Dance

Ice Theatre of New York, Inc Presents 2022 Home Season and 35th Anniversary Benefit Gala

Published

1 year ago

April 20, 2022

Ice Theatre of New York (ITNY) presents its 2022 Home Season Performances on May 6 & May 7 at 7PM and May 9 at 6:30PM at the Sky Rink, Chelsea Piers. The annual Benefit Gala and Performance will celebrate the 35th Anniversary of ITNY on the third night of the Home Season, May 9. The event will be held at The Lighthouse, Chelsea Piers, following a performance at Sky Rink. The three-night Home Season will feature the ITNY Ensemble, Junior Ensemble, and guest artists. Home Season tickets and Benefit Gala tickets are available on the ITNY website.

ITNY’s 2022 Home Season will feature the ITNY Ensemble in new works alongside pieces from the repertory. Jody Sperling, the first and only choreographer on a Coast Guard Icebreaker observing the melting of Arctic sea ice in 2018, has once again received a NYSCA grant through ITNY to create her second socially-significant commissioned work for Ice Theatre of New York with a soundtrack by Paul D. Miller (DJ Spooky).

Highlights from the 2022 Home Season include the premiere live performance of Pivoting, choreographed for broadcast during the pandemic by Joel Dear; Sacrosanct, a new duet by Ice Dance choreographer Lorna Brown set to Philip Glass’ piano composition The Poet Acts; and the world premiere of Body Parts, choreographed by ITNY company member Mauro Bruni, based on the five waves movement teachings of Gabrielle Roth and set to the soundscape of her voice teaching the class.

The full 2022 Home Season features:

OF WATER AND ICE (World Premiere, NYSCA Commission)

Choreography by Jody Sperling

Performed by Sarah France and Valerie Levine

Music: “Of Water and Ice” by DJ Spooky

PIVOTING (World Premiere)

Choreography by Joel Dear

Performed by Angela Chiang, Sarah France, Jennifer Gruver, Ale Izquierdo, Sabrina Mann, and Freddie Moore

Music: “Epilogue” by Olafur Arnalds

SACROSANCT (World Premiere)

Choreography by Lorna Brown

Performed by Kseniya Ponomaryova and Collin Brubaker

Music: “The Poet Acts” by Philip Glass

CLASS PIECE (World Premiere)

Choreography by Elisa Angeli

Performed by Danil Berdnikov, Mauro Bruni, Sarah France, Ale Izqueirdo, Sabrina Mann, Freddie Moore, Andrew Saelee, Liz Yoshiko Schmidt, and Aaron Singletary

Music: Concerto No. 2 by Sergei Rachmaninoff

BODY PARTS (World Premiere)

Choreographed by Mauro Bruni

Performed by Angela Chiang, Danil Berdnikov, Ale Izqueirdo, Freddie Moore, Andrew Saelee, and Liz Yoshiko Schmidt

Music: Recording of Gabrielle Roth’s Voice directing her Five Rhythms class

VOGUING (World Premiere)

Choreographed by Joanna McLeod and Emanuel Sandhu

Performed by Emanuel Sandhu

Special advising by Cesar Valentino

JULIET (World Premiere)

Choreographed by Milly Wasserman

Performed by the Junior Ensemble consisting of Georgina Blackwell, Ciara Flaherty, Electra Scheiner, Chris Tenzin, Megumi Tsutsumi, and Milly Wasserman

Music: “Come, Gentle Night” by Abel Korzeniowski

AFTERNOON OF A FAUN

Choreographed and performed by Mauro Bruni

Music: “Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune” by Claude Debussy

RHYTHM DANCE

Choreography by Joel Dear

Performed by Oona and Gage Brown

Music by Kool Moe Dee

SCHOOL FIGURES

A Moira North and Elee Kraljii Gardiner collaboration

Performed by Sarah France, Kate Mangiardi, and Mauro Bruni

Poem read from “Serpentine Loop” by Elee Kraljii Gardiner

TAKE FIVE

Choreography by Eliot Halverson

Performed by Armen Agaian or Danil Bernikov

Music by saxophonist Paul Desmond, arr. Dave Brubeck, and performed by The Dave Brubeck Quartet

Program and performers subject to change.

The gala, following the performance, will also feature cocktails, dinner, and an award ceremony. This year’s gala will honor Olympic ice dance champions Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean, and present an Ice Angel Award to Betty Wasserman, as well as Alumni Awards to Darlene Parent and Wade Corbett. The gala is co-chaired by Olympic coaches Brian Order and Tracy Wilson.

“We are thrilled to be honoring Jayne and Christopher at our 35th Anniversary Gala, not only for their breathtakingly original – and sport-changing – Olympic Gold Medal performance (followed by many others), but also for their continuing, always highly creative contributions to our skating world, most recently the acclaimed television series, Dancing on Ice,” said ITNY Founder and Artistic Director, Moira North.

Founded by Moira North, ITNY’s mission is to celebrate and advance dance on ice as a performance art. Through its performances in both traditional and site-specific venues, ITNY presents ice dance that helps to open one’s eyes to seeing skating in new and unexpected ways. ITNY was the very first ice dance company to receive dance program funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, the New York State Council on the Arts and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs. www.icetheatre.org

Up Next

Meet Lesley Nicol of Downton Abbey and Hear About Her New Show How the Hell Did I Get Here?

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Disney’s Winnie the Pooh The New Stage Adaptation – A Winning Winnie!

Suzanna Bowling

Suzanna, co-owns and publishes the newspaper Times Square Chronicles or T2C. At one point a working actress, she has performed in numerous productions in film, TV, cabaret, opera and theatre. She has performed at The New Orleans Jazz festival, The United Nations and Carnegie Hall. She has a screenplay and a TV show in the works, which she developed with her mentor and friend the late Arthur Herzog. She is a proud member of the Drama Desk and the Outer Critics Circle and was a nominator. Email: suzanna@t2conline.com

Dance

Dance In Times Square Today

Published

4 days ago

May 30, 2023

Suzanna Bowling

Ailey comes to Times Square for a series of free outdoor dance classes led by Ailey Extension instructors and NYC dance artists. Classes are open to people of all ages and all levels of dance experience!. These dance workshops are presented by Ailey Extension and one will happen today June 2 at 5pm, Broadway & 46th St. The class is Broadway Jazz with Judine Somerville to register click here.

On Wednesday, June 7 at 6pm, at Broadway & 46th St LiveDance /Time: Study III with Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company co-presented with New York Live Arts

Culminating its 40th Anniversary celebration, the world renowned Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company makes its Times Square debut with /Time: Study III. This piéce d’occasion, featuring the outstanding performers of the company and guest musicians, marks the third annual New York Live Arts presentation in Times Square.

Dance

Celebrating Street Dance and 50 Years of Hip-Hop Wednesdays in July

Published

1 week ago

May 26, 2023

Suzanna Bowling

Arts Brookfield partners with Works & Process for a series of four free performances at Manhattan West celebrating street dance and the 50th anniversary of hip-hop featuring The Missing Element with The Beatbox House, LayeRhythm, Ladies of Hip-Hop, KR3TS dancers with DJ FrancoTh3Artist, and Ephrat Asherie Dance’s UNDERSCORED culminating in a dance party led by DJ Bravo LaFortune! Manhattan West is a new destination for food, culture, retail, and hospitality, located steps away from Moynihan Train Hall and Madison Square Garden on the new West Side. For more information, visit https://manhattanwestnyc.com/events/gather-round/.

Sept. 26, 2020-NY, NY Kaatsbaan Summer Festival performance by Ephrat Asherie/Omari Wiles – Les Ballets Afrik as part of the Guggenheim’s Works and Process Program Photographer- Robert Altman Post-production- Robert Altman

The pieces presented were commissioned by Works & Process to marry performing arts traditions created in the cypher (an open performance circle) prevalent in hip-hop and street dance with the Guggenheim Museum’s renowned circular rotunda space. Originally conceptualized in-the-round, this series therefore adapts naturally to the performance circle on Manhattan West Plaza. Each Wednesday night will spotlight a different artistic group and feature beatboxing, breaking, flexn, krumping, live bands, DJ sets, and MCs. On the final night, the performance morphs into a full-blown dance party with fabled DJ Bravo LaFortune and other club legends. All are encouraged to gather round.

The Missing Element, featuring The Beatbox House

KR3TS dancers open with DJ FrancoTh3Artist

July 5: sets at 6pm, 7pm and 8pm

See what happens when traditions that are accustomed to battling each other on the stage, come together and collaborate. A genre-fusing performance of beatbox and street dance, The Missing Element will feature world champion musicians from The Beatbox House in collaboration with dance expert in the styles of break dancing, flexn, krump, and more. Connecting generations, the dancers of KR3TS, a pre-professional dance program that has launched the careers of top street dancers will open the evening; The Missing Element’s co-creator, Anthony “Invertebrate” Rodriguez is an alumni of KR3TS. DJ FrancoTh3Artist provides the beats between sets.

LayeRhythm

July 12 at 6pm

Join this game-based performance celebrating the vibrancy of street and club dance culture. A live band takes its cues from freestyling street dancers, while MCs gather inspiration sourced from the audience. (layerhythm.org)

Ladies of Hip-Hop

KR3TS dancers open with DJ FrancoTh3Artist

July 19: sets at 6pm, 7pm and 8pm

Celebrate the strength, power, and diversity of women in Hip-Hop with this all-female intergenerational dance collective that centers around feminist narratives examining the intersections of gender, race, and resistance. Observe the origins of street and club dance culture, including freestyle dance, cyphers, and call and response. All woven together with one-of-a-kind choreopoems. (ladiesofhiphop.com). Connecting generations, the dancers of KR3TS will open the evening; many members of Ladies of Hip-Hop trained with KR3TS early on in their careers. DJ FrancoTh3Artist provides the beats between sets.

Ephrat Asherie Dance: UNDERSCORED highlights with NYC club legends and DJ set by Bravo LaFortune on his Birthday

July 26 at 6pm

Experience UNDERSCORED, a multi-faceted project rooted in the intergenerational stories and memories of NYC underground club heads. The exhilarating journey will culminate in a dance party with DJ set by Bravo LaFortune on his birthday. (ephratasheriedance.com & instagram.com/bravobrahms)

WORKS & PROCESS AT MANHATTAN WEST PLAZA

385 9th Ave, New York, NY 10001 (Between 31^st & 33^rd Streets)

ABOUT WORKS & PROCESS

Championing the creative process from studio-to-stage, Works & Process, is an independent performing arts organization that supports artists from both the world’s largest organizations and from underrecognized performing arts cultures by providing rare, sequenced and fully-funded creative residency, commissioning, and iterative presenting support.

Blending artist discussions and performance highlights, each program provides unprecedented behind the scenes access to support our goal of broadening representation and fostering greater understanding and appreciation of the performing arts.

Works & Process celebrates New York artists and street and social dance with programs at the Guggenheim Museum, Lincoln Center, The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, with the Jerome Robbins Dance Division, and SummerStage. LaunchPAD “Process as Destination” partnerships with 12 residency centers across New York State amplify our support for artistic process.

ABOUT ARTS BROOKFIELD

Arts Brookfield supports innovation in music, dance, theater, film, and visual art by pushing boundaries to create unique works of art and cultural experiences presented for free. Thriving for over three decades, the program gathers communities around creativity by animating Brookfield Properties’ public spaces, including Manhattan West and Brookfield Place New York.

ABOUT MANHATTAN WEST

Manhattan West is New York City’s newest dynamic destination for food, culture, retail, hospitality and the modern workplace by Brookfield Properties. Spanning eight acres, Manhattan West is located in the center of Manhattan’s new West Side, steps away from Moynihan Hall, Madison Square Garden and The High Line, with seamless access to the theater district, entertainment district, Chelsea art galleries, Meatpacking District and more. Home to diverse world-class office space, Pendry Manhattan West, luxury residences at The Eugene, experiential retail amenities, and unparalleled culinary concepts surrounding a landscaped, two-acre public plaza enlivened with immersive art and entertainment programming by Arts Brookfield, Manhattan West incorporates the best of Brookfield’s global placemaking portfolio to create a new district that has something for everyone. Visit www.ManhattanWestNYC.com for further information.

Broadway

The 2023 Chita Rivera Awards: The Red Carpet

Published

1 week ago

May 23, 2023

Magda Katz

The 2023 Chita Rivera Awards were presented at the NYU Skirball Center for the Performing Arts.

The winners were announced and in keeping with the mission of the Chita Rivera Awards, nominators considered outstanding choreography, featured dancers, and ensembles in shows on Broadway and Off Broadway, as well as outstanding choreography in film that opened during the 2022-2023 season.

The mission of the Chita Rivera Awards is to celebrate dance and choreographic excellence, preserve notable dance history, recognize past, present and future talents, while promoting high standards in dance education and investing in the next generation.

To see the winners and the interviews click here.

John Kander, Chita Rivera, Brian Stokes Mitchell

John Kander, Chita Rivera

Derek Hough, Jared Grimes

Joe Lanteri, Riki Kane Larimer

Riki Kane Larimer

Joe Lanteri, Bonnie Comley, Stewart F. Lane

Tony Yazbeck

Bebe Neuwirth

Clyde Alves, Robyn Hurder

Rob Ashford

Kolton Krouse

Peter John Chursin

Cast members of NEW YORK, NEW YORK

The cast of “New York, New York”

Cast of Bob Fosse’s Dancin

Alyssa Sarnoff, Charlotte d’Amboise

Mattie Love

Joe Lanteri, Andy Blankenbuehler

Andy Blankenbuehler

Jerry Mitchell

Cast of “Gimme Love”

Jeffrey L. Page

Cast members of SOME LIKE IT HOT

J. Harrison Ghee

Jordan Roth

Lee Roy Reams

Jennifer Weber

Leo Moctezuma

Davide Torchio, Desmond Richardson

Jacob Guzman

Cast members of A BEAUTIFUL NOISE

Chloe Arnold

Dance

The 2023 Chita Rivera Awards: The Interviews

Published

1 week ago

May 23, 2023

Suzanna Bowling

The winners for the 2023 Chita Rivera Awards were announced this evening. In keeping with the mission of the Chita Rivera Awards, nominators considered outstanding choreography, featured dancers, and ensembles in shows on Broadway and Off Broadway, as well as outstanding choreography in film that opened during the 2022-2023 season.

Presented at NYU Skirball Center for the Performing Arts (566 LaGuardia Place off Washington Square Park), the Chita Rivera Awards are produced by Joe Lanteri, Founder and Executive Director of the New York City Dance Alliance Foundation Inc., in conjunction with Patricia Watt. The Awards were fabulously hosted by Funny Girl’s Jared Grimes.

The mission of the Chita Rivera Awards is to celebrate dance and choreographic excellence, preserve notable dance history, recognize past, present, and future talents, while promoting high standards in dance education and investing in the next generation.

At this year’s Chita Rivera Awards, John Kander received the Lifetime Achievement Award, BroadwayHD, founded by Bonnie Comley and Stewart F. Lane, received the Ambassadors For The Arts Award, and Jeffrey L. Page received the Douglas and Ethel Watt Critics’ Choice Award.

For the first time, the Outstanding Dancer in a Broadway Show category is gender-free. This category has twice as many nominees as the former gendered categories.

The NYC Dance Alliance Foundation College Scholarship Program was the beneficiary of the event. Since the inception of the NYC Dance Alliance Foundation, 4 million dollars have been awarded to over 400 dancers represented in 42 of the most prestigious college dance programs in the country.

And the winners are:

OUTSTANDING CHOREOGRAPHY IN A BROADWAY SHOW: Steven Hoggett, A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical

This was completely odd considering this was not nominated for the Tony’s, OCC’s or the Drama Desk. Maybe Hoggett was nominated and won for his combined choreography for Sweeney Todd.

OUTSTANDING DANCER IN A BROADWAY SHOW: Robyn Hurder, A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical, Jess LeProtto, A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical and Mattie Love, Bob Fosse’s Dancin’

One seriously wonders what went wrong in this category when Kolton Krouse, of Bob Fosse’s Dancin’ gave one of the best dance performances of the season.

OUTSTANDING ENSEMBLE IN A BROADWAY SHOW: Bob Fosse’s Dancin’ and New York, New York

OFF BROADWAY SPECIAL RECOGNITIONS

The Awarding Committee of the 2023 Chita Rivera Awards will celebrate excellence in Off-Broadway musical theater by presenting these special awards.

Outstanding Dancers in an Off-Broadway Show: Gaby Diaz, Only Gold and Ryan Steele, Only Gold

Outstanding Choreography in an Off-Broadway Show: Andy Blankenbuehler, Only Gold

CHOREOGRAPHY IN FILM: 13: The Musical, Choreographer: Jamal Sims

OUTSTANDING DIRECTION OF A DOCUMENTARY RELEASE: Everybody Dance, Director: Dan Watt

Moonage Daydream, Director: Brett Morgen

2023 CHITA RIVERA AWARDS NOMINATING COMMITTEES

Awarding Committee: Chair: Sylviane Gold, Gary Chryst, Robert LaFosse, Donna McKechnie, Wendy Perron, and Lee Roy Reams

Broadway Nominating Committee: Chair: Wendy Federman, Melinda Atwood, Caitlin Carter, Gary Chryst, Don Correia, Jamie deRoy, Sandy Duncan, Peter Filichia, Dr. Louis Galli, Sylviane Gold, Jonathan Herzog, Jim Kierstead, Robert La Fosse, Joe Lanteri, Donna McKechnie, Michael Milton, Mary Beth O’Connor, Wendy Perron, Lee Roy Reams, Andy Sandberg, and Randy Skinner

Film Nominating Committee: Chair: Jonathan C. Herzog, Steven Caras, Wilhelmina Frankfurt, Mary Beth O’Connor, and Andy Sandberg

A theatrical icon and one of Broadway’s greatest triple-threat talents, Chita Rivera is one of the most nominated performers in Tony Award history having earned 10 nominations, won twice and received the 2018 Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre. A versatile actress/singer/dancer, her most recent starring roles include The Visit, the final John Kander/Fred Ebb/Terrence McNally musical directed by John Doyle and choreographed by Graciela Daniele on Broadway; the Broadway revival of The Mystery of Edwin Drood; the Broadway and touring productions of The Dancer’s Life, a dazzling musical celebrating her spectacular career, written by Terrence McNally and directed by Graciela Daniele and the revival of the Broadway musical Nine with Antonio Banderas. She trained as a ballerina (from age nine) before receiving a scholarship to the School of American Ballet from the legendary choreographer George Balanchine. Chita’s first appearance (age 19) was as a principal dancer in Call Me Madam. Her electric performance as Anita in the original Broadway premiere of West Side Story brought her stardom, which she repeated in London. Her career is highlighted by starring roles in Bye, Bye Birdie, The Rink (Tony Award), Chicago, Jerry’s Girls, Kiss of the Spider Woman (Tony Award), and the original Broadway casts of Guys and Dolls, Can-Can, Seventh Heaven and Mr. Wonderful. On tour: Born Yesterday, The Rose Tattoo, Call Me Madam, Threepenny Opera, Sweet Charity, Kiss Me Kate, Zorba, Can-Can with The Rockettes. Chita was awarded The Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama in 2009 and received the coveted Kennedy Center Honor in 2002. In 2019, Chita performed her solo concert at London’s Cadogan Hall; in 2018 she was honored as a Living Landmark by the New York Landmarks Conservancy; in 2016 she headlined at Carnegie Hall and in 2015, Great Performances aired their special Chita Rivera: A Lot of Livin’ To Do, a retrospective of her extraordinary life and career nationally on PBS. Her current solo CD is entitled “And Now I Swing.” Her long-awaited book CHITA: A MEMOIR was published by HarperOne in April, 2023. Her most treasured production is her daughter, singer/dancer/choreographer Lisa Mordente.

The NYC Dance Alliance Foundation, Inc. (NYCDAF), founded in 2010 by Executive Director Joe Lanteri, is committed to broadening performing arts awareness while advocating education and high standards of excellence in dance. The Foundation invests in the next generation of professional performers by offering scholarships for secondary and college education. To date, over 400 talented teenagers have shared in nearly $4 million awarded directly through NYCDAF. Those recipients are represented in 42 of the most prestigious university arts programs in the country. Many have since graduated and are now represented on Broadway, as well as concert dance companies based in NYC and around the world. www.NYCDAFoundation.net

Broadway

Broadway Up Close(R) Dance Workshop

Published

3 weeks ago

May 12, 2023

Suzanna Bowling

A fun way to get active, learn and have fun: InterContinental New York Times Square has partnered with Broadway Up Close to provide monthly dance workshops. The new series offers the opportunity to learn choreography with current Broadway professionals, and to join them in conversation about their Broadway careers.

Sunday, May 13, 2023 – Broadway Performer Thayne Jasperson (Hamilton, Newsies, Matilda)

All classes are scheduled from 11:00 am to 12:30 pm and include 60 minutes of dance class and 30 minutes to learn and connect.

Following the class, an à la carte lunch menu is provided at The Stinger Cocktail Bar & Kitchen for an additional cost; perfect timing for a matinee performance.