Shared Program: Dance Theater and More

Thursday June 21 and Saturday June 23 @ 8 PM

Norma Araiza is a Mexican/Yoeme performer using dance theatre and her cultural background as her means of expression and as the core of her work. She currently lives in Toronto, Canada. Ewi, Old Man! (working title) is a piece honouring and inspired by the Pahko'ola dancer (Pahko’la or Pascola, means The Old Man of the Fiesta/Ceremony) of the Yoeme (Yaqui) traditions who is first of all the “historian” of the Yoemem, and a sacred clown. (“Ay Llorona” photo courtesy of Norma Araiza)

Ethan Beckwith-Cohen is a Senior Dance Major at School of the Arts. This is his third year choreographing for Dances at MuCCC and sharing his work with the dance community. This has been a unique experience, and during his final year at SOTA he wanted to open up the floor for more young artists. Ethan thanks all of his dancers, choreographers, and of course Laurie and Ruben for this amazing opportunity. He is a member of Borinquen Dance Theatre, a participant of Garth Fagan’s Summer Movement Institute, a past student at Bates Dance Festival. He is the Co-creator of Commonplace Dance Project (along with Neyda Colon-DiMaria) which was performed in the Fringe Fest 2017. He will be attending University of the Arts this fall as a Dance Major. A new trio, choreographed with Caz Lopata-Linn and Shawndel Lewis, reflects themes of curiosity, exploration and growing up. Lopata-Linn is a sophomore dance major at Nazareth College and a SOTA graduate. Lewis is a 2013 SOTA graduate and has danced with Borinquen Dance Theatre since 2008. He is continuing his studies in dance and psychology.

Deborah Chambers is a New York City-based choreographer, who made her professional choreographic debut during the 2010 season of Dance Canvas (an emerging choreographer’s showcase). Her choreographic work has been presented in NYC at Dance Astoria, Christine Giordano‘s Artist Salon and Hillsong FNL Showcase. Unveiled explores what happens when we take the focus off outward appearance, removing negative images of self through the perception of others and ourselves. It reveals the end result of unveiling the layers of self. (Anthony Chatmon Photography)

Daystar/Rosalie Jones, Little Shell Chippewa, (Thurs June 21 & Sat June 23) specializes in ‘native modern dance.’ In directing her own company Daystar: Contemporary Dance-Drama of Indian America, she choreographs from the perspective of Indigenous ancestry, story and cultural values. Daystar lives in Rochester, NY and is a dancer, teacher and writer. Visit her website at daystardance.com. Regarding the trio, To Find Your Face, “The Pueblo peoples of the Southwest tell us that one of the important tasks in life is to discover one’s true self by ‘finding your face’ - a process that may take a lifetime or can be realized in a moment. Mythic forces attend the Alone Woman Nitsitapiw Aakii in her efforts to rise to the struggle and transform her life.” (“To Find Your Face” photo by Wayne Eardley)

Nanako Horikawa Mandrino is an international dance artist originally from Sapporo, Japan.　She graduated Summa Cum Laude from The College at Brockport with a BFA in Dance and a Minor in Theater. Along with her own choreographic work, Nanako has been performing professionally as a member and collaborator for dance companies and individual artists. She is also in the process of completing the Certification Program of Projective Kinetics Analysis & Training. Natalia Lisina was born in Kazan, Russia. She received her bachelor’s degree in dance at Kazan State University of Culture and the Arts (2009) and completed the Professional Training Program at The School of Toronto Dance Theatre (2014), receiving the Kathryn Ash Scholarship during her final year. In 2014-2015 she danced as a member of the chamber ballet Panther, Kazan, Russia. Currently she is working as a dance teacher in the Russian Center "Sunshine" and is a member of BIODANCE in Rochester, NY, USA. Svetlana Garitselov is a versatile cellist, who especially enjoys performing chamber music. She has performed with a piano trio and as a soloist through North America, Europe, Russia and Japan. In addition to her performance career, Svetlana is on faculty at the Roberts Wesleyan College, Roberts Wesleyan Community Music School and has a private cello studio. She received her MM from Eastman School of Music. Emily Hutchinson holds a B.S. in Music Performance from Roberts Wesleyan College. She has appeared as a concerto soloist with four orchestras and was a winner of the National Flute Association Collegiate Flute Choir Competition in 2015, performing with Project Trio at the NFA Convention in Washington, D.C. Emily currently enjoys teaching private lessons to all ages through the Roberts Community Music School and Dori's Music Studio, as well as collaborating with local musicians throughout the Rochester area. Jet Whistle is a collaborative work with music and dance; movement is inspired by the structure and atmosphere of the music which is expressed through the natural sounds of flute and cello. (photos courtesy of the artists)

Leigh Ann Kabatra is a New York-based teacher and choreographer whose choreography has appeared at the 14th Street Playhouse in Atlanta, GA, and the Dances at MuCCC Festival in Rochester, NY. Her evening-length work Dimensional premiered in November 2017 in Brooklyn, NY. Uncanny Montage is inspired by Stan Douglas's work Win, Place, or Show. “Win, Place, or Show displays video footage on two separate panels in different combinations that will not overlap for at least 20,000 hours. Viewers can decide how the combinations of footage may be linked or related or how the relationships may change as the visual combinations change. My piece uses two simultaneous duets to replicate this effect. The duets perform phrases that sometimes overlap or sometimes look completely disparate; it is up to the audience to decide if the duets are related or how they are related.”

Coman Poon is Toronto-based interdisciplinary artist working across Turtle Island in context of the postsecular and the decolonial. He has worked with diverse Indigenous and culturally diverse artists in theatre, dance, performance and fuels his deep interest in exploring the 'ritual body' as it intersects between the personal/ancestral and the socio-political. When he hears the call, he also writes about live art. Poon and Brian Smith will perform 1+1=0: performances in preparation for death

MaryLee Miller (Thursday June 21) is a choreographer and dance educator from Rochester whose work has been performed in New York, Florida and California. Through her work she seeks to express the ritual of experience through movement and allow for the exploration of issues and experiences in a place where words are insufficient. She explores personal and social issues through modern/contemporary movement forms and enjoys collaboration with visual, sound and spoken word artists in some of her works. Set to music by Edward Elgar, Knot follows a woman as she unties the knot life has her in and comes to stand in her power confidently.