Hail & Farewell: Raegan Wood, International Advisor

Congratulations Raegan Wood!

Peridance Capezio Center's International Advisor
on the cover of...
DanceTeacher Magazine

March 2012 issue of DanceTeacher Magazine honored Raegan Wood's
excellence in children's dance education.  

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Excerpts

For two years Raegan Wood worked with hundreds of Peridance Capezio Center's diverse group of international students.  For 25 years, she taught dance in the tri-state area and throughout the nation -- in private studios, K-12 public and private schools, preparatory, and community centers, as well as numerous colleges and universities including Barnard, Rutgers University and Juilliard.

Since birth, when her mother went into labor while teaching a class in Graham technique (both parents were dancers), Raegan has been driven to dance.  She was a soloist in the Paul Taylor Dance Company (1982-1989), and after completing her Masters at Temple University she approached Paul Taylor about starting a Youth Program at The Taylor School.

This summer, Raegan now goes on to new adventures at The Taylor School, though her impact and presence at Peridance will be missed and truly felt.

Interested in applying to the International Student Program at Peridance? Learn more about our 3-Step Process.

Read DanceTeacher Magazine's full story on Raegan Wood and see a video of her teaching!

http://www.dance-teacher.com/content/technique-raegan-wood

http://dancemedia.com/v/6413

Peridance Contemporary Dance Company Goes to Italy and Israel

Artistic Director Igal Perry | Executive Director Yarden Ronen-van Heerden

Peridance Contemporary Dance Company (PCDC), under the Artistic Direction of Igal Perry together with Executive Director Yarden Ronen, is excited to continue its nearly three decade-long dedication to creating and performing powerful dance that inspires audiences nationally and internationally. This summer, PCDC will captivate audiences in Italy and Israel with a multi-city tour of "Infinity" and other works July 13-25, 2013.

International Tour Repertory

Inspired by the striking images of rural landscapes, frequent in Salvador Dali’s paintings, Igal Perry’s new creation “Infinity” is set to the famous Adagio movement of Beethoven’s “Sonata Hammerklavier”. The work, which depicts the delicate vulnerability of the human image against a background of vast, open spaces, derives its style and timbre from the music’s sustained and often haunting passages.

Altered color balance Dali painting; PCDC performing Perry's "Infinity"

Excerpts from Perry's beautiful “Twilight” are classical in style, where both partnering and movement sequences venture into a realm of deep, expansive movement, ranging in energy from soft and sustained to unexpected, sharp and fast paced sequences.

In addition to the latest repertory and repertory favorites by Igal Perry, the Company will perform works by Ohad Naharin and New-York-based choreographers Dwight Rhoden and Sidra Bell. PCDC’s moving excerpted duet by the Batsheva Dance Company Artistic Director Ohad Naharin is from the work “Mabul” (1992) and a gift to Peridance in memory of Mari Kajiwara.

"Mabul" duet

Complexions Contemporary Ballet choreographer and co-artistic director Dwight Rhoden’s new piece for the Company embodies his unique and dynamic style. This new work, "Evermore," reflects Rhoden and Igal Perry’s long-standing collaboration which has included an exchange of creations on both companies.

Scene from "Evermore"

Follow PCDC's International Tour, or see the Company for yourself!

Save the date for the Company's Workshop and Audition August 26-30th.

Peridance Contemporary Dance Company's Leigh Lijoi

by Thomas Palmer

Meet Leigh Lijoi

Member of Peridance Contemporary Dance Company, lover of parks and chocolate

What is your first memory of performing?
My first memory of performing was my first dance recital at the age of 5.  I was terrified to go on stage and cried the entire day leading up to the performance.  I was a really shy kid growing up (until I got to know you), so the thought of going on stage in front of a lot of strangers was terrifying.  My parents were really supportive and encouraged me to do this one performance so that I didn't let the other girls in the class down.  Needless to say, once I got on stage, I had so much fun and didn't want the performance to end.  I stopped crying immediately, and from that day on, I was set on being a dancer.

What is your favorite snack?
Chocolate. No question. A little piece of dark chocolate makes the day so much better.

What song is most played on your iPod?
Picking just one song is hard because my iPod gets so much use, but currently I've returned to listening to a lot of my favorites: Iron and Wine, Postal Service, James Vincent McMorrow, Ray LaMontagne, Dave Matthews...and the list goes on.

Where do you go/what do you do in New York when you have a day off?
If the weather is nice, I love to get lost in Central Park.  There is no better escape from the craziness of the city then being right in the middle of it surrounded by so much peace.  I also really love spending time walking along the water, reading a good book, or taking some time to journal. Otherwise, if I find myself with some extra time in my day, I like to put my head phones in and just walk to wherever I need to go, no matter how far it is.  There is something really interesting about being closed off in my own world with my headphones and a good song, while also being able to see and experience so much around me.

Do you have any quotes/ words that you live by?
"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away."

"Everything happens for a reason."- I've learned that sometimes the opportunities that present themselves in life may not always be what I think MY ideal is at the time, but end up being exactly what I need to be doing and where I need to be spending my time.  I think the key for me is remembering to be open and receptive to what comes my way.

What is your favorite thing about PCDC?
I love that each dancer in the company brings their own personality and style of dance.  No two dancers are alike, and I think that creates a really unique experience in the studio.  The creativity is present, the love for dance is abundant, and most importantly, we all have fun spending time together and creating new work.

What are you most excited for with PCDC this summer?
We are all so excited to be leaving for Italy and Israel this weekend! The opportunity to dance as a part of these festivals while representing PCDC is truly an honor. 

See the full PCDC summer schedule!

Meet Maddie McPhail PCDC Member

It's exactly 10 days until Peridance Contemporary Dance Company goes on International Tour (Italy & Israel July 13-25). Meet one of the lovely lady PCDC members:

Maddie McPhail

List of favorite things:
-Dancing
-camping
-Traveling
-Exploring
-Rock n Roll
-Old movies
-Childhood memories
-Performing
-Creating
-Water sports
-The cold side of the pillow
-Laying in bed during thunderstorms
-Waking up in the middle of the night and realizing you have so much more time to sleep.

First memory performing:
I must have been 5 or 6. I was a little sugarplum in Oregon Ballet's Nutcracker. My group went on stage and some of my peers weren't in their correct spots so I bossed them all around on stage. I'm glad people thought it was cute because looking back on it I'm super embarrassed and feel really bad.

Favorite snack:
Bananas with peanut butter

What is the song most played on your iPod?
I don't think I have one most played song- most played artist would probably be Led Zepplin though. Then Guns N Roses and Van Halen.

Where do you go/what do you do in New York when you have the day off?
When the weather is nice, I absolutely love being by the water. You can spend years walking around the city and never see all there is to see, so I like to go exploring. I like going to weird places, quiet little cafes, jazz clubs, etc.

Do you have any quotes/words that you live by?
"People will kill you over time, and how they'll kill you is with tiny, harmless phrases, like: "be realistic.""

"The work you do while you procrastinate is probably the work you should be doing for the rest of your life."

"Wherever and whenever you go, leave a gift."

What is your favorite thing about PCDC?
My favorite thing about the company is the true sense of family we have with each other. Coming into the studio everyday, having to be so raw and vulnerable, you get the chance to really see who those people are. Sharing such a deep passion for the same thing and getting to do it amongst these incredible people, you create a bond. I have so much love and respect for each of them and I'll be forever grateful and humbled by them.

What are you most excited for with PCDC this summer?
The tour to Italy and Israel, of course! Firstly, I've never been to either place so that's very exciting. I also can't wait to perform in new venues, with new people and new experiences.

For Tour Highlights & Ticket Information, visit the Peridance Contemporary Dance Company event on Facebook.

Quick Tips from Workshop Instructors Elisa Monte and Shannon Gillen

Next week July 8-12, 2013, we've got two great workshops lined up, including Modern Technique with Elisa Monte Dance (11:30am-1pm) and Contemporary Movement with Shannon Gillen (4-6pm).

Learn more about the workshops, and the artist instructors!
Elisa Monte

Elisa Monte Dance (EMD) was founded in 1981, and for each new work Artistic Director Elisa Monte creates entirely new and unique works. We asked what is the greatest challenge in her creative process and how to stay creative.

"The greatest challenge is accessing the essential in oneself. When is the moment one is creating most alive? Having the life force energy available and flowing, being present and not self- conscious. Creating an authentic moment.

Keeping those juices flowing is a constant effort, it's like staying in shape for living life. Every moment one chooses adds up to who and what you are. You become what you spend your time doing, so make choices, don't let everyday life just push you mindlessly in an undefined direction."

Register and draw upon Elisa's expansive range of movement in this workshop. You definitely want to catch her before she vacations to Crete, and several other beaches this summer!

by Joanna McClure for Brooklyn Magazine

Shannon Gillen
Shannon Gillen is a new faculty member at Peridance. The workshop, uncovering techniques from her company Shannon Gillen + Guests (SGG), will have you working up a sweat! We asked Shannon about her daily practice of care, and here's her advice.

"Conditioning is an essential and core part of my classes and daily practice. It goes beyond alignment training and core stabilization into aerobic/ athletic territory that is missing from most dancers' experience. Too many of us get winded far, far too soon when we dance. This comes from a lack of efficiency and from inadequate cardiovascular exercise. It also stems from the inability to properly utilize momentum. Too often, technique inhibits personal velocity and keeps the dancer from engaging in the flow of a phrase. It's surprising how much bigger and more vital the body can be when it is truly free to move. Technique needs to be accessed in motion, not in stasis. This makes it important that we investigate how to call upon our resources not out of neutral conditions, but rather from the dynamic moment. What are the habits that conflict with this practice?…Chances are that by addressing these, dancers will find they can take greater risks in their dancing."

Sign up for Shannon's workshop and give yourself a little push this summer, and stay tuned in November when her dance company SGG presents a new work for Peridance's inaugural year of presenting.

See the full list of Peridance Summer Workshops for 2013.