The New York Baroque Dance Company

Cutting Edge Project by Turocy and Goettingen Handel Festival

2011-04-18T14:46:00.004-04:00

The Teseo Project: On Stage and on the Internet

As Stage Director for a new production of Teseo by George Frederick Handel for the Goettingen Handel Festival in Germany this June, I have incorporated the popular social networks Facebook and Twitter in the staging. In addition, I am using Facebook and a blog as educational tools for middle school and high school students.

This groundbreaking use of social networks, to my knowledge, has not been done before, and I am very excited to be taking opera in this innovative direction.

The Story Exists on Two Levels

First Level: The opera will be experienced by the audience on two levels. The first is as a period opera on a period stage set that exists within the bare theater. By being smaller than the actual stage and having its inner workings exposed to the audience, this set creates a "play within a play". Dancers will alternate changing the scenes of the opera as the "crew" and performing their customary roles within the opera proper. On this period set the story of Teseo will be told by employing Baroque costume, movement and choreography, as well as period stage machinery such as trap doors and flying machines.

Second Level: The second level involves the "behind the scenes" story of the performers (fictitious and authored by me), which will be told simultaneously by projecting live and recorded video sequences on a screen over the center of the proscenium. During long instrumental passages in the arias, the audience will catch an affair between the singer playing Medea and a Patron, see dancers running from the dressing room to the stage and read Facebook entries and tweets from some of the performers - revealing the "drama" behind the drama. These live and filmed sequences are carefully woven into the emotional development of the opera. When the opera comes to a conclusion...so does the "behind the scenes" story. The goal in my stage direction is to offer a period production with sidebars: the audience will experience the conventional opera while at the same time be able to see and read into the experiences of the performers as they are playing the characters.

Facebook and the Educational Component

One of the main characters in the opera, the young princess Agilea, will have a Facebook page. She lives in Athens, Greece during the 5th century B.C. and is in love with Teseo. Her page goes up on the first day of our rehearsal, a month before the premiere of the opera in Goettingen. The FB account is more a platform for Agilea to tell about herself and about her life in a creative way. The account will be restricted to the students of the participating schools.

Through her status updates, Agilea will reveal aspects of life in Ancient Greece and express the yearning and concern for the safety of her secret lover--the hero Teseo. Her FB entries will be short and clever, but will also include an embedded link to an educational site on various subjects such as the mythology surrounding Medea or weapons used in battle in ancient Greece (or the ancient world). The purpose of the FB page for Agilea is to teach the students in an informal way all the research that goes into imagining a character in order to portray and embody emotions of this character in a performance. Through this experience I hope to stimulate a deeper relationship to Baroque opera, to history and to our shared cultural past. I also hope to cultivate the younger generation of concert-goers.

Amy Freston, the singer performing the role of Agilea, will meet with the students in person to discuss her process of preparing a role. In this way, the students will have a real experience of the artist and then, through the FB page, a deeper understanding of how historical knowledge can form the interpretation of a character.

There will also be the possibility of exchanging comments with Agilea. However, I suspect that a blog format may be easier for the students to chat and comment amongst themselves.

The Blog

After much discussion with the festival office and my assistant, Sarah Edgar, we have concluded that it would be beneficial to set up a special blog linked with the Goettingen Festival website and with Facebook. The blog will be a great opportunity for an interactive exchange between the opera and the students. Currently we are working on the details of connecting four different pages (two FB accounts, the festival website and the blog) and making decisions about who is supposed to be participating on which page. The question of privacy is very important when involving students and schools, and it is our priority to function in a safe environment. We also hope to make this blog visible to the ticket subscribers and members of the Goettingen Handel Festival.

A student intern from the festival will be managing the blog. Three to four times a week the student will come to rehearsals in order to keep the blog up to date with anecdotes, impressions of the rehearsal process, photos and short video clips. We will also encourage musicians and singers to post some of their insights on the production.

Twitter

Once the production leaves the studio and goes to rehearsal on the stage (May 23), one of the stage crew will be sending tweets from his perspective. The nuts and bolts of getting the opera ready for the premiere will be told from a craftsman/worker view. During the performances he will also be sending a few tweets, keeping fans actively informed.

Goals

Our final goal is to create a more inclusive arena for Baroque opera through Facebook, blogging and Twitter. Through our backstage crew member on Twitter, we hope to demystify the "elitism" of opera and give it a human face on a human scale. Through using technology and social networks, we hope to encourage the next generation to engage in conversations, sharing their experiences of opera and becoming involved in the performing arts. By using elements of Facebook and Twitter as well as live and recorded camera feed in the opera production, we hope to create a theatrical experience which is more in keeping with the way today's audience processes live performance.

I am grateful to the festival for supporting my vision and developing a structure. I also appreciate the efforts of my assistant, Sarah Edgar. Under my supervision she is creating the storyline and entries for the Agilea Facebook page.

Below is a listing of the artists involved with this production:

Catherine Turocy Stage Director/Choreographer Scott Blake Stage Design Pierre Dupouey Lighting Bonnie Kruger Costume Susanne Rydén Soprano -- Teseo Amy Freston Soprano -- Agilea Dominique Labelle Soprano -- Medea Drew Minter Countertenor -- Egeo Céline Ricci Soprano -- Clizia Robin Blaze Countertenor -- Arcane FestspielOrchester Göttingen Nicholas McGegan Conductor Members of The New York Baroque Dance Company: Rachel List, Alexis Silver, Justin Coates, Junichi Fukuda, Alan Jones and Gregory Youdan Sarah Edgar Assistant to the Stage Director

Photo of Catherine Turocy by Juan Garcia

Review Excerpts for Armide

2010-02-13T23:20:00.004-05:00

The New York Baroque Dance Company Review Excerpts for Armide by Gluck Performed at the Kennedy Center and Lincoln Center, February 1 and 3, 2010 with Opera Lafayette Orchestra and Chorus conducted by Ryan Brown

”Much of the credit for the success of this performance should go to its choreographer, Catherine Turocy. Whether the dancing was in any way similar to how it was originally performed is unknown. Ms. Turocy in her notes states that no surviving period dance notation scores are extant for the dances in Armide. She based her choreography on treatises written in Gluck's time, and the dancers performed eloquent movements, hands raised delicately in the air, their expressive faces reflecting the emotions of the moment. Commendations are particularly in order for Caroline Copeland (who also soloed brilliantly in Opera Lafayette's production last year of Monsigny's Le Déserteur) whose mime-like, happy-to-sad facial alterations in the Act V Chaconne were worth the price of admission, and then some.” Stan Metzger, Seen and Heard International Opera Review, 2/3/10

“Along with the outstanding Opera Lafayette Chorus and Orchestra and beautiful artistry of The New York Baroque Dance Company, the story of Armide was conveyed at the highest level of artistic excellence…The New York Baroque Dance Company, in soldier's costumes elegantly danced the possibility of vengeance, as the Opera Chorus resounded the theme in splendid harmony… Each dance and costume conceived by the extraordinary choreographer, Catherine Turocy captured the essence of each movement. Complimenting Burden's solo were the dancers moving with such grace, beautifully adorned with the flowers of spring. In the brief appearance of La Haine, soprano Houtzeel made her sole appearance on stage to warn Armide,but to no avail. Houtzeel's clarion voice sounded forth in urgency and her delivery was very convincing. Many wanted to hear more of this singer. The dancers again added to the mood of the story, dancing in all black with splashes of color

Opera Lafayette is indeed one of our nation's most esteemed performing ensembles. The performance was outstanding from start to finish. This performance was stellar on all levels: soloists, orchestra and dancers all prepared beyond measure to render the best performance possible. Patrick McCoy, The Examiner 2/2/10

“Opera Lafayette presented "Armide" in 2007 in conjunction with the University of Maryland in a production directed by Leon Major. Not having seen the 2007 staging, I can't compare, but this semi-concert presentation, studded with dance interlays from the New York Baroque Dance Company (a frequent Opera Lafayette collaborator, resplendent in period costume) was excellent at conveying the spirit of the opera and showing the work's dramatic continuity. And it revealed the way that the dance was conceived as a part of the action, or the way that some moments (the Act I finale, a rapid-paced ensemble) might have influenced Mozart.”Anne Midgette, Washington Post 2/3/10

"The dancers in costumes and choreography devised by Catherine Turocy were a rare treat. Not since Mary Skeaping devised an 18th Century dance for Baryshnikov in ABT's Sleeping Beauty, as well as a ballet solo "Vestris," have we seen Baroque dancing that was so convincing and enjoyably non-academic. The dances tonight were very well executed -- at times it was almost as if the ghosts of Vestris, Gardel, Guimard and Heinel were actually on stage. The rather eerie spectral quality was emphasized by the semi-interactions between the fully, and elaborately costumed dancers and the singers in modern concert attire standing behind music stands. James Camner ,OPERA-L internet blog 2/4/10

“Like all 18th-century French operas “Armide” abounds with dance. This performance, conducted by Ryan Brown, Opera Lafayette’s founding director, featured elaborately costumed ballet segments performed by the New York Baroque Dance Company, choreographed by Catherine Turocy. Anthony Tommasini, New York Times 2/4/10

“The voices filled the small theater, the string section of the small orchestra was full enough to thrill, the dances were delicious, the French diction superb…Dance always played a large part in French grand opera, and reconstructing French court dance has long been Catherine Turocy’s specialty. Her dancers here enacted battling warriors, masked temptations, courting shepherds and rag-headed demons with steps that hovered between mime and formal dance. They were always entertaining and generally relevant to the story, and when masked evincing an impersonality appropriate to spirits summoned and embodied by a great and enigmatic witch.” John Yohalem, Opera Today, 2/11/10

Drottingholm! ~ by Sarah Edgar

2009-09-07T16:47:00.006-04:00

relaxing in the boys' dressing room in between our swirls on stage

The set for the end of Act III (minus the statue of Mars that rises out of the floor)

close-up of the legs

backstage

in the gardens

The Gang in Stockholm: me, Caroline, Jason, and Rachel

The pensive Fire

our dressing room

me, vainly posing in my mask and costume

The palace at Drottninghom

Ladies and Gentlemen, I hereby offer my meager description of the delight of performing with The New York Baroque Dance Company in the opera Orlando at Drottningholm.

First of all, you should know that the Drottningholm Theater is one of the very rare 18th c. theaters in which many parts are still original. The set designs are faithful copies of the sets found in the theater when it was rediscovered in the 20th c. (before that it was used as a storage house), and the stage designs are flown in and out of the stage using ropes, according to the way it was done in the 18th c.

We had 17 stagehands flying any number of sets and objects in and out, and in the last aria of the 2nd Act (Orlando's "Hello everyone! Now I am completely Mad!" Aria) we made them pull practically every rope in the theater--- the set itself changed a couple of times, the cloud machine came down to whisk the lovely Angelica away, a boat glided across the River Styx (with waves, thanks to our Supers!), and a chariot carrying our magician, Zorastro, flew across the stage as the curtain came down.

Everyone on the stage and in the orchestra pit spent most of the time at the theater in amazement at how different doing a baroque opera in a baroque theater really is. The acoustics of the theater were stunning, and it was fantastic to really hear the orchestra.
Orlando was directed by our charming leader, Catherine Turocy, and she is brilliant at coaching the singers in a natural and historically-informed performance. The mix of comedy and tragedy in Orlando is particularly highlighted in this production, and all of the singers brought new depth to this aspect in their performances.

The dancers played the genies of Zorastro with Caroline as the genie of fire, myself as the genie of water and air, and with Jason and Alan as the Salamander genies. Although there is no dance music per se in this opera, we helped maintain the magical element of the plot. I really enjoyed the quasi-grotesque nature of our roles, exploring the off-kilter spirals so beloved of 18th c. gesture and relating to my fellow dancers in a more exaggerated way than when we are "people" onstage.

Our dressing rooms were the actual rooms where the performers lived in the 18th c, with even 18th c. wallpaper on the walls! Since Drottningholm was the summer residence of the royal Swedish family, the performers lived there the whole summer season with their families and pets. They were paid in wine and given free room and board--- typical of the aristocracy to not actually pay! I heard that Gustav III loved novelty, and the performers were not allowed to do the same show more than twice in a month. Whew!

The people who worked at Drottningholm-- the dressers and makeup artists and production staff-- were all very helpful. We made ourselves right at home and hope we can go back sometime soon!

Update from Sarah Edgar

2009-03-12T15:22:00.003-04:00

I am pleased to announce my new performance group in Cologne: The Punks Delight! It is an experimental company playing with dance and music history to make new forms for today's audience.

Our debut Cologne performance was at the Arkadas Theater/ Bühne der Kulturen on February 4th and 5th, 2009.

Check out our website-- www.thepunksdelight.com

Best Wishes,
Sarah Edgar

Thoughts on Choreography for Dido and Aeneas (performed 2/16 with the Dallas Bach Society)

2009-03-12T15:10:00.002-04:00

From Catherine Turocy
Photo by C.Andrako

As choreographer for this work I tried to imagine the first performance of Dido and Aeneas at a girl's school in Chelsea in 1689. I thought of the freshness of youth and the excitement of the young ladies on the cusp of womanhood as they portrayed the tragic story of Dido. Their dance training was intended to prepare them not for the stage, but for society where they were expected to dance a graceful minuet. They also studied the art of declamation and gesture. Performing the dances in the opera gave the young students an opportunity to show their parents how they mastered these subjects. The figured dances of Act I demand a knowledge of geometry, rhythmic complexity, musicality and an understanding of ballroom dance steps. The pantomime dances in Acts II and III ask for a command of gesture, expressive posture and the courage to stand out as a character playing a role. The Baske dance performed to the chorus "Fear no Danger" is specifically indicated in the original score. This dance type was originally performed with swords but for a girl's school in 17th century England it was common to replace the swords with flowered branches. Eventually the branches were replaced with garlands and became a part of the May celebrations.

I was very happy to have the experience of working with the students of the School of Contemporary Ballet Dallas over these past two months. Learning a new dance style and dancing in corseted dresses with hooped skirts and in heels is quite a change from leotards, tights, ballet slippers and toe shoes. However, they met the challenge and were able to tell the story with purity, spontaneity and a sense of "wonder" which added to the charm of the evening. Some comments from the audience:

“This is the best concert from the DBS I have ever seen. And the girls were not dancing to be seen for their own talents, they were dancing as a group to tell the story. They had such integrity and dignity, it is inspiring to see this in girls so young, very unexpected and refreshing. It was so beautiful! “

“The dancing brought a sense of magic to the stage. The young dancers’ presence underscored the simplicity of the musical structure and matched the symmetry in the poetry. It was just beautiful!

I am also delighted Glenda Norcross was able to be a guest artist from our company. She was not only an inspiration to the dancers, she also coached them along with their teachers, Valerie Shelton Tabor and Lindsay DiGiuseppe Bowman. The young girls ranged in age from 11-13 years.

Riot Report Photos

2008-10-16T23:24:00.008-04:00

This is the information from Chris Woltmann about seeing all the photos and obtaining copies for private use:

Go to http://www.chriswoltmann.com/. At the bottom of the screen, click on 'login'. Use LadyRiot (case-sensitive) for both the 'name' and 'password'. You will be directed to the photos. If you need to see some larger, let Chris know which ones and he can email them to you or anyone who is interested. Chris's rates are $50 per hi-res image, $90 for two, $120 for three, after that he will discuss.

Riot Report

2008-10-13T21:11:00.008-04:00

Dear Ladies and Gentlemen,

What a delight it was to see you at the ball last Saturday evening! I enjoyed the masks, the costumes, the cocktail attire (especially Lady Riot’s dressed wig, she assured me no animals were harmed in the creation of her rooster regalia) and the general air of amusement and good fellowship. I promised you a few more details about the dances and here they are!

(Note: photos are coming soon.)

1. La Bretagne

Danced by Lady Rachel List and Lord Terence Duncan
Choreography: Guillaume Louis Pecour, published throughout the 18th century in Europe and its colonies. Music by André Campra

2. Le Prince George

Danced by the Assembled
Choreography by Raoul Auger Feuillet, first published in 1706

3. Kellom’s Minuet

Danced by Lady Caroline Copeland and Lord Jason Melms
Choreography by Kellom Tomlinson, first published in 1735
Music by Paisible

4. Le Menuet du Chevalier

Danced by the Assembled
Choreography by Raoul Auger Feuillet, first published in 1706

5. El Fandango

Danced by Lady Catherine Turocy and Lord Carlos Fittante
Music by Luigi Boccherini
Choreography based on original sources and arranged by Carlos Fittante with a little assistance from Lady Catherine

6. Lady Riot’s Spanish Can’tdanza

Danced by the Assembled
Choreography by Catherine Turocy in honor of Lady Riot
Music by Arcangelo Corelli

Biographies of the Performers:

Caroline Copeland received a Bachelor of Arts in Dance from Goucher College in Baltimore, M.D. Upon graduating she joined the New York Baroque Dance Company, with whom she continues to perform as a soloist. Her roles have included Euridice in Gluck’s Orphée, the Galant in Mozart’s Les Petits Riens, and Doris in Royer’s Le Pouvoir de l’Amour. She has also performed as a guest artist with the Boston Early Music Festival in their productions of Lully’s Thésée and Conradi’s Ariadne. In addition, Ms. Copeland has appeared with numerous other companies and contemporary choreographers in New York City, including The Metropolitan Opera, The Maffei Dance Company, Trebien Pollard, and Elke Rindfleisch. In addition to dancing, Ms. Copeland teaches and consults on 18th century movement, holding workshops for groups such as the Aquila Theatre, Manhattan School of Music, and Lincoln Center Theater.

Terence Duncan received his BFA in dance performance from Towson University where he worked with artists such as Mark Taylor, Lawrence Keigwin, Stephen Koplowitz and Mark Dendy. He was a principal dancer with New York Theatre Ballet for seven years and danced with the Suzanne Farrell Ballet for three seasons. Mr. Duncan has performed a wide range of both classical and contemporary repertory, including works by Tudor, Balanchine, and Lubovitch. He has been a guest dancer with companies including Connecticut Ballet, The Tallahassee Ballet, and David Parker and the Bang Group. Terence began dancing with The New York Baroque Dance Company in 2000 and continued until 2003, taking leave to attend graduate school. He was awarded the Suzanne Farrell Fellowship at Florida State University from 2003 through 2006 and received his MFA in dance in the spring of 2006.

Judson Griffin, violin, appears in New York as concertmaster of Concert Royal, Amor Artis, and the American Classical Orchestra, among others, and has been named concertmaster of a new classical-period orchestra, Sinfonia New York. He has been guest soloist and concertmaster with the Dallas Bach Society and New Trinity Baroque in Atlanta. He was associated with the Connecticut Early Music Festival for many years as concertmaster, soloist, conductor, and for six years as Music Director. He has been a principal player with Helicon, the Boston Early Music Festival Orchestra, the Smithsonian Chamber Orchestra, and Apollo's Fire of Cleveland; and concertmaster of the Philadelphia Classical Orchestra.

Carlos Fittante is a dance artist of remarkable diversity. He is a graduate of the School of American Ballet and currently specializes in Balinese and Baroque dance. He is the artistic director of BALAM Dance Theatre (BALAM), a contemporary dance company inspired by Balinese theatre founded in 1979 by Islene Pinder. Through his work with BALAM he has studied and performed extensively in Bali and has choreographed a multitude of East/West fusion works including “Sita Lost in the Forest ,” a story ballet inspired by the Hindu epic, “Ramayana.” “Sita Lost in the Forest ” received international critical acclaim in July 2000 when it was presented at the Bali Arts Festival hosted in Denpasar, Bali. He began his studies of Baroque dance with Catherine Turocy in 1988 and was a member of the NYBDC for 14 years. We are happy to have him join us again for Lady Riot’s Costume Ball.

Rachel List has been a member of the New York Baroque Dance Company since 1990, performing soloist roles at venues such as Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, and the Handel Festival in Goettingen, Germany. Previously, she performed nationally and internationally with Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, The Vanaver Caravan, and Partridge/ Benford/Dance/Music. Ms. List has taught ballet and Baroque dance in universities and conservatories across the U.S. and in Europe and is currently on the faculties of Hofstra University, Queens College, Barnard College, and Peridance. Ms. List created numerous works for her own company between 1985-'95 and also founded and directed Manchester Dance, a summer workshop in Vermont. She is frequently on the faculty of the Bates Dance Festival in Maine. Ms. List recently served as movement consultant for the Pearl Theater Company's production of Marivaux's Double Infidelities. She holds an M.F.A. in Dance from the University of Wisconsin/Milwaukee.

Jason Melms began his training with the Tidewater Ballet Association and the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet. In 1991 he moved to New York City to study at the Joffrey Ballet School, where he was selected to perform with its touring company, Joffrey II. Shortly after, Mr. Melms accepted a principal dancer position with the Eglevsky Ballet of New York City. He has also performed with Ballet Theatre Pennsylvania, The Virginia Ballet Theatre, Bravo Ballet, Tony Powell’s Music in Movement and The Virginia Opera. He has worked with such noted choreographers as Laura Alonso, Trinette Singleton, Glenn White, and Sally Wilson. In 2000, Mr. Melms accepted the position as the Artistic Director to the Harrisburg Dance Conservatory, and during his directorship was a chair member for the Regional Dance America’s northeast festivals, where his choreography was featured in the 2001 festival and received with much acclaim. Mr. Melms has also worked as a faculty member for the USDAN Center for the Creative and Performing Arts and is currently on faculty at Peridance in New York City.

Nina Stern is one of North America’s leading performers on the recorder and classical clarinet. She is also hailed as an innovator in teaching school-age children to be fine young musicians. Ms. Stern performs regularly as a principal player with The New York Philharmonic and New York City Opera as well as with many of North America’s major early music ensembles. Ms. Stern is on the faculty of the Mannes College of Music and has taught at Oberlin Conservatory and at the Five Colleges. For her work in education, she was awarded an Endicott Fellowship in 2003, and Early Music America’s “Early Music BringsHistory Alive” Award in 2005.Nina Stern’s latest projects include performances of traditional music of Eastern Europe and the Middle East. She recently released an album of world music entitled “East of the River”. Ms Stern is the author of “Recorders Without Borders.”

Catherine Turocy, Artistic Director and co-founder, with Ann Jacoby , of The New York Baroque Dance Company, is internationally recognized for her contribution to the current revival of 18th-century ballet. In 1995 she was decorated by the French government in the Order of Arts and Letters in recognition of her work in French Baroque ballets. In 2001 Ms. Turocy received the prestigious New York City BESSIE AWARD for Sustained Achievement in Choreography. She is also featured in Janet Roseman’s book, Dance Masters: Interviews with Legends of Dance. This last September she received the Natalie Skelton Award for Artistic Excellence from the Dance Council. She is a stage director, choreographer, performer, teacher and often lectures and writes on historical dance.

A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO:

Lady Riot played by Valerie Eads is far to complicated to describe in a paragraph. But, in an effort to do her some justice, she received her Ph.D. from the City University of New York Graduate Center in 2000 with a Major: Medieval History; Minor: Comparative Literature. Her dissertation: "Mighty in War: The Role of Matilda of Tuscany in the War between Pope Gregory VII and Emperor Henry IV." She earned a Distinguished Scholar Dissertation Fellowship: Helaine Newstead Bequest Award 1996-97. She also holds: M. Phil., History, CUNY Graduate Center, New York NY and B.A., English Literature, Temple University, Philadelphia PA . She was on faculty at State University of NY at New Paltz and the School of Visual Arts, SUNY-New Paltz, Manhattan College, Borough of Manhattan Community College, Queens College CUNY.

Lady Riot’s entourage: Austin McCormick, Yeva Glover and Laura Careless of Company XIV, a non-profit mixed media dance/theater company based in Brooklyn, New York. Founded by Artistic Director, Austin McCormick in June of 2005, the company works in the mediums of live dance/theater and film. It is contemporary, yet baroque inspired. The mission is to create compelling theatrical dance productions that elicit a beautiful affecting experience for its audience. Company XIV also seeks to present unique historical and cultural dance perspectives through the exploration of various artistic partnerships.

And to the sponsors of the ball: The New York Baroque Dance Company and the Harkness Dance Center 92nd Street Y

Volunteers, thank you for all your help: Jay Brenneman, Peter Brown, Joy Havens, Ani Udovicki
Photographs: cwoltmann@yahoo.com

Costumes for the company were designed by Marie Anne Chiment and Marilyn Skow.

Suggestion for period clothing on line: http://www.smilingfoxforgellc.com/

2008-05-22T12:24:00.008-04:00

Catherine Turocy stage directed Handel's opera. ORLANDO, for the Goettingen Handel Festival in Germany. With sold out houses and unending applause, this production may have future appearances in Europe. We will keep you informed! Bonnie Kruger is the costume designer and this is one of her sketches for the production.

The talented Nicholas McGegan conducted the Festival Orchestra of Goettingen (FOG) in this dramatic interpretation with William Towers as the mad Orlando, Dominique Labelle as the fickle Angelika, Susanne Ryden as the comic Dorinda, Diana Moore as the young Medoro and Wolf Matthias Friederich as the powerful Zoroastro.

Sarah Edgar was the sharp-eyed assistant to the stage director as well as a dancer, playing the genie of air and water and the shadow of Persephone. She was joined by the fiery Caroline Copeland who also portrayed a quivering Princess Isabella, and Alan Jones and Jason Melms who spent the whole opera in remarkable Fire Salamander masks designed by Jane Stein. Our trusty production assistant who never missed a beat was Leonie Wener.

Of course we could not be a success without our supers who played Cupid (Christian Hauke Poensgen) and the lovers (Franziska Poensgen, Selen Erdogmus, Marc Duck and Florian Hallaschka).

Scott Blake designed the wonderful sets and Pierre Dupouey transformed the stage with his lighting design. The last performance ( of 6 ) is this coming Monday, May 12th. So if you are in Germany, fly to Goettingen on a dragon to catch this unusual production!

The Squirrel vs. The Gondoliers; or, why you shouldn't get your PhD in Venice

2007-12-14T02:17:00.000-05:00

This is an example of the super-fat-completely-unafraid-of-humans squirrels that The New York Baroque Dance Company had to contend with during our residency at Cornell University. They stalked every tree-lined path on campus for students dreamily looking at the sky and thinking about Heidigger with mufins poking out of their pockets. Then they would strike!! Oh, the horror.When not avoiding these fiends, we spent our time making the adorably funny commedia dell'arte show, Harlequin's Capers. You can read all about it (along with fabulous background information about baroque dance) here in the Ithaca Journal.

After the performance, I went directly to Trieste, Italy for the last installment of The Fairy Queen. I was so happy to see my Italian friends again , and in addition to the joy of jumping around on the stage like a maniac again, allow me to list the other highlights:

1. going to Miramare Castle to smell that special parterre garden air and see a nineteenth century toilet

2. during aperitivo time, eating hand-sliced chunks of prosciutto cotto and drinking good local wine (although I have to admit that I also drank really BAD wine there, too) and then deciding that dinner was unnecessary

3. drinking coffee in a tiny pastry shop where the owner told us all about the supreme goodness of the Illy family

After the shows were over (I only cried a little bit during the last bows), I met Jeremy in Venice!! We had a lovely time, and it was hilarious how both the Italians and the Americans would say "oh, so romantic" when I told them of our plans. It was suitably romantic, but still awfully touristy even in the lowest of the low season. We were quite lucky that it didn't rain because in November there is always the threat of the canals overflowing, called "aqua alta".

Jeremy and I hit all the hot spots: San Marco, where we saw a poor girl being attacked by pigeons (on purpose, her parents were laughing and taking pictures, and she was quite a sport), the Rialto Bridge, the 18th. century museum, etc. etc. We were good tourists and didn't even get lost too much.

Our favorite things:(lists are so much easier than paragraphs)

1. Sarde in Saor, a Venitian speciality of whole sardines served cold with white wine, sweet onions, pine nuts, and raisins (watch out! I may try to make this!!)

2. seeing boats that deliver all of the food, etc. into the city, along with the garbage boats and ambulance boats-- there are no cars!!

3. We always ate Tramezzini (tiny sandwiches with different fillings) for lunch.

4. lots of quiet walks down narrow, twisting streets

Now, to explain the title. We happened upon a strange ritual near the University-- a girl appeared to have just received her PhD, and she was standing in front a huge poster with lots of tiny print and a picture of her swinging through the trees as a monkey. She was wearing padded hot-pants and a tube on her head, and while she tried to read the tiny text of the poster, her friends shouted "Drink!", threw eggs, and squirted her with ketchup and milk. The next day we saw the same thing happening to a boy, so this was no isolated incident. Ha! I can't believe I missed my chance to squirt ketchup at Jeremy. Posted by Sarah at 4:54 AM

Printemps des Arts de Nantes

2007-06-14T23:33:00.000-04:00

June 16....Well, it is finally arriving! We are off to Nantes to celebrate the 300th birthday of Marie Sallé at the conference in her honor organized by the Printemps des Arts de Nantes this June 19 and 20th. I will be speaking about the dance technique required to perform her dances and will be joined by Sarah Edgar. With many thanks to the Florence Gould Foundation for covering our travel expenses... we will be joining Rachel, Patricia,Glenda, Jason, Terry and Seth in Paris for the international dance conference at the CND (Centre National de la Danse) where I am lecturing (they are demonstrating!) on training today's dancers in Baroque technique. Of course we will find time to visit Versailles and the Paris Opera, stop in a cafe on the left Bank, visit the rare book shops and get lost in a few museums. Au revoir!

Homage to Marie Sallé

2007-01-30T22:46:00.000-05:00

Our concert, Homage to Marie Sallé, included major choreographic works by her and was a huge artistic undertaking by the company. Partially supported by commissions from the Music Festival of Sansoucis in Potsdam, Germany , the work was praised by national and international press. All music, as usual, was played by period instrument orchestras. Excerpts from this concert will be presented at the Hillwood Museum and Garden in Washington D.C., this July 14th and 15th, in honor of Salle’s 300th birthday with music by Opera Lafayette.

Ongoing projects for the NYBDC include Battlefields and Ballrooms, which creates performance and educational dance programs for historical sites. Our first performance was for the re-opening of Federal Hall in NYC this past October and marked the beginning of an ongoing relationship with Federal Hall and the Conservancy of National Parks of New York Harbor as well as a new presence for the NYBDC in lower Manhattan.

NYBDC at Federal Hall Opening, Photo by Julie Lemberger

The Monteverdi to Mozart Project, funded in part by the National Endowment for the Arts, has documented Invisible Dances and Mozart's only ballet, Les Petits Riens. The ballets are to be promoted as historical repertoire for mainstream dance companies in the professional and university fields with the aim to include these works in their own repertoire much as a symphony orchestra season includes works of Bach and Mozart alongside later and contemporary composers.

Future plans include the Historical Dance Summer Workshop to be held annually at Goucher College . This workshop consists of a weekend intensive exploration of ball and country dances from Shakespeare’s time to Jane Austen’s, as well as a professional studies week for choreographers, dancers and teachers.

Anchorage Daily News, October 3, 2006

2006-10-30T23:09:00.000-05:00

The New York Baroque Dance Company, guest artist with the Anchorage Symphony
by Anne Herman

..."New York Baroque Dance Company Artistic Director Catherine Turocy re-choreographed the work (Les Petits Riens) to Mozart's music, using ideas steps and poses from late 18th century dance. The result Saturday was a delightfully silly and beautifully rendered interpretation of Baroque dance.

A rather bawdy romp for Cupid and several young lovers, the ballet captured both the gentility of upper class French Baroque dance and its earthier aspects. When the performers weren't chasing one another around or flirting madly with the wrong person, they offered up a grace and precision of gesture and step that was lovely.

Their Baroque movements were precursors to Romantic ballet, and this can be seen in many ways- in a male dancer rising slowly on demi-pointe, his other leg stretched elegantly behind; in a female' dancer's gentle placement of an upturned palm on a cheek; and in a somewhat demure male glance at a well-placed toe peeking out from under a skirt. Little hops, turns and delicately fleet footwork wove complex floor patterns that echoed Mozart's musical intricacies."

Federal Hall performance

2006-10-13T17:21:00.000-04:00

Federal Hall, Timothy Wilson

Contributed by Rachel

Caroline and Catherine have been hard at work on this project and on Oct. 6, eight dancers and three musicians presented "An Entertaining Assembly for George Washington" as part of the re-opening celebration of Federal Hall in lower Manhattan. Federal Hall is a beautiful 18th century building that was the site of George Washington's inauguration. Dances presented in the beautifully restored Rotunda included a Fancy Minuet, La Bretagne, The Louver (L'Aimable Vainqueur), La Nouvelle Yorck, and George Washington's Favourite Cotillion. The presentation ended with a lively game of Blind Man's Buff performed to the tune and lyrics of Yankee Doodle sung by our "master of ceremonies" Paul Shipper.

Anchorage, Alaska

2006-10-10T16:41:00.000-04:00

Rachel List, Catherine Turocy and Sarah Edgar

Catherine Turocy and Patricia Beaman

Jason Melms

Sarah Edgar and Jason Melms

Contributed by Rachel

On Sept. 26, six NYBDC members left New York on quite an adventure. We were to travel to Anchorage, Alaska to perform Catherine Turocy's ballet "Les Petits Riens" with the Anchorage Symphony Orchestra on Sept. 30 and Oct. 1. Arriving in Anchorage after a very long journey, we were met at the airport by Catherine and Board member, Peter Brown, who had been the Artistic Director of the Anchorage Opera Company for ten years. Peter was very pleased to be able to introduce us to the city and to the beautiful area surrounding it. It was cloudy and rainy for the first couple of days we were there, so we really only took in the waterfront at first. But then, when the clouds lifted, we were amazed to see majestic, snow-capped mountains surrounding us on three sides. Peter and his friend, Ellen, organized an outing to nearby Portage Glacier and we were able to take in more of the amazing natural landscape on our drive. Once we got into rehearsals with the orchestra, we were very happy to get to know our conductor, Randall Craig Fleischer. He was extremely attentive to the needs of the dancers and very energetic in his leading of the orchestra! The theater was very large and seemed to be practically sold-out for both shows. But the most important thing, as far as we dancers were concerned, was that the audience started laughing and enjoying themselves from the moment Cupid was placed upon the table at the beginning of the piece until all three couples were happily united at the end. Thank you, Anchorage!

Terpsicore vacations in Maine

2006-09-15T23:55:00.000-04:00

Contributed by Rachel

After Armide had such a good time at the Bates Dance Festival last summer, Terpsicore decided to try it out, too. I was able to introduce her to the BDF community when I performed an excerpt from Catherine Turocy's version of the Handel opera Terpsicore during the Faculty Gala on August 5.

The audience gasped audibly (don't you just love that?) when the curtain went up revealing my beautiful new costume made by Deirdre McGuire and Lisa Marzolf. (Of course, it's not too hard to make a splash when the rest of the concert is being performed in more pedestrian, modern dance attire...) Audience members who had seen Armide last year said they were pleased to see an "unmasked" dance this year, for contrast.

In the opera, Apollo and Erato ask Terpsicore to portray various states of love. For this performance, I danced three sections. The first, a sarabande, is supposed to portray "noble and compassionate" love. The second, a rather melodramatic pantomime, illustrates jealousy. The third, a gigue, is meant to show the joys and intoxication of young love.

It is, of course, a challenge to dance and act at the same time. Catherine and I had a great coaching session shortly before I went to Maine and Caroline Copeland, who has recently performed the entire role with the NYBDC, also gave me some extremely helpful advice and insights.

Performing the sarabande and gigue are lovely and fun, but, I have to say, performing the jealousy pantomime is very cathartic and almost therapeutic! I highly recommend going through a dance at least once a day where you get to rip down some virtual curtains, trash some imaginary furniture, tear off your make-believe jewelry, and curse your "former" boyfriend to you know where...

I hope everyone had as delightful a summer as Terpsicore did in Maine.

Photos

2006-09-05T13:29:00.000-04:00

Hello all, here are some pictures from our show several months back at Indiana University. Enjoy.

Sarah in Germany

2006-07-29T11:34:00.001-04:00

Contributed by: Sarah

Hello, friends of baroque dance! As you may have
heard, I have recently moved to Cologne, Germany for a
few years. From this European vantage point, I will
be searching for new Feulliet notations to
reconstruct, paintings by Boucher to contemplate, as
well as reading those treatises we all know and love.
I am so happy that I will also continue to perform
with the company on occasion, and I will be back in
NYC to perform with the NYBDC in the fall performances
at Florence Gould Hall.

However, first things first - one must take class!

I spent an hour or so on Monday digging through German
dance websites to find a ballet class in Koeln.
Happily, I met with success, and today I took my first
class. The studio is called "Cologne Dance Center",
and the teacher this week was... absurdly... just like
Jason Melms. In fact, I would say that he is
Jason's doppelganger! I often took Jason's class in
New York, and this amused and comforted me to no end.
The class was a bit differnt in that it had taped
music (not a piano in sight!), and there was no petite
allegro. I don't mind the canned music so much
(although the frappe was set to "She's a Grand Old
Flag...), but I hope the lack of petite allegro is not
part of some German trend. Overall, though, I enjoyed
the class very much. Next week an Italian woman comes
in to teach the morning ballet class, and I am excited
to experience her style as well. The next stop on my
German dance adventure is the Tanzarchiv, where I may
find some of those Feulliet notations. I'll keep you posted!

Oberlin - June 2006

2006-06-28T16:34:00.000-04:00

Contributed by Rachel

This photo was taken backstage at Oberlin College and shows Terpsicore (Caroline Copeland) instructing her Graces (Patricia Beaman, Sarah Edgar, and Rachel List) in the proper ways of incorporating the elements into one's dancing to properly describe various states of love, as per Apollo's command. AIR and WATER had already been discussed, and now Terpsicore had moved on to the more advanced concept of FIRE. Our happy group was completed by the lovely Jennifer Lane in the role of Apollo and the equally lovely Kendra Colton who sang Erato and took this historic photograph.

2006-04-28T11:50:00.001-04:00

Contributed by Rachel

From April 6-9, a group of 12 Hofstra University dance majors performed a suite of Baroque dances that I put together as part of the Junior class' repertory project. We rehearsed during the fall semester, took a break over the holidays, and picked it up again in February, getting ready for the Spring faculty dance performance. The dancers performed six pieces altogether: a minuet for the whole group (that I choreographed to a movement of Bach's Orchestral Suite #4), La Bourgogne, La Forlana, the Sarabande d'Issee, La Bretagne, and a Contredanse/Commedia Finale (to an excerpt from the opera Alcione by Marin Marais). I had fun with La Forlana by setting it on four dancers instead of two and having the extra couple perform a mirror image of the original notation. For La Bretagne, I used six dancers instead of two and had my two side couples do the first part of the dance (the passepied) facing upstage and the second part (the rigaudon) facing downstage. It made for some nice spatial patterning. For the contredanse section I used several notations from the Dezais book and then we had some Commedia fun and games with four of the dancers donning masks to become Pantalone, La Signora, Isabella, and Columbina. All in all. it was a great learning experience for both the students and me. They did a terrific job and I was so proud!

Performance at the Winter Garden

2006-01-28T13:08:00.000-05:00

The New York Baroque Dance Company will perform at the World Financial Center, the Winter Garden in New York on February 9, 2006 at 12:30 pm. The performance, titled “Courting an English Lady Proper and Improper”, will include dancers Caroline Copland, Tim Wilson, Seth Williams, Seth Davis, Jason Melms, and Sarah Edgar. The performance will also include Judson Griffin on violin and Paul Shipper on lute, recorder and voice.

In 18th century England, dance was instrumental to winning the heart of a lady. Courting an English Lady reveals the secret code between the sexes in ballroom and stage dances. Performing dramatic, comedic and country dances, costumed dancers accompanied by live music on period instruments, will demonstrate the proper and improper ways to woo a winsome heart. The audience will be taught a country dance to The Old Bachelor by Henry Purcell.

The performance is free to the general public. The World Financial Center is located in Lower Manhattan's Battery Park City. The World Financial Center is bordered by West Street, the Hudson River, Vesey and Liberty Streets.

Program follows:

Courting an English Lady, Proper and Improper

The New York Baroque Dance Company
Catherine Turocy, Artistic Director
Dancers: Caroline Copeland, Sarah Edgar, Seth Davis,
Jason Melms, Seth Williams, Timothy Wilson
Musicians: Judson Griffin, violin and Paul Shipper,
voice, recorder, lute
PROGRAM:

I. Introduction

II. A Chacone by Mr. Isaac (or "How to be an English Lady")
danced and reconstructed by Sarah Edgar from "An Essay for the Improvement of Dancing" by E. Pemberton, London, 1711
music: Anonymous

III. A Chaconne from Amadis (or "How to be an English Gentleman)
danced and reconstructed by Seth Williams from a Collection of Dances from the Stage choreographed by Anthony L'Abee and published
in London circa 1725
music by Jean Baptiste Lully

IV. An Ecchoe by Mr. Groscort (or " Battleground of Courtship")
danced by Sarah Edgar, Timothy Wilson and Jason Melms
reconstructed by Sarah Edgar from "An Essay for the Improvement of
Dancing" by E, Pemberton, London, 1711
music: Anonymous

V. An Entertainment of Dancing from the Island Princess (or "Courtship Progresses)
danced by Caroline Copeland and Seth Williams and reconstructed by Seth Williams from Kellom Tomlinson's personal workbook (London dancing master first half of the 18th century)
music: Henry Purcell

VI. A Song and Sung Dance (or "Reflections on Love and Beauty)
danced and choreographed by Caroline Copeland
music by Henry Purcell

VII. Sarabande for Two Men (or "If Love Fails, Friendship Prevails)
danced by Seth Davis and Seth Williams and reconstructed by Seth Williams from Kellom Tomlinson's personal workbook
music: Jean Baptiste Lully

VIII. Sprightly Country Dances (or "The Origins of the Mixer" as seen through "The Old Batchelor" and "Short and Sweet")
danced by the Company and reconstructed by Timothy Wilson from John Playford's Collection of Country Dances published, updated and and republished in London since the 1600's.
music by Henry Purcell.
IX. Country Dance Lesson for the General Public followed by a Question and Answer period

Costume design: Marie Anne Chiment
website: www.nybaroquedance.org

" Dance/NYC ...Time to Wait...Then Speak" Update on Village Voice from Robert Yesselman

2006-01-04T16:55:00.000-05:00

Here is an update on the Village Voice issue that we raised on this blog a few postings ago:

Dance/NYC has been monitoring the Village Voice situation closely and has found that it is still unclear that the current publisher and senior editors will remain at the Voice once the merger is completed. Thus, we are waiting for clarity since it would be ineffective and counter-productive to raise an issue with editors who might well be gone in the next few weeks.

Audition Notice!

2006-01-02T12:17:00.000-05:00

The New York Baroque Dance Company is conducting a FREE workshop for PROFESSIONAL DANCERS. All dancers must audition for the workshop.

The audition is scheduled for Saturday, January 7th from 4-6 at the Lower Studio at the 92nd Street Y located at Lexington Avenue and East 92nd Street in Manhattan.

Two men and two women from the workshop will be chosen to join our company-in costume- to demonstrate two 18th century c ountry dances at our February 9th lecture/demonstration taking place at lunchtime in the World Financial Center in NYC. The free class instruction from the workshop plus the performing opportunity are offered to you as compensation for your participation in the lecture/demonstration. (Please note that not everyone who passes the audition and takes the workshop will be in the lecture/demonstration.)

The purpose of the workshop is to stimulate interest among professional dancers in historical dance and to develop new dancers for historical performances with our company and others. We will be able to accept 10-12 dancers for this workshop.

Classes will be from 5:30-7 on Wednesday nights, January 18, 25, February 1 and February 8. Description:
1. Caroline Copeland will teach the first class and introduce Baroque style, technique and step vocabu lary. There will be an exploration of mirror symmetry as experienced in excerpts from a danse a deux published in the first quarter of the 18th century.
2. The second class will be taught by Sarah Edgar and Tim Wilson, focusing on bouree and rigaudon step combinations which will be used later in the country dances. Beaten ornaments in cadence phrases of duple meter will be covered.
3. The third class will cover both country dances to be learned for the lecture/demonstration.
4. In the fourth class students will refine these dances and learn proper bows, walking, taking of hands, how to stand, etc. - all in the 18th century manner.

This is a rare opportunity to expand your vision and physical experience of dance. Anyone who wishes to audition must register first by email to Sarah Edgar at sarahesther2000@yahoo.com or call Catherine Turocy directly at 212-662-8829

We hope to see you there!

Happy Holidays from The New York Baroque Dance Co.!

PS: no previous historical dance training necessary and just wear class attire...ballet or jazz shoes

The Village Voice

2005-12-20T12:27:00.000-05:00

Dance Theater Workshop was stunned to learn of The Village Voice‘s recent decision to cut back its dance reviews to one half page. On behalf of the artists that Dance Theater Workshop presents, the members they serve and the loyal audiences for dance, the following letter below was hand delivered to The Village Voice.

Doug Simmons
Managing Editor
The Village Voice
36 Cooper Square
New York, NY 10003

Dear Mr. Simmons,
On behalf of Dance Theater Workshop, I am writing to express our deep concern in The Village Voice’s reduction by fifty percent of coverage of dance, dance companies and choreography.

Since its founding in 1955, The Village Voice has set the standard for high-spirited and passionate reporting and criticism. Our dance community –dancers, choreographers and audiences – embrace the Voice as the premier expert on New York’s cultural scene. Its astute and savvy reviews of our performing art have helped to make dance an increasingly integral part of New York City.

We ask that you consider reinstating the full page of reviews and advance notices to ensure that The Village Voice continues to be the authoritative source and “voice” for dance in New York – the dance capital of the world.
Sincerely,

Marion Dienstag
Executive Director
Dance Theater Workshop

AVANT/ APRES LE DELUGE

2005-11-22T10:40:00.000-05:00

Dear Friends,

Have you ever wondered what would happen if the 18th
century and the 21st century violently collided?
Wonder no longer! Ladies and Gentlemen, I am pleased
to announce the opening of a spectacle that dazzles
the eye and whirls the brain into a frothy mush:

Avant/Après le Déluge!
eighteenth century and postmodern baroque dances!

From sensuous and virtuosic reconstructions of 18th c. dances
to Judson Church postmodernism in baroque costume
to 18Th c. India Bollywood-style
to French Colonial Haiti with live musicians
to the rock and roll minuet
to a toe-tapping clogging rigaudon!!

Here's the nitty-gritty:

Avant/Après le Déluge

Dances by

Patricia Beaman
Caroline Copeland
Marcea Daiter
Sarah Edgar
Joy Havens
Rachel List
Seth Williams
Tim Wilson

December 2-4 at 8pm

CRS Theater
123 4th Ave, 2nd Fl
(btw. 12th and 13th Sts.)

$12
Reservations: 212-352-3101
www.theatermania.com

This show will most likely sell out! Get your tickets
today!

The Gentleman Dancing-Master

2005-11-11T08:42:00.000-05:00

Contributed by Rachel

I wanted to let people know about a project I've been working on recently. I was invited to collaborate on The Gentleman Dancing-Master , a 1672 English Restoration comedy by William Wycherly, to be performed at the Pearl Theatre from Nov. 20 through Dec. 18. The story concerns Hippolita, a fourteen year old English girl who has been cloistered in her home for the past year by her father who has adopted the strict and severe moral codes of Spain. The father plans to marry Hippolita to her cousin who has, unfortunately, adopted the foppish and affected ways of the French. Spain and France do battle in Hippolita's English boudoir as she makes plans of her own to marry an appealing Englishman who must pretend to be a Dancing Master to save his own skin and Hippolita's honor. It all works out in the end and is very funny along the way, with singing, dancing, swordplay, and ribaldry all mixed in. Go to www.pearltheatre.org for a complete schedule of performances including previews starting 11/10.

Dallas, Texas

2005-10-05T15:10:00.000-04:00

Contributed by: Tim

I am writing a little note to let everyone out there know that the company will be in Dallas Texas this weekend performing from our Handel/Sallé program. The show includes a dance suite from the opera, "Ariodante," Sallé's, "Les Caracteres de la Danse," and "Terpsicore." Appearing at the Majestic Theater, the company will be dancing to music performed by The Dallas Bach Society on Sunday October 9th at 3pm. Should you find yourself in Dallas, Texas this weekend, consider yourself invited to partake in this wonderful afternoon of music and dance.

Armide goes to Summer Camp

2005-09-26T11:18:00.000-04:00

Contributed by Rachel

This August I had the pleasure of performing "La Passacaille d'Armide" for the Faculty Gala at Bates Dance Festival in Maine. It was a debut for my costume, inspired by one of the NYBDC's costumes and built by Lisa Marzolf, with a new mask, painted by William J. Totten. A dramatic, Baroque solo was new for many people in this audience. From their comments, I discovered that most people kept their focus on only one aspect of the dance - the hand gestures, for example, or the foot work. People had rather strong reactions to the mask. Some people found it "creepy" while others said they were amazed at how lifelike it seemed to become. The dance was placed in between a duet by Kathleen Hermesdorf and Albert Mathias and a solo by David Dorfman. Again, some people found this a strange mix, but others thought it was "perfect." I love doing this solo and was very happy to be able to introduce it to a new crowd.

Chaconne d'Amadis

2005-09-17T14:21:00.000-04:00

Contributed by: Seth

The picture depicts a scene from Lully's opera 'Amadis de Gaule,' and right now I'm reconstructing a solo excerpt from that opera choreographed in England by Anthony L'Abbe. It's called the "Chaconne d'Amadis," and the notation was published in 1725. The original production of 'Amadis de Gaule,' if you believe what the Mercure de France says (and who doesn't?), was the 'Oklahoma' of its day. Its day, or rather its year, being 1684. Supposedly this was the show that finally gave dance an important role in propelling the action of the story, though I guess it didn't succeed for very long since that's also what they say about 'Oklahoma.' And also what they say about lots of other shows.

If you ask me none of them ever actually succeeded in making a dance help tell the story so compellingly as the critics claim, since dance isn't really very good at doing that. I mean after all it's dance.

But the Chaconne d'Amadis is just great, very tough, with lots of intricate jumps and turns. The version I'm doing was performed in London originally by Louis Dupre sometime between 1718 and 1722. Dupre was a hot-shot dancer, much in demand, and here's an awfully fishy story: he was in Paris in 1718 for the April revival of Lully's 'Amadis de Gaule' and then returned home to England for more shows at John Rich's theater, Lincoln's Inn Field. And then a couple of years later out comes L'Abbe's choreography for the chaconne from Amadis. I don't know who the Paris choreographer was, but to have a famous soloist from the Paris production return to London and start performing a solo excerpt to music from that show with choreography by someone new....well, that just sounds like there must have been some stealing going on. In other words, Anthony L'Abbe is a big fat phony. Or maybe a fabulous choreographer. Probably both.

I'll be showing my reconstruction in Wyoming at the Sense of Place Dance Festival and then in New York for a show that Sarah's curating for early December. Details TBA.

Baroque DanceNow

2005-09-07T16:00:00.001-04:00

Contributed by: Tim

Well, Sarah and I have been collaborating through the heat of the summer and we would like to announce the world premier of “Minuet à Deux.” As part of the DanceNow Festival, Sarah and I will be presenting a modern dance minuet for two, inspired and guided by the sensibilities of the Baroque era. Our intension was to build a free-moving duet using the elements of design, rhythmical interpretation, and drama found in the work of the dancing masters and choreographers of the 18th century. The product we have to offer is an exciting modern minuet exploring the concepts of courtship and relationships through the use of rhythm and dance.

“Minuet à Deux” will be presented as part of “Upclose and Personal.”

Where: Dance Theater Workshop, Studios
When: September 10th
Time: 2-4pm
Cost: $10

A Baroque Wedding

2005-08-26T18:35:00.000-04:00

Contributed by: Caroline

Greetings to all, this is my first blog entry and a celebratory one at that! I would like to give you the dish on Katherine and Kerry’s nuptials that occurred on Monday, August 15th, 2005. It was a beautiful, yet simple ceremony which took place on the grounds of the Belvedere Mansion in Staatsburg, New York. Katherine’s dress was absolutely beautiful. She wore an 18th century-inspired gold brocade corset with a matching skirt and a 19th century-type bustle. And her shoes! She special ordered a pair of 18th century ballroom shoes (in the same fabric as her dress) from Menkes. She topped the entire ensemble off with a white feather in her hair. The groom was quite dashing himself in his traditional Scottish kilt. My only disappointment lay in the plaid boxers he wore underneath!
The mansion, which was built in the 1760’s, was the perfect setting for a couple’s first menuet as husband and wife! We chose the G minor menuetto II from Handel’s Water Music. It was just the right length and feel. Unfortunately, I was changing into my costume when Katherine and Kerry gave what I am sure was a memorable performance, and indeed, a thoughtful gift to their families and friends.

Upon finishing their dances with their mothers and fathers, I made my entrance to Purcell’s Nymphs and Shepherds. After giving them my offering of poetry and wishes (in an attractively decorated basket of dark brown with green ribbons, topped with a delicate green bird….) I continued the dance. It was indeed an intimate space, I noted to myself, as I proceeded to perform a menuet from Purcell’s When I have often heard young maids complaining, flirting with the guests who su

LIMBS, a pageant

2005-07-08T00:25:00.000-04:00

Contributed by: Sarah

Please come and see LIMBS, a pageant. I am constructing the choreography for this movement-theater piece, and it has plunged me headlong into a few of the American wars (WWI, Korea, and the current Iraq war) from the point of view of the men and women that had to fight in them. Even if we don't want it, we are currently at war. Art is one way to help us stay connected and present instead of cocooned in our seemingly safe environment.

LIMBS examines the way we sensationalize, dehumanize, and discard the lives of amputated veterans. A media obsessed household clashes with a century of American war stories in this dance theatre spectacle. This new play is sure to both "shock and awe" as decapitated, mute and limbless veterans compete with a scathing media and government issued televisions.

It is directed by Niegel Smith with choreography by Sarah Edgar and is part of The American Living Room: The Carousel of Progress Festival at HERE.

July 30th at 8:30pm
July 31st at 8:30pm
$15

Here Arts Center is located at 145 6th Ave (between Spring and Broome). Please call 212-647-0202 or visit www.here.org for more information about the festival. You may also contact Sarah Edgar at sarahesther2000@yahoo.com for information about LIMBS.

Summer 2005

2005-07-03T15:13:00.000-04:00

Contributed by: Catherine

April, May and June have been most remarkable! I began April considering the symbolism of wild boar hunts in mythology and Baroque opera, Handel's Atalanta to be precise. This was a beautiful production. It included a fantastic cast headed by Dominique LaBelle as Atalanta, Nicholas McGegan conducting and ended with fireworks on stage designed by an experienced rock music pyrotechnic artist.

Our performances continued through mid-May. Then it was time to go home to the family, attend Edward's graduation from 6th grade and pack for our summer trip to the Catskill Mountains. Our 3 week residency with the dancers and my family popping in and out from excursions to the Herkimer Diamond Mine began with rehearsals in a picturesque barn occupied by a family of racoons. In fact, this was the perfect setting for our pastoral ballet to Handel's Ariodante. Nature inspired us with spontaneous thunder storms, more fire flies than you can imagine and a night sky brimming with stars.

In June we went from the barn to the palace theater of Frederick the Great in Potsdam. I had confidence our show was incredible so when I was told we were not invited to the reception after the private performance for the Nobel Laureates and the President of Germany, I just smiled. That evening I was dressed...just in case... and, yes, upon leaving the stage door we were met with an invitation to the reception in the Shell Room of the Neues Palais for champagne and h'ors d'oeuvres! I spoke to President Kohler and his lovely wife for over 20 minutes about dance, architecture and our changing culture.

For me, the other highlight of the trip was to have our company perform in the theater whose very floor boards were touched by the feet of celebrated 18th century ballerinas:Marie Salle, Catherine Roland and Barbarina. In my own performance I felt an electric tie with the past. In watching my dancers I was transported to the timeless beauty of our art, proud of their accomplishments and proud to be living the life of a dancer.

Sansouci Music Festival

2005-06-30T16:42:00.000-04:00

The NYBDC triumphs at the Sansouci Music Festival in Germany, earning praise from President Horst Kohler.

Welcome

2005-06-11T09:29:00.000-04:00

Contributed by: Tim

Welcome to the first ever Baroque Blog! As I write this I am sitting in the Catskill Mountains after having hiked a waterfall, seen an expansive view of the Hudson River Valley from the site of the old Catskill Mountain House, and spent two weeks rehearsing. The Company has been in residence, dividing our time between the Catskill Mountain Foundation’s "Red Barn” and the River Theatre at the Lexington Center for the Arts, rehearsing during the day and discussing wildlife and dance history by night. We take turns cooking, breaking bread each day at a large round table as the fireflies light up the hillside. And as I sit here looking out at the gentle rise of the Catskills, I find myself amazed that we are taking the material we have learned in a barn to the Neues Palais of Fredrick the Great at Sanssouci Potsdam, Germany. Yes, it is amazing yet somehow appropriate since historical sources indicate that inhabitants of both places used remarkably similar bathing practices...seems there are some advantages to living in the twenty-first century!

We are introducing this blog as part of our website for several reasons: to show a bit of what is going on behind the scenes through-out the year, as a venue to discuss any early music and dance questions that might arise during our research, and as a way to communicate on other aspects of our lives as dancers outside of the realm of the Company. We hope that you feel welcome to respond to anything that piques your interest, to ask questions relating to the work that we do, and to share as you feel inspired.

Congratulations Rachel

2005-05-30T16:43:00.000-04:00

Company member Rachel List receives her M.F.A. from University of Wisconsin/Milwaukee.