This summer, we went back to the VR Center with Melanie Stewart and began reconstructing Sticky.
Sticky (2016) is an evolution of Sticky (2012) a work of visual theatre that integrates dance, language, film animation, and 3-D virtual imaging to explore the nature of bonding and sometimes “sticky” situations that arise in long-term romantic relationships. Underlying currents of attraction, repulsion, frustration, and compulsion drive escapism in a world where a couple’s negotiation for power and struggle for identity are contextualized in the current political climate.
A collaboration between performers Eun Jung Choi and Guillermo Ortega Tanus of Da·Da·Dance Project and choreographer and director Melanie Stewart, STICKY first premiered in Mexico City at the Centro Cultural del Bosque complex in the Teatro de la Danza.
The piece makes its New York City premiere at Gibney Dance.
We are thrilled to announce that the company is hosting Helena Franzén to teach a workshop in Philadelphia from May 2nd through 3rd at the University of the Arts (1401 Walnut Street). This two-day/10hrs. intensive workshop will be in two parts: 1) Dance Technique “The Breaking Body” 2) Creative Process “The Duo Experience.” Please read the descriptions below and Helena’s Bio.
@ The University of the Arts – 1401 Walnut Street, Philadelphia (above Banana Republic)
The workshop has two parts: 1) The Breathing Body (technique); 2) The Duo Experience (creating process)
1) The Breathing Body – 1-3PM
Helena Franzén’s technique class is released based and the focus is to open the body finding the ease and the efficient way of moving. Floor exercises and inspiration of yoga are methods to find the centre, the flexibility and the strength of the body. We are working on the importance of the breath, creating a sensitive mind together with the body.
The warm-up is a preparation to a longer phrase material where different dynamics and awareness of the space and musicality is exposed and clarified. Physical challenges of covering space are encouraged.
2) The Duo Experience 3-6 PM
In the workshop we are dealing with the physical interpretation of a repertoire material and what happens in the transmission when the dancer is trying to understand the qualities and the nature of the movement language. We ask questions about how you can get closer to the understanding of the physicality. What is it to really understand a movement within a dancer?
We start from a specific solo material and challenge ourselves, trying different ways and methods how to approach unfamiliar movements, how take charge and finally how to give in to the movement. During the workshop the solo material is going to be translated and explored into duos.
How can we communicate with another interpreter that knows the same dance material? In the interpretation of the solo material we discover new layers of consciousness, getting sensible to the constant change of the body knowledge.
Above all, the workshop encourages taking risks in body and in mind- a tribute to pure delight of the dancing body!
CHOREOGRAPHER HELENA FRANZÉN (SE)
”Few Swedish choreographers are so generous, stimulatingly inventive and physically intelligent as Helena Franzén.” Dagens Nyheter 2010
Over the years Helena Franzén has choreographed more than 70 pieces. Helena has been commissioned to create works for The Göteborg Ballet, Skånes Dansteater, Norrdans, DDT Company, Copenhagen the Royal Opera in Copenhagen and The Edge at the Place in London. She also teaches technique classes and repertoir in Sweden and abroad.
In her work, Helena Franzén focuses on the dancing, musical body. Anatomical structures, dynamic progression and physical functions are recurrent themes in her artistic pursuits. During the years, she has developed a personal movement vocabulary, charged with intricate, physical challenges and explosiveness – a special poetry of the articulated body.
All of her dancers contribute with their individual integrity of motion and a strong and intense presence. In her most recent productions, she has developed a close collaboration with musicians performing live. The music and the dance challenge each other, creating a nerve and density running through the dynamics of the moving body as well as time structures.
In 2007 Helena Franzén obtained a 10-year grant from the Swedish Arts Grants Committee. In 2014 she was awarded The Gunnevik prize with the motivation: A choreographer whos artistic work appeared as mature and detailed already from the beginning. She is uncompromisingly and consistently investigating in the eternal possibilities of the movements in her dance. She is a dance artist that together with her dancers create the poetry of the articulated body.
The Company received a 2014 Rocky Award from our beloved dance artist, Beau Hancock.
The Rocky Awards celebrate outstanding achievement in a production, a performance, a set design, or other accomplishment in Greater Philadelphia’s dance community. There are no categories, committees or ballots. Each recipient wins the honor of selecting a “champion” to receive a Rocky Award in the subsequent year. The Rocky Awards are presented in collaboration with FringeArts with support from Dance/USA Philadelphia. More information about Rocky Awards: http://www.danceusaphiladelphia.org/events/rocky-awards
At the ceremony, Beau Hancock presented a tribute photos referencing our past and current works. Here is the link to view the video: https://vimeo.com/106140918
From May through July, 2004, the company was engaged in a two-month artist residency at the Instituto Sacatar, Itaparica, Bahia, Brazil. The INSTITUTO SACATAR operates a residency program for creative individuals in all disciplines at its estate on the Island of Itaparica in the Bay of All Saints, across from the city of Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.
Rowan University Performing Arts 2014 presents “A Story of Three Cities”, an evening of dance and video by Da·Da·Dance Project. The performance will be at Pfleeger Concert Hall, Rowan University on March 5, 2014.
Photo by Johanna Austin | AustinArt
“A Story of Three Cities”, features works by Erick Montes, Luke Gutgsell and two artistic directors of the company: Eun Jung Choi and Guillermo Ortega Tanus. Set to original sound score by Joo Won Park, the company will premiere a new trio, The Strangest Thing: Clearance 13’6” by Erick Montes. The work explores psychological layers and the mystery of stage events, creating an anti-climactic love thriller. John Luna adds visual layers to The Strangest Thing: Clearance 13’6” with video projection, and Patricia Dominguez designs the costumes. Screening of Da·Da·Dance Project’s video projects featuring Lince Siblings (a notable comic duo) from Mexico City is The visual images throughout this evening performance embrace humor, buoyancy, perplexity, aggression and a sense of absence, all through compelling contemporary dance.
Where: Pfleeger Concert Hall, Rowan University, Glassboro, New Jersey 08028
When: Wednesday, March 05, 2014 at 8:00 PM
Tickets: $15.00 for General Admission, $10.00 for Senior/Student. To purchase tickets online visit rowan.tix.com or call 856.256.4545
Tickets for Rowan students and staff with valid ID are FREE, but cannot be reserved. The box office is open Monday – Friday, 9:00 am – 4:00 pm and one hour before the performance.
For additional information about the performance and theater location/directions, visit Rowan University Website: www.rowan.edu/cpa or E-Mail: arts@rowan.edu
Guest Choreographer/Performer Bio
Erick Montes (Guest Choreographer/Performer) is a dancer/member of The Bill T.Jones/ Arnie Zane Dance Company since 2003. He trained at The National School of Classical and Contemporary Dance in Mexico City where his professional career started with Company Barro Rojo Arte Escénico in 1997. He holds a fellowship in Choreography from The New York Foundation for the Arts, and as faculty, he has been invited to The National Ballet Academy of Beijing, The International Project for Dance and Performing Arts in Rome, Italy and The Autonomous National University in San Jose, Costa Rica. Erick has collaborated with artists such as Stephen Petronio, Bill Young, Colleen Thomas, Jenifer Nugent, Ryan Kelly, Malcolm Low, Eun Jung Choi and Guillermo Ortega Tanus among others, presenting his own work in La MaMa Experimental Theater as part of International Series, E-Moves at The Gate House at Harlem Stage, Skirball Center for the Performing Arts for The Mexico Now Festival and The BlaTino Series at The Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance.
Luke Gutgsell (Guest Choreographer) is a Portland based dancer/choreographer. He was born and raised in Lexington, Kentucky where he began his early movement training in gymnastics. In 2004, he graduated from The Ohio State University with a BFA in Dance Performance. Luke also attended the Naropa Institute. He trained on scholarship at the Merce Cunningham studio and apprenticed and performed with Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company and Shen Wei Dance Arts. He has also had the great fortune to perform in the companies of David Dorfmans, Chris Elam, Risa Jaroslow, JoAnna Mendl Shaw, Tiffany Mills, Jody Oberfelder, Laura Peterson, Risa Jaroslow, Christopher Williams and Michou Zsabo. His choreography has been presented in New York City at Danspace Project, Dixon Place, The West End Theater and the LaMama Theater.
JULY 29 – AUG 2
Contemporary Technique offered to professional dancers, movers and physical actors
@ CHI Movement Arts Center M-W-F 10:30am-12pm | Th 5:30-7 pm
Drop in: $15. Professional/ student rate: $12
“Movement Lab’s” goal is to serve as a vehicle for dancers to evaluate muscular/structural potential and limits. Through this exploration, we will find ways to move more freely and expressively. The class will explore the relationship between gravity and momentum and emphasize on releasing one’s body to find its maximum length, strength, and freedom. We focus on building our awareness to question how we perform movement quality, how we make our choices, and how we cultivate specificity and attention to detail with imagination. The Lab is focused on finding cognitive playfulness in a movement practice, which in turn allows us to be more dexterous and agile. A self-exploratory and self-explanatory approach through structured movement sequences combined with improvisational practice is the central component to this class. The choreography exercises simply provide structure for which we can practice moving, and gather new information for our physical bodies as we consciously move.
Each class will progress through warm-up, center floor exercises, and choreography as we work on integrating movement concepts into a physical manifestation.
Eun Jung Choi, featured as one of Dance Magazine’s 25 to Watch in 2012, is a movement artist who has been working professionally for the past 16 years in the United States, Europe, Mexico, and Korea. Since 2008, she has been Artistic Co-Director of Da·Da·Dance Project, a duet repertory dance theater. The company’s repertoire has been seen at Live Arts Festival’s “eight”, Seoul International Dance Festival (Korea), National Institute of Bellas Artes (Mexico City) La MaMa Moves, Performance Mix, nEW Festival, Painted Bride Arts Center, XI Muestra Internacional de Danza Contemporánea, Joyce SoHo, and Hollins University among many others. She was an Artist-in-Residence at the Live Arts Brewery 2011-2012. For more info: http://www.eunjungchoi.org
5-Day Intensive Contemporary Dance Technique offered to professional dancers who would like to take physical risks!
Erick Montes’ says:
“The workshop is titled “Movement Matters” reflecting on the necessity of physical movement as a performer/dancer today. In my understanding, movement is an extension and expression of dancer’s consciousness and uniqueness. A dancer’s capacity and creativity through kinetic movement is as important as the dancer’s personality to create a choreographic work. Throughout this five-day workshop, I will visit some movement materials of my own creation that suggest self-control and spatial awareness with fun, athletic, risky movement that will motivate dancers to use their imagination to approach the materials. We will start from conscious floor warm-up series based on breathing and actions of decompression. From there, we will expand to standup series, focusing on strengthening legs and lower back, perception of space and risk taking in the body.”
For more information and questions, email Eun Jung Choi, dada@dadadanceproject.org
Erick Montes joined the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company in 2003. He trained at the National School of Classical and Contemporary Dance in Mexico City, and in 2004 he was featured in Dance Magazine’s “25 To Watch”. He holds a fellowship in choreography from The New York Foundation for the Arts. He has presented his choreography in Mexico, Colombia, and Spain. In 2010 he worked in collaboration with choreographers Jennifer Nugent and Yin Mey in the creation of a Ballet for the National Dance Academy of Beijing, China.
Direction: Eun Jung Choi
Movement Collaboration/Performance: John Luna, Bronwen MacArthur, Scott McPheeters, and Guillermo Ortega Tanus
Music Score: Alban Bailly
Costume Design: Eun Jung Choi, consultation from Jennielynn Streed
Costume Construction: Eun Jung Choi, consultation and assistance from Patricia Dominguez
Lighting Design: Kathy Kaufmann
Fairies: Shailer Kern-Carruth, Megan Mizanty, and Megan Quinn
Study #2: Holy Cabinet is supported in part with funds from the Philadelphia Live Arts Festival as part of a Live Arts Brewery Fellowship.
In the space of Holy Cabinet, everything is possible and nothing is impossible. Our collective imaginations will act as vehicles to another world of the unforeseen. Holy Cabinet’s playfulness breaks down its original structure, displaying a wide variety of visual images with its humor, buoyancy, and perplexity. Set to an original music by Alban Bailly, Study #2: Holy Cabinet will be performed by “Philly’s most intriguing dancers” (by Lisa Kraus, Dance Magazine Jan. 12): Bronwen MacArthur, Guillermo Ortega Tanus, John Luna, and Scott McPheeters.
Choreographer/Director: Melanie Stewart
Performers: Eun Jung Choi and Guillermo Ortega Tanus (Da·Da·Dance Project)
Score: Alban Bailly
Costume Design: Patricia Dominguez
Set Design: Matheus Fiuza
Animation: Liz Goldberg
Computer Engineers: George Lecakes assisted by Denzel Maradza
Video Recording: David Cimetta
Lighting Design: Kathy Kaufmann
Created with support from The Philadelphia Cultural Fund, The Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, Rowan University Tech Park, Melanie Stewart Dance Theatre and Temple University.
“STICKY” explores the nature of bonding as one human is to another, in image and in memory, examining sticky situations in relationships through a multi layered use of movement, 3-d media, film animation, music and text.
Duración: 60 minutos aproximadamente.
No intermedio
Localidades: $80.00
Boletos disponibles en la taquilla del teatro y en ticketmaster.com.mx
Descuentos del 50% a maestros, estudiantes e INAPAM
Coreografía: Melanie Stewart (EU)
Intérpretes/Creación de Movimiento: Da·Da·Dance Project/Eun Jung Choi (Corea) y Guillermo Ortega Tanus (México)
Escenografía: Matheus Fialho Fiuza (Brazil)
Música original: Alban Bailly (Francia)
Animación: Raymond Ercoli / Liz Goldberg (EU)
Directora de Escena: Adjani Solórzano (México)
“Sticky” es un dueto dirigido por Melanie Stewart en colaboración con la compañía Da·Da·Dance Project y la Universidad de Rowan (Tech Park), Nueva Jersey, E.U.A. La
obra transita entre la realidad y el formato digital a la vez que examina la naturaleza de las uniones como en el caso de un ser humano a otro. Sticky transpasa los límites de las relaciones en imagenes y en la memoria. Lo enmielado y adherente crea múltiples capas y significados a medida que el entorno cambia. Sticky explora las interacciones y temas de pareja a través del movimiento y otros medios de comunicación incluyendo texto, música, video, cine de animación y tecnología 3-D (CAVE).
La creación de “Sticky” no sería posible sin el apoyo de Melanie Stewart Dance Theater, Universidad de Temple, Universidad de Rowan Tech Park, la Coordinación Nacional de Danza del INBA, el Fondo para la Cultura y las Artes (FONCA-CONACULTA), el fondo Cultural de Filadelfia, y el Consejo de las Artes de Pensilvania.
Este proyecto recibió un apoyo parcial de Pennsylvania Performing Arts on Tour, un programa desarrollado y financiado por The Hainz Endowments; the William Penn Foundation; the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, una agencia estatal; The Pew Charitable Trust; y administrado por Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation.
This summer, we went back to the VR Center with Melanie Stewart and began reconstructing Sticky.
Choreographer/Director: Melanie Stewart