Tag: Deborah Wingert

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
Deborah Wingert @ Lydia Johnson Dance

Above: dancers Sarah Pon and Anthony Bocconi of Lydia Johnson Dance being coached by Deborah Wingert; photo by Melissa Bartucci

Deborah Wingert, one of New York City’s foremost ballet teachers, has been working in the studio with the dancers of Lydia Johnson Dance, coaching them particularly in the nuances of partnering in the works that Lydia is preparing to show in her June 2013 performances.

Deborah Wingert, a former New York City Ballet dancer and presently one of an elite group of stagers of Balanchine repertoire for the Balanchine Trust, is deeply involved as an instructor, choreographer and mentor for the young dancers of Manhattan Youth Ballet. Her depth of knowledge and her understanding of dance from both a technical and an emotional point of view make her a priceless treasure.

I asked photographer Melissa Bartucci to document Deborah’s first day in the studio with Lydia Johnson Dance; then, a week later, I was able to get to the studio myself and observe the process first- hand. It didn’t surprise me to find that Lydia and Deborah were very much on the same wave-length, since for both of them their work in dance stems from a spiritual connection with music and movement.

It was hard to imagine that someone could make Lydia’s beautiful troupe of dancers look even better, but in the most subtle ways – and often in an expressive rather than a technical context – that is what Deborah was able to accomplish.

Here are some of Melissa Bartucci’s images:

Lydia Johnson, Deborah Wingert

Dancers Kerry Shea and Eric Williams

Anthony Bocconi and Sarah Pon

Lydia observing Sarah and Anthony

Anthony Bocconi

The dance is in the details

Lydia, Kerry, Eric and Deborah

Eric and Kerry watched by Deborah and Lydia

Lydia Johnson Dance will have their New York season on June 6th, 7th and 8th, 2013 at the Ailey Citigroup Theater. Works set to music of Gorecki, Golijov, Schubert and Bach will be performed. Details will be forthcoming.

April 23, 2013