‘s Autumn 2012 performances will take place at Manhattan Movement and Arts Center on November 16th and 17th. Details here. In addition to the works by Lisa and Emery, ballets by John Poppe, Nick Kepley and Daniel Mantei will be performed. I’m hoping to get to rehearsals of the three gentlemen’s creation in the next few days.

October 29, 2012