WestFest 2020 - Online Performances
Program A: Saturday Nov 14, 4PM EST
Program B: Sunday Nov 15, 4PM EST
Join Via Zoom:
Meeting ID: 867 6243 1099
Passcode: westfest20
Program A
Nov 14th - 4PM EST
Choreographer:
Dylan Baker
BOiNK! Dance & Film is a New York based modern dance company that explores the infinite possibilities in the world of film and live performance. Founded in 2013, BOiNK! has been seen all around the world notably premiering at the "Dance On Camera" Film Festival at Lincoln Center in New York, premiering two full-length film and dance productions at the The Mark O'Donnell Theater in Brooklyn, and presenting at the “Perth Screen Dance Festival” in Australia.
Photo: Peter Mellekas
COMPANY:
BOiNK! DANCE & FILM
Program Notes
Title: A Zoom Hang
Dancers: Dylan Baker, Kate Bishop, Abbey Laufenberg
Tech: Lauren Hafner Addison
Music: Fat Mama by Herbie Hancock
IG: @boinkdance
Website: www.boinkdance.com
Photo: Brigid Pierce
Choreographer:
Daniel Morimoto
Digital Movement Dance finds its roots in the lore of far off worlds and mind-bending adventures. It ensnares audiences and tours different realms. A peek here, a glimpse there - all views within the domain of video games. The company enthralls viewers by using the world-building and story-telling foundation of video games, and transposes them through a new medium - a physical, tangible medium. We will shatter the glass wall that separates “player” and “game”, and instead rope “players” into the heart of matter. Into the world of the unknown. Into the center of the chaos.
Photo: Dylan Baker
COMPANY:
Digital Movement
Dance
Program Notes
Title: Press Start to Play
Dancers: Daniel Morimoto
Music: The Underwater Temple and Dance of Swords by Aivi Tran and Steven "Surasshu" Velema. Get Up and Go-urmet! by Jun Ishikawa and Dan MIyakawa.
IG: @DigitalMovementDance
Photo: Jordan Albright
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Choreographer:
Angie Moon Conte
Angie Moon Dance Theatre is an interdisciplinary, movement based company that strives to find unlikely unions between mediums.
Photo: Benny Krown
Choreographers:
Anna Bjella &
Nia Sanders
Here’s T(w)o Collective, co-created by Anna Bjella and Nia Sanders, seeks to understand how our bodies and socialized identities occupy space within our duets. We come together to engage with a combination of improvisatory practices, critical theory, and deep discussion to expand our understanding of what it means to make dance. Our work has been presented at Spitball Series, The Craft NY, 19 Acts of Covid-19 Bravery (online exhibition), and Movement Research Open Performance.
Photo: Noah Lewis
Choreographer:
Andrea Ward
Andrea Ward is a contemporary choreographer from NYC. Before Covid-19, Andrea had produced an evening length debut and planned to teach abroad. After her plans were cancelled she moved to London to continue teaching. She’s also a musician, currently recording an EP titled “Planet.” Andrea is interested in innate musicality, raw emotion, theatrics, and filmmaking. Her underwater dance film “World of Forms” has screened in New York, Paris, London, and Sweden. This year she finished a commission with the Columbia Ballet Collaborative at Columbia University. She also presented her work in the NYC Choreographer’s CARNIVAL.
Photo: Mike Esperanza
Choreographers:
Chelsea Ainsworth
Jessica Smith
Dual Rivet is a women-led dance company based in NYC. The company creates highly physical work for stage and film with a cinematic and visceral language that influences both platforms. Dual Rivet teaches a myriad of classes with an emphasis on contemporary partnering and floorwork. Led by Jessica Smith and Chelsea Ainsworth, the company aims to exemplify female leadership in the arts.
Photo: Art Davison
Choreographer:
Bo Kyung Lee
Bo Kyung Lee received the 1st Award not only at Korea Contemporary Dance Competition, Presidential Prize at the 7th Nagano International Performance Competition but also at the International Contest for Mature Contemporary Dance Soloist in Mexico City and Dance performance award from Korean critics. She presented at 92Y Dig Dance Series Pan Asian Dance festival and as part of the following festivals: Bergen PAC Korea Dance Awakening, Going Dutch Festival in Chicago, Soak2018, Art all night in DC, Fukuoka Fringe Dance Festival. Seoul International Choreography festival, Monotanz 2019, Water festival in Bulgaria, yeoja: in herself in Seattle and 92Y Harkness dance center in New York etc. Now she is one of the faculty member at Peridance for the certificate program.
Photo: Sarah Gupta
Choreographer:
Martha Graham
The Martha Graham Dance Company has been a world leader in the evolving art form of modern dance since its founding in 1926.
The Company embraces a new vision that showcases masterpieces by Graham alongside newly commissioned works by contemporary artists. With programs that offer a rich thematic narrative, the Company creates new platforms for contemporary dance and multiple points of access for audiences.
Since its inception, the Martha Graham Dance Company has received international acclaim from audiences in more than 50 countries throughout North and South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, Russia, and the Middle East.
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COMPANY:
Angie Moon Dance Theatre
in collaboration with
Benny Krown
Program Notes
Title: It holds many forms
Music: Andrew Noseworthy
IG: @angiemoondancetheatre
Website: www.angiemoondance.com
Photo: Benny Krown
COMPANY:
Here's T(w)o Collective
Program Notes
Title: Notes on the Now
Dancers: Anna Bjella & Nia Sanders
Music: My Friend the Forest by Nils Frahm
IG: @herestwo.collective
Website: herestwocollective.com
Program Notes
Title: Hinterland
Dancer: Andrea Ward
IG: @andrea__ward
Website: www.vimeo.com/andreaward
Photo: Noah Lamport
COMPANY:
dual rivet
Program Notes
Title: bear(v.) - excerpt
Dancers: Chelsea Ainsworth & Jessica Smith
Music: Now or Never by Elvis Presley
Music Editor: Jessica Smith
IG: @dualrivet
Website: www.dualrivetdance.com
Photo: Effy Grey
COMPANY:
BK dance project
Program Notes
Title: Big Mouth II (snippet)
Dancer: Bo Kyung Lee
Music: Electric vio;in and beatbox : Moonlight Grenade by Jason Yang(Violin) & Jake Moulton(Beatbox)
IG: @bkdanceproject
Photo: Ju-bin Kim (Korea Dance Abroad)
COMPANY:
martha graham
dance company
COMPANY:
dance collective
Carol Nolte is the Founder/Artistic Director of WestFest. Her dance career as a choreographer and performer spans 5 decades.
She is a 30 year Westbeth resident, enjoying the privilege of class, workshops and performance opportunity for her company with Merce Cunningham, and, lastly, Martha Graham Companies.
Photo: Elizabeth Wilson
Program Notes
Title: Better Days
Dancer: Carol Nolte
Music: Van Lingle Mungo by Dave Frishberg
Website: www.dancecollectiveny.com
Photo: Brigid Pierce
Choreographer:
David Parker
The Bang Group is a rhythm-driven contemporary dance company directed by Jeffrey Kazin and David Parker. Its notorious comic/subversive Nutcracker, called Nut/Cracked can be seen in this, its 18th season, at Arts Alive at Arts On Site in December.
Photo: Nicholas Burnham
Choreographer:
Elizabeth Burr
Elizabeth Burr grew up in Northern Virginia. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Contemporary Dance from Indiana University. Elizabeth spent a semester studying in Israel at the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance where she trained in gaga technique, Batsheva repertoire with former company members, and Vertigo Dance Company repertoire with Noa Wertheim and Vova Zak. Elizabeth has been a member of Company Danzante, S. J. Ewing & Dancers, and Bryce Dance Company. She is currently living in New York City developing her own choreography and project-based work along with freelance dancing and teaching yoga.
Photo: Steven Fox, foxphotoart
Choreographer:
Kevin Clark
Soluq Dance is a contemporary dance company offering a physical meeting place for audiences, artists, and performance space to merge. Soluq creates highly physical, nuanced work thick with rigor and effort, an experience rich with the shared sensation of rushing pulse and quick breath, a state embodied by the term "Soluq"- the breath that follows effort.
Photo: Jess Keener
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COMPANY:
the bang group
Program Notes
Title: Show Business
Dancer: Louise Benkelman
Music: There's No Business Like Show Business written by Irving Berlin and sung by Ethel Merman
Website: www.thebanggroup.com
Photo: Liz Schneider
COMPANY:
Elizabeth Burr Dance
Program Notes
Title: Umbra
Dancer: Elizabeth Burr
Music: BELOW by Lapalux
Choreographed in collaboration with Sarah Gottfried
IG: @lizz_burr
Website: www.elizabethburrdance.com
Photo: Unknown
COMPANY:
Soluq Dance
Program Notes
Title: Bent
Music: Gaby Moreno by Cucurrucucu Paloma
IG: @soluqdancetheater
Website: soluq-dance-theater.squarespace.com
Photo: Rebecca Oviatt
choreographer:
trudee
TruDee began her dance training at the age of five in ballet, tap and aerobics under the tutelage of Miss Belinda. Her love of theater emerged later on through the coveted role of the Virgin Mary in the church nativity play. TruDee has performed at Joe’s Pub, American Dance Festival, Chicago Contemporary Circus Festival, and the beloved Stonewall Inn. SILO and Marble House Project and Djerassi Artist Residency have hosted her musings. TruDee would like you to also note that she is an award winning lip sync artist and ribboned competitive speed walking champion.
Photo: Whitney Browne
with help from:
deborah lohse
Program Notes
Title: Landslide
Dancer: TruDee
Music: Fleetwood Mac
IG: @yourstrudee
Website: www.trudeelovesyou.com
Photo: Yi-Chun Wu
Choreographer:
Rachel Lieblein-Jurbala
Rachael Lieblein-Jurbala (she/her) is a Brooklyn-based dancer and choreographer. Originally from Syracuse, NY, she holds a B.A. in Dance and Sociology and a certificate in Community Action and Public Policy from Connecticut College. She has had the great privilege of performing works by David Dorfman, Ronald K. Brown, Robert Battle, Paul Taylor, Roni Chadash and Ohad Naharin. Rachael studied Costume Design at Arts University Bournemouth in Bournemouth, England, and trained at the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance in Jerusalem, Israel. Her choreography has been presented at the Kennedy Center(Washington, DC), Williamsburg Art neXus (WAXworks), and the Tank Theater.
Photo: Judy Lieblein
COMPANY:
Rachael Lieblein-Jurbala
Dance Works
Program Notes
Title: Russell's Teapot
Dancer: Rachel Lieblein- Jurbala
Music: Flight From the City by Johann Johannsson
Website: www.rachael-lieblein-jurbala.com
Photo: Scott Leff
Choreographer:
Charly Santagado
Charly Santagado is a dancer and choreographer originally from Orlando, Florida currently based in Metuchen, New Jersey. She graduated with highest honors from Rutgers University in 2017 and founded a contemporary dance company, ~mignolo dance~ with her sister, Eriel Santagado. Her work has been shown extensively throughout the tristate area as well as in Boston, Atlanta, and Israel. In addition to her own company, she currently dances with VALLETO Dance, ReFrame Dance Theatre, and TK Dance Lab.
Photo: Mark Harris
COMPANY:
mignolo Dance
Program Notes
Title: Dream Caused by the Flight of a Bee Around a Pomegranate a Second Before Awakening
Dancer: Charly Santagado
Music: Invasion Of The Anteaters by Robert S. Cohen, The Twiolins
IG: @mignolodance @charlymoves
Website: http://mignolo.dance
Photo: Mark Harris
Choreographer:
Jamal Jackson
Jamal Jackson was born in Brooklyn, New York and began his formal studies of movement with the Harlem based Batoto Yetu Dance Company. His pursuit of Biology and dance led him to Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, where he received the Weston Award for his contribution to the Fusion Dance Company and New Works/ World Traditions African Dance Company from 1996-2000. Jamal performed with Ballet International Africans for two seasons as a principal dancer and in 2004 he founded the Jamal Jackson Dance Company. Jamal Jackson Dance Company has established a strong presence in and out of New York City, performing year round in festivals, self-produced shows, community outreach programs and private events.
Photo: Antoine Tempé
COMPANY:
Jamal Jackson
Dance Company
Program Notes
Title: 846
Music: Igor Stravinsky
IG: @jjdc2004
Website: jamaljacksondancecompany.org
Photo: Jonathan Hökklo