Teacher Feature: APRIL 2010

*Teacher Feature is a NEW monthly installment on the PeriBlog! Each month a selected Peridance faculty member answers questions about their dance favorites and inspirations. Find out more about your favorite Peridance faculty members, starting with this month's featured teacher, Max Stone!*

Max Stone
Contemporary - Tuesdays & Thursdays, 1:00pm - 2:30pm

Who was your favorite dancer growing up? Who inspired you to be a dancer?
Probably Rudolf Nureyev in the 70s when I started training heavily in ballet. I was 16 or 17. He was the great male influence of the time in ballet. He was my biggest influence. Of course at that time, there was Luigi in jazz and Gus Giordano. When I came to New York, teachers like Lynn Simonson and the Broadway people inspired me: Bob Fosse, Michael Bennett.

Who would you say is your favorite dancer/choreographer/company now?
Lots of Europeans. I love Ohad Naharin's work. I think he's just so fresh and innovative— physical. And of course, there is Jiri Kylian and William Forsythe. In the states, I'm a big fan of Doug Varone, Lar Lubovitch, those great contemporary masters of modern dance, mostly New York-based.

Name a living choreographer whose latest work you are always interested in seeing.
Probably Kylian. But he's not the only one. If Forsythe does something, if Ohad does something, I'll be there. I also love Mats Ek. I've been a big fan of his ever since I lived and taught in Sweden.

What books, movies, music, or works of art have most recently inspired you?
I liked "Avatar." I'm a huge Sci-Fi fanatic. I also loved “A Serious Man” and “Inglorious Bastards.”

Name an upcoming performance or class (besides your own) that you recommend everyone attend.
I love Nathan Trice's class; I love Oliver Steele, Jana Hicks. These people really have something to offer in the contemporary vein.

What are your favorite qualities in a dancer?
Sense of self, confidence, even if it's pseudo-confidence [laughs]. Show me who you are. We can always work on technique and style, but I like to get a sense of who the person is first and foremost.

Name one thing that no dancer should be without.
Water [laughs] and maybe coffee.

Are there any personal or professional updates that you would like the Peridance community to know about?
I just finished choreographing for a company, just a couple weeks ago, in Houston, Texas called Uptown Dance Centre. I did the same piece with Jana Hicks and Marijke Eliasberg's workshop, the Next Stage Project at City Center. I was just asked to do the Complexions Contemporary Ballet summer intensive this coming summer.

What do you think of the quality of the Peridance facility, students, and fellow faculty members? What is unique about Peridance?
I just love the general vibe here. The students are very serious about training and they seem very committed to learning. They are very open to different styles too.

PeriChild Ensemble in Concert

See the PeriChild Ensemble in performance!

Proceeds from this performance help to further support the community outreach efforts of the PeriChild Ensemble.

April 17 at 8pm
April 18 at 3pm

This performance is being held in the Peridance Capezio Center's NEW White Box Theatre.

*Tickets are available at the door*

Peridance Faculty Member in Performance

Peridance Tap teacher, TONY MAYES presents: Sound Check!

"Sound Check", a Tap Dance Journey will be held at Dance Theater Workshop in New York, April 14-18, 2010.

For tickets to Tony's show, go to dtw.org

NEW FACULTY!

Put a little SPRING in your step this APRIL and take class with Peridance's NEWEST FACULTY MEMBERS!

BALLET: Jose Traba - Starting April 3rd- Adv/Beg Ballet, Tuesday & Thursday, 2:30pm-4pm & Beginner Ballet, Saturday, 6:30pm-8pm

CONTEMPORARY: Korhan Basaran - Starting April 1st- Advanced Intermediate Contemporary, Tuesday & Thursday, 11:30am - 1pm

JAZZ: Derek Mitchell - Starting April 6th- Intermediate Contemporary Lyrical, Tuesday & Thursday, 11:30am - 1pm

MODERN: Saba - Starting April 8th- Beginner Modern, Thursday 5pm-6:30pm & Sunday 1pm-2:30pm

BODY CONDITIONING: Lauren Tepper - Starting April 4th- Align & Flow Yoga (Open Level), Sunday 10am-11:30am

ZUMBA: Sifa Marti - Starting April 4th - Wednesday & Friday, 12pm-1pm & Sunday 4:30pm-5:30pm

Collective Body/DANCELAB Workshop

Peridance faculty member, Brian Carey Chung teaches a week-long workshop based on the choreography and composition techniques of his company, Collective Body/DANCELAB.

Apr 26, 2010 - Apr 30, 2010; Mon - Fri
Monday/Wednesday/Friday: 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM
Tuesday/Thursday: 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM

The Collective's approach is that of continued investigation of personal and relational experience. You will be asked to move like only you can move, and to do so with your best self within given and created templates. Translational processes developed by choreographer and artistic director of the Collective, Brian Carey Chung, will be explored in conjunction with your own storytelling and experimentation. You will participate in these processes alongside Collective members, and be given the opportunity to personalize shape, symbol, image, and form inherent in the template(s) to create a compelling story of your dancing. The outcome allows for collective movement resonances, accessing the elements of chance, individuality, and spontaneity.

**Brian Carey Chung is a finalist in the 2^nd annual Aarhus International Choreographic Competition in Denmark. His company will travel to Denmark in June where he will present his work, alongside seven other choreographers, for a panel who will name the winner. Brian is one of 8 finalists out of 136 choreographers who applied this year. Additionally, he is one of the 8 winners of the 2010 Reverb Choreographic Competition, selected by Sidra Bell, among others, with performances slated for this coming fall. Brian will also present a work at DNA in September for this year's In The Company of Men!**

For more information about Brian Carey Chung and the Collective, visit their website.

Mark Your Calendars!

PeriChild Ensemble's 2010 Spring Fundraiser will take place at the Peridance Capezio Center on April 17 & 18.

*All proceeds from this event will go to fund the continued outreach work of the PeriChild Ensemble*

SCHOLARSHIP AUDITION

Audition for a scholarship to study African dance at Peridance Capezio Center!
8 FULL SCHOLARSHIPS WILL BE AWARDED!
For students ages 11-16.

Nicole Wolcott Contemporary Workshop

Nicole Wolcott is coming to Peridance!
May 24, 2010 - May 28, 2010; Mon - Fri
1:00 PM - 3:00 PM

Her vigorous class combines the virtuosity of classical technique and the release of post-modern dance with Wolcott’s own dramatic idiosyncrasies. The result is a quirky but highly athletic aesthetic. Material for this class is drawn from various techniques and movement styles including Limon, hip-hop, ballet, Gaga, and pop culture. Sense of humor required.

Nicole Wolcott is a choreographer, teacher and performance artist based in New York City. She has been performing with dance companies, rock bands and video artists around the country for sixteen years. In 2002 Nicole co-founded KEIGWIN + COMPANY with Larry Keigwin and was the company's Associate Artistic Director until 2009.

Her choreography has been performed in New York City at Symphony Space, the Frying Pan, Galapagos, Dance Theater Workshop, Joyce SoHo, Joe's Pub at the Public Theater, CBGB's, Monkeytown, PS122, DTW and around the country at Summerdance Santa Barbara, The University of Utah, Bates Dance Festival, Florida Dance Festival and the American Dance Festival.

Sean Curran Spring Workshop

Choreographer Sean Curran returns to Peridance to teach 2 weeks of master classes!

Apr 19, 2010 - Apr 30, 2010;
Mon - Fri 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM

An Irish step dancer as a young boy from Boston, Massachusetts, Séan Curran was a lead dancer with the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company and an original member of the off-Broadway hit Stomp.

Mr. Curran explores aspects of movement that use gravitational pulls to expand dynamic ranges and awaken spatial relations between inner and outer focus. He brings these skills into his workshop to enrich the students' understanding of action, phrasing, and timing.

Sidra Bell Dance NY Workshop

SIDRA BELL returns to Peridance for a new workshop in April!

Apr 12, 2010 - Apr 16, 2010; Mon - Fri
11:30 AM - 1:00 PM

Sidra Bell has crafted a unique approach to unlocking the creative potential in each dancer. In a workshop that explores an articulate body through effort, risk, impulse, breath, gesture, weight, touch, space, direction and line, artists of various backgrounds and experience can discover their individual voice and physical potential. Throughout the workshop phrase work from the repertory of Sidra Bell Dance New York will be introduced. The phrase work challenges the dancers to investigate an extreme sense of physicality and specificity. They are asked to use their imagination and intellect to find a greater sense of freedom within the movement.

Guest Teacher Kota Yamazaki

Take a "Fluid" Technique Class with Guest Teacher Kota Yamazaki!

Apr 19, 2010 - Apr 23, 2010; Mon, Wed, Fri
11:30 AM - 1:00 PM

What is Fluid Technique?

Kota Yamazaki states: In this class, dancers use their sensibility and awareness for small vibrations happening within joints or muscles as body moves. Exercise such as shifting contact-points between feet and floor continuously will result in increasing dancers’ awareness for vibration which travels from feet up through body. Floor and center exercises are aimed at releasing muscles and joints so that the coordination of whole body will become smooth. These ideas will make complicated physical and spacial movements more available to the body.

Originally from Japan, Kota formed his New York based company, Kota Yamazaki/Fluid hug-hug, in 2002. The company has performed at the Melbourne International Arts Festival, PICA/TBA Festival, NUS for the Arts, DTW, 92Y Harkness Dance Festival, Painted Bride Art Center, Dance New Amsterdam, and the Columbia College Dance Center. Kota is a recipient of the New York Dance and Performance Award (Bessie Award), which he received for his collaboration with Senegalese choreographer, Germaine Acogny.

FREE Flamenco Master Class

AMAZING OPPORTUNITY! Peridance offers a FREE Flamenco Master Class with Victorio Korjhan!

Thursday, March 25
8:30-10:00pm

Former ballet soloist of the Metropolitan Opera, and scholarship student at Juilliard, Sarah Lawrence, and the Martha Graham School, Victorio studied flamenco in Spain for seven years. Victorio has performed throughout the U.S. and Europe with guest appearances at Carnegie Hall, Radio City, Madison Square Garden, the Kennedy Center, the Hollywood Bowl, the MGM Hotel, and Royal Albert Hall in London. Victorio has taught Spanish dance to soloists of the Bolshoi Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, and to the Broadway cast of "Forever Tango". He has also given master classes in Flamenco at universities and dance academies throughout the U.S., including the Alvin Ailey School, Dance Theatre of Harlem, American Ballet School, Northeastern Illinois and Northwestern Universities, Cornell, and The Boston Conservatory.

No Pre-Registration necessary!
Please arrive 15 minutes early to sign in and secure your place!