Tuesday, September 22, 2015
Wednesday, November 5, 2014
Peridance Contemporary Dance Company's Eoghan Dillon on being a dancer and performing this weekend
The Salvatore Capezio Theater announces...
Peridance Presents
Peridance Presents is one of Peridance's newest additions to their annual programs at The Salvatore Capezio Theater. This special showcase, created by producer Yarden Ronen-van Heerden, is an invite-only presentation of contemporary choreographers' newest work. This year's program consists of four New York-based companies: SynthesisDANCE/Tracie Stanfield, Mettin Movement/Sarah Mettin, :pushing progress/Calen J. Kurka, and Peridance Contemporary Dance Company/Igal Perry. Don't miss out on this great show happening this weekend!
Saturday, November 8th at 8:00PM
Sunday, November 9th at 6:30PM
Tickets are available online at peridance.com or at the door
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Keep reading our exclusive interview with Eoghan Dillon,
full time company member of Peridance Contemporary Dance Company.
How long have you been dancing for PCDC?
I was an apprentice with the Company from September 2013 until September 2014, when I was hired as a full time Company Member and signed a contract.
What has been the biggest change moving from an Apprentice to a Full Time Member?
It's very different being on the inside - it feels a little bit like a load-off - because as an apprentice, I had to learn every part of every piece and make sure I was capable of performing every role at any point, whereas now I have one part and I can really focus on the material.
As your role has changed within the company, have you seen any change in the company as a whole?
I think that with the growth of company members has also come an increase in drive and energy in our rehearsals. The piece we are presenting this weekend, for example, works with a larger cast than Igal usually has, so there is a lot more people pushing for a great first performance. This is going to be a great showcase of the overall growth of the Company in the last four years. Something I sense in the room during rehearsals over the past couple months is the overall growth of professionalism.
Tell us how you've grown since you've been a member of the Company or since you moved to New York.
The
growth I've seen in myself these past 2 years has really been crazy!
The city really makes you grow up. I wouldn't be anywhere close to
where I am now, both personally and professionally, if I didn't just
dive right in to the dance community here. I really recommend this dive
to any young artist trying to pursue a career in dance. It's a push, but it's worth it's definitely worth it for your career.
So you made the move to New York 2 years ago? What inspired the move?
I moved to New York 2 years ago, when I was 18. I started at the
Ailey School, where I received a full scholarship to attend classes, and
then auditioned for Igal in the fall of 2013, and I've been working
with him ever since.
So tell us what "a day in the life of a PCDC dancer" is like!
A day in the life... let's see! We take class every week day at 10AM with Igal and his adult open class students, and that ends at 11:30. After that, we rehearse our repertory until 2:30. At the beginning of the week, Igal sends us a schedule of what we'll be working on each day and our rehearsals are always mixed. We do something a little different each day - depending on what's coming up. So, for example, we'll go from rehearsing a piece from Igal's Nutcracker for the Winter Journey show coming up - very classical and character-based - to Dwight Rhoden's "Evermore", which is more upbeat and contemporary. Each day feels like a whirlwind of different dance styles! It's a great way to stay versatile and open to new styles and work, especially when you're working with the same group of dancers in the same studios each day. We really are a versatile bunch!
Outside of your PCDC life, do you pursue other work in the dance field?
Igal is great with allowing his dancers to explore other areas of the dance community outside of the Peridance walls. Because he demands such a versatile group of dancers, we all take it upon ourselves to take advantage of outside projects, classes, and opportunities that come from living in the New York City dance world. I think that makes us more unique and makes the company experience more valuable because you're in a room full of very multi-talented people.
Tell us about a recent project you've done or participated in.
Most recently, I got to work with an amazing photographer on a Gap campaign here in the city. I met with design consultants from Gap that helped me put together a look that represented their vision and that allowed me the freedom to dance for the photo shoot. We took photos throughout Brooklyn that now appear in their marketing materials and store fronts!
How was that experience comparable to working with a group like PCDC?
It was incredible to work with a group of professionals outside the dance world that still valued my work as a professional dancer. All sorts of magic can happen when artists in different fields come together to create a product; even just a single photograph. But, at the same time, look at the magic that PCDC creates! I get so much satisfaction working in both worlds.
To finish up, tell us what we'll be seeing from PCDC this weekend at Peridance Presents.
Igal is really pushing us to our limits, both artistically and physically, with this new work. His partnering work is always really strong and impressive, but no audience has ever seen such a display as this! I feel really connected to this piece because this is the first time I've worked on the inside from the start. I've never felt such an itch to get out and perform a work! I know the audience will appreciate this work as much, if not more than, the rest of Igal's pieces. This group of dancers is really a stand-out. They each hold their own in such a strong contemporary dance company, and we're all really eager and proud to get out on stage this weekend.
Left: Eoghan performing with PCDC last season (photo by Karli Cadel); Right: Eoghan in Dress Normal for Gap (photo by Omar Z. Robles)
Executive Director - Yarden Ronen-van Heerden
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