Audition--Cleveland National Repertory Dance Company

Sunday, February 8th, 2009

Cleveland, OH

Looking for male and female dancers with strong ballet and modern technique for 2009-2010 season.  20-30 week contract with touring.  Season begins July 2009.

Must pre-register for audition by contacting Katie Gnagy by email at katieverbballets@hotmail.com or by phone at 914-629-7332 by February 2nd.

Please bring headshot and resume.

www.verbballets.org

Capstone '09 Auditions

SENIOR CAPSTONE AUDITIONS
FOR WINTER 2009 EMERGING CHOREOGRAPHERS CONCERT
SATURDAY, APRIL 18 (8PM) & SUNDAY, APRIL 19 (3PM)
• DATE: Thursday, December 11th 2008
• TIME: 3PM-4PM
• PLACE: Studio B (room 3317 Old Main)
All Dance Majors / Minors Welcome!
Come be a part of the Capstone experience…
• Next generation choreographers
• Cutting edge choreography
• Collaborative work
• Performance opportunity

New Date for ACDFA/Spring Concert Auditions!

Auditions for student works to be considered for ACDFA and Spring Concert have been moved:

Thursday, December 11th (Study Day) at 12:00 noon.

This will allow choreographers to continue to develop work for a few additional rehearsals.

Dancers Wow at Undergraduate Research Conference

Terainer Carroll Brown, Martha Dobbs, Colleen Lauless, Marlo Mysliwiec, and Kate Vincek all made presentations at the 5th Annual Undergraduate Research Conference, with Dobbs and Vincek receiving honors for outstanding presentations.

Dobbs and Vincek presented Solo Forms in Contemporary Choreograph:  Performance and Analysis of Jan Van Dyke's Luna.

Mysliwiec presented Dance for the Camera, with her original piece, ...Hale, Lauless presented a poster review of Community Outreach in Performing Arts:  A Case Study of the Dance Africa Detroit Touring Program, and Brown presented Arts Education and Student Achievement.

These projects were mentored by Dr. Doug Risner through undergraduate research grants.  The next round of proposals for future projects are due November 21, 2008, so students should check out the application checklist.

2008 Dance Recruit Day

Hello all!

We are organizing a dance recruit day for hopeful future dance majors. We are asking each of you to take a copy of the flyer, or two, and bring them to your old studios or ones you are currently teaching at.

Also, make sure they RSVP because we have a limited space.

The recruit day will include a masterclass...small 30 min show...and a Q&A session.

Please check your boxes there is a copy of the flyer for you to distribute. This is very important for the future success of our dance department and we hope you can all help out in our recruiting!

Mexican Ballet Folklorico -- Texas A&M International University

November 13, 2008

Location: General lectures 100

3:30 PM

Come experience a small piece of the Mexican culture with different Mexican ballet styles from various regions of Mexico including Jalisco, Tamaulipas, and Veracruz

This event is free  of charge -- bring a friend

Sponsored by the Dean of students office, Detroit Hispanic development Corp., Center for Chicano-Boricua  studies, El Comal restaurant

Fall Reflections

What a concert!  Strong choreography, great technical design and support, beautiful costuming, good audience turnout, and fantastic performances characterized our Halloween weekend.

Early this semester, dance majors were challenged to regularly record expressions of gratitude. Now, halfway through the fall semester, there have been two months of experiences.

Please use the comments link below to add your experiences with gratitude this fall.  The postings may be anonymous or you may identify yourself, but please add.  The first comment might be the hardest, so I'll begin :-) 

Dances in the Making

Click on top image to view photo slideshow and image on the bottom to view video slideshow of Dances in the Making.

Fall Dance Concert Tech Schedule

Please click here to see the most up-to-date tech schedule.

Hungarian Club Scholarships

The Hungarian Arts Club in the Detroit area offers a Scholarship each year to high school, college and university students who are working in a fine arts program. The scholarship award is up to $2000 and is presented at the annual White Rose Ball. The conditions of the scholarship is:

1. Being of proven Hungarian  descent
2. Demonstrating talent and ability in their chosen field
3.  Forwarding a portfolio by December 1, 2008, (which will be returned) showing the work you wish to submit the club to be judged.
4. Attending the White Rose Ball in Dearborn, Michigan in February 2009 to receive your award.

Please contact Ray to receive an application.

Freshman Representative Election Results!

Congratulations to Kierstin Elliott., our newest student representative! These reps fill important roles as liaisons between the students and faculty/staff, as communicators and organizers, and in setting a tone and influencing the culture of our department.

Best wishes in your new role!

Scott Bartell (former WSU Dance student)

Kylie Lewallen and Scott Bartell perform in Donald Byrd's "Klavierstucke," one of Saturday night's highlights. Read review

08-09 Concert Season

Nicholas Leichter Audition Results

Congratulations to all who attended the audition!  Your energy and talent was inspiring--when Mr. Leichter returns in Winter 09, we will again have master classes, and he will work with the following dancers to set a new work.

• Laressa B.
• Felicia R.
• Lydia P.
• Craig F.
• Marianne B.
• Beth S.
• Bryan S.
• Samantha M.
• Briana R.
• Kate V.
• Christyn S.
• Jazman F.
• Alex M.
• Renee W.
• Lisa K.
• Jordan H.
• Nicholas C.
• Nicholle N.
• Martha D.
• Aaron S.

CompanyOne

Click on image above to see what ON STAGE! is up to this year.

Meet the 08-09 company members.

AUDITIONS: Stars of Ballet . . .

National City Bank proudly sponsors

Music Hall's benefit for dance

STARS OF BALLET AND BROADWAY

Open Call Audtitions: Sunday October 12, 2008

Ages 13-25

Visit http://www.starsofballetandbroadway.com/ or e-mail Meg Paul for more information.

Complexions

This Friday and Saturday, September 26 & 27 (Friday 8:00pm and Saturday 8:00pm.) the Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts will be hosting the NYC based contemporary ballet company, Complexions. (http://www.complexionsdance.org)

Please contact the Music Hall to purchase tickets.

Nicholas Leichter Pre-residency and Audition

October 1st, 2008
Nicholas Leichter Pre-residency Auditions

• Audition Time: 4-6pm
  
• 6-7pm Dinner Break
  
• 7-9pm Rehearsal
  

"Visual and visceral, intimate and grand, insistent and intertwined, choreographer Nicholas Leichter and his passionate company engage audiences in emotional dialogues through innovative dancing that fuses traditional with contemporary styles." (http://www.nldnyc.org/)
Mr. Leichter's visit this time around will be short. But he will returning in January 26th-30th to finish his work. We are very excited to welcome Mr. Leichter to our department.

Fall Studio/Space Schedule

Click here to view PDF file for the Fall '08 classes and rehearsals scheduled in the Maggie Allesee Department of Dance.

Ray Mercer Sets New Work

 Ray Mercer, Maggie Allesee artist in residence for fall 2008 cast his new work -- Love Games -- for inclusion in the fall departmental concert. Congratulations to Marlo M., Martha D., Samm M., Bryan S., Aaron S., and Nick C., who will learn the piece this week and present an informal showing on Friday, September 19 at 12:30 PM in the  Maggie Allesee Studio Theatre.

 Mercer is currently in the Broadway cast of The Lion King.  He has danced with the Detroit City Dance Company, Deeply Rooted Dance Theatre in Chicago and other companies Mercer which was Broadway's Gypsy of the Year in 2005. He has set works on the Dallas Black Dance Theater, Cleo Parker Robinson Dance, and Dancers Responding to AIDS/New York.

 We are delighted to have Mr. Mercer with us.

Master Class with June Omura

Dance majors were treated to a beautiful master class by Bessie-award winning dancer June Omura from the Mark Morris Dance Group.

The group is being presented by the University Musical Society in Ann Arbor, and will present two programs--one Friday, September 19 and one Saturday, September 20 at the Power Center in Ann Arbor.

Dates for Dance Workshop and CoOne/Noel Night

Please note the change in performance dates/times for Dance Workshop and CoOne.

December 5, 7:30 PM  Dance Workshop

Decmeber 6, 7:00 & 8:00 PM CoOne premiere of Rolling on the River, A Time to Dance

December 7, 3:00 PM  Dance Workshop

Taylor Winter Intensive

December 27-January 6

Directed by Lisa Viola, this winter intensive at the Paul Taylor Studios in the New York City SoHo district is an excellent enhancement to your university studies as you build bridges to other dancers and the dance community.

Use your Christmas break to hone your skills and build your career!  Applications can be downloaded here, and dancers will be selected on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Wellspring/Cori Terry & Dancers is holding auditions for the 2008/2009 season.  This professional modern dance company is celebrating 29 years in Michigan.  There are positions for both male and female dancers with strong modern backgrounds for paid performance, teaching, and tours.

Click on the image for a full-sized version.

Will Power, award-winning actor, rapper, playwright, and educator, will be at Wayne State University for a week-long residency with the Department of Theatre, September 8-13, 2008.

All three of the events listed on the poster to the right are free--paid for by a grant from the National Performance Network and the Network of Cultural Centers of Color.

The forums listed will be in workshop format, so expect a high amount of participation in this fusion of art forms.

Click on the poster to view a larger version.

Summer Classes

Take some classes to continue your development during the summer, even if you aren't traveling! The Boll Family YMCA and the Detroit Opera House each have summer classes, as follows:

• The following are located that the Boll Family YMCA on Broadway in Downtown Detroit. All classes are $10 a piece and are taught by Aimee Cox who is a former Ailey dancer and fabulous teacher!
  Wednesday: Intermediate Jazz- Teens and Adults 7:30-9pm
  Saturday: Pre Ballet (4-6 y.o.) 12-1pm Beginning Ballet (Teens and Adults) 1:15-2:15
  Intermediate/Advanced Ballet (Teens and Adults 2:30-4
• Detroit Opera House- 1526 Broadway, on the 5th floor.
  Thursdays: Horton Technique- Taught by Michael Means $15 a class

SPIKE in Cincinnati

Jan Van Dyke invited her Wayne State University cast of SPIKE to Cincinnati for the Choreographers' Festival 2008, celebrating 35 years of modern dance in the city. This experience provided Martha Dobbs, Tiffany Janeway, Kate Vincek, and Renee Westervelt continued experience in the world of professional modern dance. Congratulations!

Get Dance NYC!

Call it an immersive experience in dance--after the junior year, select dance majors have the opportunity to participate in GetDance NYC, attending classes, rehearsals, shows, and socializing with working professionals as they plan for future careers in dance.

This year, Martha Dobbs, Jazman Flagg, Denita Gregory, Rachael Harbert, and Nicholle Noble spent nearly a week in the city.

WSU Dancers in La Traviata

Assistant Professor Jeff Rebudal created new choreography for La Traviata, Michigan Opera Theatre's season finale.
"I...enjoyed the performances of the...opera singers, the choreography...and everything else," wrote one audience member. The dancers were both participants in the action of the opera, and symbolic of thematic elements in the plot.
As seen in these photos by John Gritaitis, Beth Stolzenfeld, Bryan Strimpel, and Brandon Richardson, WSU dance majors, were featured dancers in the production.

Lauren Cansler and WSU Dance in The South End!

Senior Lauren Cansler is featured in this week's edition of The South End, Wayne State's campus paper. Check it out here.

Jody Oberfelder

Dance majors were joined by Dance 2000 students taking a master class by Jody Oberfelder, New York City choreographer. The class, on May 15th in the Maggie Allesee Studio Theatre, was co-hosted by Harriet Berg and the Department of Dance. Ms. Oberfelder's company will be performing on Saturday, May 17th at 8 PM in the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit. General admission $10, students $5.

Master Class!

Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, founding Artistic Director for Urban Bush Women was on campus last week, and what an inspiring experience it was! Maggie Allesee came to watch, and halfway through the class had to join.

The class was made possible because the Urban Bush Women had been in residence at the Maggie Allesee National Center for Choreography (MANCC) in Florida, and performed in the Power Center in Ann Arbor, MI.

Just another exceptional experience here in our department...

Dance Workshop Showcase

Fresh on the heels of its New York City debut performance, the Wayne State University Dance Workshop presents the April Dance Showcase Concert on Friday and Saturday, April 4 and 5 at 7:30PM in the Maggie Allesee Studio Theatre, Old Main Building 3rd Floor. Featuring new and award-winning dances, Dance Workshop presents two full programs of outstanding student, faculty and guest works.

The Spring Showcase features various works choreographed by members of the Dance Workshop as well as pieces from other talented dance students, faculty and guest artists. Kardia, choreographed by Rachael Harbert and Rachel Swykert, and Things Hoped For, by Martha Dobbs, were both given high honors and selected to perform at this year’s American College Dance Festival. The Showcase also features Jan Van Dyke’s seminal work, SPIKE, as performed by the Dance Workshop in New York City at Hunter College’s 2008 Sharing the Legacy festival. Idiosyncrasy, choreographed by Workshop member Natalie Soave and Best If Used By June, the latest work of Ali Woerner, Workshop faculty director, will also be performed. A fundraising raffle benefiting Dance Workshop’s artistic endeavors will be held.

Tickets: $5. Boxoffice opens at 7PM. Seating is limited.

Sharing the Legacy

Dance Workshop left today to perform Jan Van Dyke's SPIKE at Hunter College in New York. Hunter hosts the Sharing the Legacy festival to honor and maintain seminal works in modern dance. The dancers have worked hard to raise some of the money for this trip, and are seasoned travelers, having just returned from ACDFA last week.

The dancers will be accompanied by directors Ali Woerner and Doug Risner.

Best wishes for a fabulous performance!

ACDFA

Prior to our departure for Kalamazoo, MI for the ACDFA regional conference, Jeff Rebudal and I challenged the 22 dancers to extend friendship to dancers from other schools, to build networks, and take advantage of the learning opportunities. Our dancers were fantastic--in the studio, in the halls, at the hotel, wherever they went, they were exemplary representatives.

On Saturday, Martha Dobbs' piece, Things Hoped For, was performed in an informal concert. After a moving performance, a faculty member from another institution came up and said, "You guys came loaded for bear, didn't you?" His reference to the outstanding work from our students came after two adjudicated pieces, Kardia, by Rachel Swykert and Rachael Harbert; and A Woman's Window, by Lauren Cansler were both selected to be performed in the gala performance Saturday night.

The gala performance featured 12 dances of 37 adjudicated over the previous three days. Of the 12, two were chosen to represent the region at the national conference, June 4-6 in New York. A Woman's Window was chosen as one, and Lauren Cansler was selected as outstanding choreographer and outstanding performer, and will represent the region in the national Dance Magazine competition at the national event.

Dance Workshop Shines

Studio C has a new magic about it, after the Dance Workshop hosted its alumni reception and showing last Saturday, February 23.  DW alumni, families, and faculty gathered to enjoy socializing, reminiscing about the history of the workshop, and finally, to showcase SPIKE, Jan Van Dyke's piece that will be performed in NYC at the Sharing the Legacy festival on March 14.  Don't miss our department concert March 21-22 to see this and other works at the Bonstelle Theatre.

Telematics

We've just experienced what may be a glimpse into the future. Imagine this--a university dance department hosts a prominent guest artist. Other departments want to join in the experience. You could use an internet video chat, but the video is too compressed to really be able to physically interact in the way dance instruction requires.

Telematics! This technology isn't new--in fact, our department has been part of telematics performances before. But the application for teaching was clear this week as Ben Munisteri, Maggie Allesee Artist-in-Residence, taught a composition class for students at both Wayne State University and Western Michigan University. Dancers on both campuses responded to instruction, gave each other feedback, and ultimately danced together in duets.

New Semester

The new year brings new excitement to the Maggie Allesee Department of Dance. We have many exciting things happening between now and April, including:

• Freshman Auditions, January 11th and February 22nd
• Jan Van Dyke residency and Hunter College trip
• Ben Munisteri residency and telematics project with Western Michigan University
• OnStage tours
• Spring Concert
• Dance Workshop Showcase
• Capstone Concert
• NASD site visit

Come visit us and see how you can be involved!