Photos From Previous Showings

On Wednesday November 18^th, 2009 at 7:00pm we invite you to attend our FALL SHOWING at The Ailey Studios, 405 W. 55^th Street, followed by a cocktail reception.

This is a great opportunity to see the various works in progress, and for our dancers to share their talent and passion with you in an informal studio setting.  The proceeds from this fundraiser help to pay the dancers’ salaries and support its creative time, enabling EMD to create this season’s premieres. I am working on a collaboration with composer Joe Dallardo, and Associate Artistic Director Tiffany Rea will be working with musician and composer Taharqa Patterson. We are working very hard to find the funding to support the coming weeks of creative time. These showings are critical to ensure that our artists work as much as possible throughout the year. Your help makes it possible for them to express their artistry.

Please CLICK HERE for the invitation.

Learn more about Elisa Monte Dance at http://www.elisamontedance.org

The Elisa Monte Dance (EMD) Choreography Workshop was a six day affair conducted by renowned choreographer, Elisa Monte, in which participants were offered the opportunity to expand their choreographic abilities. This program was open to anyone 18  years old or older who have had at least 3 years of professional experience with dance/choreography.

Dancers warm up through a unique method that recharges not only their bodies but opens up their minds as well

During the process, participants were encouraged to explore and manipulate movement while receiving feedback from several artists including Elisa Monte.

Participant explores movement to achieve the desired effect

Associate Artistic Director Tiffany Rea-Fisher assisting dancer Rachel

In addition, participants were given the chance to discuss their choreographic obstacles as well as hear guest choreographers share their own choreographic process. By the end of the week, many particpants molded their solos into dynamic duets or great groups and presented their work in the showing held at the Alvin Ailey studios. Please visit our website to view more images and the videos!

Participants come together to compose a group dance

These dancers come together to compose an interesting duet

 All the performances can be seen on the Elisa Monte Dance website. Enjoy!!

Enjoying their drinks as they wait for the performances to begin

Excited visitors strike a pose right before the performance

Meanwhile, our dancers stretched away their anxiety while absorbing the positive energy of the audience.

Dancer Rachel Holmes relaxing in a split as other dancers continue to stretch

After the flawless performances were applauded, audience members mingled with the dancers over some cheese and wine. These fans, amazed by the flexibility and strength of our dancers, asked them if they even have limbs. The dancers couln’t help but laugh and sincerely thank the audience for their appreciation.

Left to Right: Dancers Rachel Holmes and Liz Beres enjoy talking to their new fan after performances

Left to Right: Board chair Yvette C. and artistic director Elisa Monte relishing the delicious food

Fans mingling with dancer Clement Mensah and Associate Artistic Director Tiffany Rea

A fan raving about the performances to Director of Administration David Sadowsky

This beautiful evening soon came to an end but left many memories for everyone to cherish.

 

 

 

 

 

 

On a sultry summer evening in June, the Company held a private showing at Alvin Ailey Dance Theater. With anxiety chilling down the spine, Elisa Monte dancers stretched for their performances. Soon the audience members arrived at the studios with eager faces; anxious to see Elisa Monte’s repertory pieces up close.

Dancers warming up to take center stage at Alvin Ailey

Tiffany Rea gives some tips to dancers as they rehearse

                                                                                  After the brilliant performances, awed audience members had the opportunity to ask questions and simply chat with the dancers in a friendly ambience.

Dancer Sam mingling with audience members

Audience members strike a pose with board chair Yvette Campbell and artistic director Elisa Monte

Dancer India Bolds bonding with her new fan

It was such a delightful evening that many did not want it to end. However, these fans now look forward to attending future events hosted by Elisa Monte Dance Company.

Elisa Monte Dance was recently in Jackson, Hole Wyoming where they performed and taught classes.

Be sure to check our website for upcoming shows in your area.

On May 1st the Junior Board of Elisa Monte Dance held its Spring Mixer. This is the time that the Junior Board and the Dancers can hang out in a casual and fun atmosphere and get to know one another better. This year it was hosted by Board Chair Elia Monte-Brown and dinner was graciously cooked by Board Member Jack Howard-Potter.

LtoR: Dancer Liz Beres, Dancer Daquan Thompson, Junior Board Member Ola Oyinsan, Dancer India Bolds, Junior Board Member Ronnie Spruill, Dancer Clement Mensah, Dancer Sam Turner

LtoR: Dancer India Bolds, Dancer Liz Beres, Dancer Rachel Holmes, Junior Board Member Ronnie Spruill, Dancer Sam Turner, Dancer Daquan Thompson

Our New Dancers! LtoR: Liz Beres, Alicia Pegues, Sam Turner

Recently the company added 3 new dancers to the company! Here are their bios to help you get to know them better.

LIZ BERES (dancer), a proud Wisconsinite, completed her BFA at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts in 2009.  While in school, she worked with Ronald K. Brown, Jill Johnson of The Forsythe Company, and Brook Notary, and served as KEIGWIN + COMPANY’s administrative intern.  Liz has performed at Danspace’s Food for Thought summer series, 92nd Street Y Harkness Dance Center’s Fridays at Noon, and LaMaMa Moves Dance Festival.  She has been privileged to train outside of NYC at Salzburg Experimental Academy of Dance and Bates Dance Festival.

Alicia Pegues (dancer), A Texas native, began her training at Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Oklahoma. She has toured internationally with the Modern Repertory Dance Theatre, and attended the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center’s Fellowship Program.  Alicia is a former member of Dallas Black Dance Theatre and Creative Outlet Dance Theatre of Brooklyn. She has worked with choreographers such as, Ray Mercer, Nejla Yatkin, Hope Boykin, Christopher Huggins, Jessica Lang and many more. Alicia joined Elisa Monte Dance in March, 2009.

Samuel Turner (dancer), a native of West Palm Beach, FL, began his training at the Alexander W. Dreyfoos Jr. School of the Arts and continued with the Academy of Ballet Florida. He then went on to earn a Bachelor of Science in Ballet Performance with an Outside Field in Kinesiology from Indiana University where he studied with Violette Verdy. Shortly after college, Mr. Turner went on to dance with the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Chicago Dance Theater, and Roxey Ballet. In 2007 he joined American Repertory Ballet under the direction of Graham Lustig, performing in works by Graham Lustig, Lisa de Ribere, and Twyla Tharp. Mr. Turner moved to New York City in 2008 and has since worked with various renowned choreographer such as Karen Gayle of Xodus Dance Collective , Jennifer Archibald of Arch Dance Company, and Mark Morris; dancing in his revival of Orfeo ed Euridice at the Metropolitan Opera in Lincoln Center.

Opening night of Elisa Monte Dance at The Joyce Theater is one week from today!  The dancers are incredibly busy with rehearsals and will be doing tech in the theater next week.  The oldest piece on the program, dating back to 1984, is Elisa Monte’s Audentity, set to music by Klaus Schulze.  Audentity is a composite word describing identity through sound, and fittingly, the piece itself is a visual interpretation of the music’s rhythm and flow.  The dancers are dressed in all white and the pace runs from fast to slow.  According to Elisa Monte, Audentity is a unity of body, soul, and mind, weaving together the unexpected.

The Joyce program also includes the NY premiere of Zydeco, Zaré, the world premiere of Arrow’s Path, and Slope of Enlightenment.  Tickets can be ordered online or by calling 212-242-0800.  Watch the video below to see excerpts from several of EMD’s pieces.

Elisa Monte Dance’s season at The Joyce Theater is just two weeks away, and the company is hard at work as they prepare for the performances.  The program is definitely an exciting one: the NY premiere of Zydeco, Zaré, the Joyce-commissioned Slope of Enlightenment, the revival of Audentity, and finally, the world premiere of Arrow’s Path.  This is an intimate duet that intertwines and juxtaposes emotional and physical relationships, featuring music by contemporary composer Kevin Keller.

Since arriving in New York in 2002, Keller has collaborated with several choreographers, creating original music ranging from classical to electronic.  According to choreographer Mariana Beckerman, “Kevin Keller’s music not only makes the dance breathe its own life, but he himself is a composer who makes it his duty to fulfill the mood and energy of the work.”  You can listen to excerpts of Keller’s compositions for dance under the dance section of his website.  His music for cello and piano is beautiful, and Arrow’s Path will certainly be enhanced by Keller’s strong score.

We hope you’ll join us at one of the Joyce performances.

Happy Holidays from Elisa Monte Dance

Your support in the past has been indispensable to the success of our company and your continued support will help us to keep pursuing our mission of bridging cultural barriers through the universal language of dance. Because of you, we have reached our 28^th Anniversary and can continue to explore, create and present works throughout the world.

There are numerous ways you can help us this year!

• You could donate, at any level! If done by Dec 31st you could use it for a 2008 tax deduction.
• You could subscribe to our email newsletter
  • We have one for general information
  • and one for classes, workshops and auditions
• You can subscribe to this blog!
• You can purchase a ticket to our show at the Joyce.

No matter what you do we appreciate the fact that your part of our family. Happy Holidays from everyone at Elisa Monte Dance.