...

The JCE JAZZ DANCE PROJECT
OCTOBER 2018

PHOTO GALLERY

Artistic Directors

Merete Muenter

 

Merete Muenter

Merete Muenter is a choreographer and director, as well as the Co-Founder and Co-Artistic Director of Jazz Choreography Enterprises.  Choreography: Off-Broadway – Fiddler on the Roof - In Yiddish (Assistant Choreographer – Director, Joel Grey),  Amerike – The Golden Land (The National Yiddish Theater - Folksbiene), The Golden Bride (Chita Rivera Award Nomination / The National Yiddish Theater - Folksbiene), South Pacific and Man of La Mancha (Plaza Theatricals), The King of Second Avenue (New Repertory Theatre). Director/choreographer:Fiddler on the Roof - In Yiddish (Associate Director, Off-Broadway  / New World Stages – Director, Joel Grey), The Bridges of Madison County, (American Theater Group), Chicago, Tommy,  Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (Woodstock Playhouse), They Walk Among Us (MITF / Award - Best Choreography). Short Film: Through the Ages (Director/Choreographer/Producer) Multiple Film Festival Awards. Originally from Buffalo, New York.  SUNY Geneseo Graduate.

Danielle Diniz

 

Danielle Diniz

Danielle Diniz is the Co-Artistic Director of Jazz Choreography Enterprises. She has choreographed works for the JCE Jazz Dance Project and will become the Co-Artistic Director on January 1, 2024. She recently was Artist in Residence at Tribeca BMCC via CUNY Dance Initiative and has been commissioned by Jacob's Pillow, Avant Chamber Ballet, Columbia Ballet Collaborative, Ballet Hartford, Central Utah Ballet, Earl Mosley's DoD, Stars of American Ballet and the Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning, among others. She choreographed the musicals 'An Unbalanced Mind’ (Off-Broadway), “On the Air” (Galley Players) and “My Way” (Theatre By the Sea), and presented work at the McCallum Theatre/Palm Desert Choreography Festival and the NYTB Choreography Lab at Baryshnikov Arts Center. She is a winner of the New York Dance Project Choreography Competition, a grant recipient from NYFA/City Artist Corps, choreographs/ADs at AMDA and has served as Associate Choreographer for Lorin Latarro. She is on faculty at Kanyok Arts Initiative and Manhattan Youth Ballet and teaches for Steps and Peridance.  Cornell University Graduate.

Featured Choreographers

Barbara Angeline

Barbara Angeline

Barbara Angeline is the founder and artistic director of Hysterika Jazz Dance. She is a full-time instructor at Rutgers, teaching Jazz, Broadway Jazz, History of Broadway Dance, Dance History, and Improvisation. She has an M.A. in Dance Education (NYU) and B.A. in Dance (UC Irvine). Barbara’s historical collaboration process was used for her works: Tightrope (a tribute to the contributions of Bob Fosse); eat Crow (inspired by the movement style and life of Josephine Baker); and Rhapsody (in the style of George Balanchine). HJD’s premiere work, “Mi Maschera (Mask Me)”, was an original jazz dance that explored Venetian Masks in the Baroque Period as they related to issues of female identity. Presented Jazz Dance Choreography – Historical Collaborations with Dance Luminaries (NDEO, Chicago). Barbara created and moderated panel of jazz dance educators from around the country to discuss Jazz Dance in Higher Education and The Professions: Where Do We Go From Here? Performance credits include Broadway Backwards 5, 6, 7, Oakland Ballet, Broadway Bares, Gypsy of the Year Awards, Equity national tours and musicals, Radio City Music Hall Christmas Spectacular. Danced with/for Woody Allen, Jerry Mitchell, Graciela Daniele, Bob Bartley, Bernadette Peters, and Aretha Franklin. Hysterika Jazz Dance is dedicated to expanding the legacy of jazz dance as a rich, powerful, historical American art form.

Mike Baerga

Mike Baerga

Mike Baerga (a native of Houston, Texas) received a B.A. from the University of Houston with a double Major in Dance and Journalism, and an M.F.A. in Dance and Choreography from NYU: Tisch School of the Arts. His training includes Urban Souls Dance Company, Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet and Joffrey Jazz & Contemporary. His performing credits include: Broadway-“King Kong” (Kingsman), “Miss Saigon” (Asst. Commissar/Acrobat), “Moulin Rouge” Lab (Ensemble); Off-Broadway-Metropolitan Opera (“The Merry Widow”), Houston Grand Opera (“Aida”). Mike has choreographed for Showtime Network (King Mo Fight), Disney Cruise Line (Dream Crew Awards), Lumipad Festival (Alvin Ailey Dance Theatre), New York Fashion Week 2018 (Arielle Toole,) The Trevor Project, and Award recipient for his numerous works in Regional Dance America Festival and the U.S. International Ballet Competition. He has served as a faculty member at the Joffrey Ballet School in NYC, American Academy of Ballet, Broadway Classroom, Camp Broadway and Man in Motion to name a few. Mike Is ecstatic to create work for this year’s JCE Jazz Dance Project, and would like to thank Marian and Merete for such a wonderful opportunity! Love and thanks to God, Mom and Dad!

Tony Fraser

Tony Fraser

Tony Fraser is a 20-year veteran of swing dancing, competition, coaching, and teaching. He is a best-of-breed technical instructor and a specialist in Collegiate Shag, Lindy Hop, Aerials, Tricks, and partnered Charleston. He has been seen on television and stage throughout his expansive dance career. Additionally, Tony is an American Lindy Hop Championships and US Open champion.
Gierre J. Godley

Gierre J. Godley

Gierre J. Godley is a dancer, choreographer, and teacher currently living and working in NYC. He began his training in Arkansas under the direction of C. Michael Tidwell. In 2010, Gierre created PROJECT 44, an all male troupe dedicated to showcasing the beauty of male artistry throughout the arts. The group has toured to numerous national cities including San Francisco, Little Rock, Seattle, Walla Walla, Vashon Island, Kalamazoo, Austin, New Jersey, Chicago, St. Louis and international cities including Montreal, Berlin, Manchester, Havana, Barcelona, and Madrid to name a few. In 2016 Gierre was awarded the NECF Choreography Award and Echo Choreography Award. Most recently Gierre & PROJECT 44 were awarded funding from the Queens Council on the Arts & the Peg Santvoord Foundation to support their upcoming project, “Dearest Charlotte.” Gierre is currently on faculty at The College of Mount Saint Vincent, Suffolk County Community College, Connecticut Dance Center and is a performer in the NYC Bessie Award Winning show, “Then She Fell.”

Mindy Jackson

Mindy Jackson

Mindy Jackson is a professional dancer, choreographer, rehearsal director, teacher and youth mentor for concert dance, theater, music videos and television. Currently, Mindy is Director of Professional Training Programs & contemporary faculty at Steps on Broadway plus a guest teacher at Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s ASAP Mentorship Program and schools across the country. Notable credits include being recognized by Dance Magazine with an ENews exclusive and showcased as a style model in continuing issues of the publication. Most recently, her work was presented by Inception to Exhibition at Bryant Park’s Contemporary Dance Summer Series. She has worked with top contemporary dance makers including Aszure Barton, Cherice Barton, Donald Byrd, Benoit Swan Pouffer, Larry Keigwin, Seán Curran, Monica Bill Barnes, Nathan Trice, Andrea Miller, Camille A. Brown, Mark Dendy, Zvi Gotheiner, Jacqulyn Buglisi, Celia Rowlson-Hall, and Cape Town South Africa’s Ikapa Dance Theatre to highlight a few.  Honorable mention for her choreography includes being selected as 1 of 4 pieces from the North Carolina Dance Festival history to perform in the ADF’s 80th Anniversary Celebration.

Ali Koinoglou

Ali Koinoglou

Originally from Long Island, Ali Koinoglou is an award-winning choreographer working out of NYC and now globally online! From summers at the American Ballet Theater to training in Joffrey Ballet School’s year-round certificate program, Ali was dedicated to honing her technique and expanding her knowledge in the arts. Following Joffrey, Ali spent two summers at the Broadway Dance Center as a trainee in the Professional Semester, where she was mentored by master educators such as Sheila Barker and Derek Mitchell. Ali’s professional choreography debut was at the Young Choreographer’s Festival. Other choreography credits include DUMBO Dance Festival, Sybarite Dance Productions, Brooklyn Dance Festival, and most notably, Madonna’s 50th birthday celebration flash mob for MTV & TLC’s the Long Island Medium. Ali also has a background in arts administration and worked in the Broadway Dance Center’s Educational Department for several years, then was media manager and personal assistant to choreographer Mia Michaels. Ali’s administration skills, combined with her love for creating and teaching dance, led her to found her own company, Koin & Co Dancers, and within the company, the Koin & Co Junior Training Program. Presently, Ali runs Koin & Co’s training program full time, she is a guest instructor at NYC dance studio Peridance Capezio Center, and she’s teaching classes/setting work all over the country!

Cat Manturuk

Cat Manturuk

Cat Manturuk is the founder and artistic director of DANCE CAT-ALYST, a soul-driven contemporary dance company. A native of Detroit, MI, she holds a BFA in Dance and BS in Exercise Science from Western Michigan University. After graduating, Cat was a scholarship student at Gus Giordano Jazz Dance Center in Chicago, later moving to LA, where she performed with LA Modern and Ballet Company, Blue13 Dance, Regina Klenjosky Dance Company, and Collage Dance Theatre. Upon her arrival in New York, she joined Dance 2XS and became rehearsal director to Decadancetheatre. Her music video credits lie with BET and MTVIndia, and she has been featured in Dance Spirit, Shape, and Elle magazine.

DANCE CAT-ALYST outreach programs and performances: Nanjing, China; the NY Jazz Choreography Project; Battery Downtown Dance Festival; Brooklyn Dance Festival; Detroit Dance City Festival; Wellspring Cori Terry & Dancers; NYC’S Chelsea Piers Sports Center and Sky Rink; and Brooklyn Hip Hop Festival. Cat is a recipient of the ACDF Excellence in Performance and Choreography Award, a Harkness Scholarship, a National Dance Association Outstanding Scholarship, and Presidential Award. Her choreography has been noted as “creating heat…” by the LA Times and teaching role as “crisply alive…” by the NY Times.

Bobby Morgan

Bobby Morgan

Bobby Morgan is a freelance choreographer, DJ, spiritualist and student of life based in NYC with a background in many styles such as ballet, jazz, hip hop, house, voguing, modern, and contemporary. The main source of his passion across all those different genres is his love for music. Sound has the ability to create different realms in the imagination. Because Bobby grew up as a part of both concert and commercial dance worlds, one of his missions as a choreographer is to curate spaces for those that live in between both of those worlds. Throughout his training, summers were spent at Complexions, Ballet Hispaníco (Choreographer’s Lab) and performing at Jacob’s Pillow, while also being on scholarship at commercial dance conventions (Monsters of Hip Hop, Intrigue, ASH). Bobby has trained under choreographers such as Dana Foglia, Desmond Richardson, Erica Sobol, Jon Ole Olstad, and many others in the concert, commercial and underground street worlds. Another mission is to assist in raising the vibration of the collective on the planet in these times of darkness, uncertainty and uncharted territory. Through movement and sound, his intention is to always remind us of the importance of human connection, keeping the heart space alive, and remembering why we’re here.

Rebekka Nodhturft

Rebekka Nodhturft

Rebekka Nodhturft is a passionate teaching artist and choreographer. Currently working towards her MFA in Dance from Montclair State University, Rebekka earned her B.A. from Boston University, where she graduated Magna cum Laude. She also studied in the Professional Division of The Ailey School, Orlando Ballet, and Broadway Dance Center. Rebekka performed with Jazz Roots Dance, founded in 2009 and directed by the legendary Sue Samuels. She has also performed at the world-renowned Cotton Club, where she tapped with Dormeshia Sumbry-Edwards and her line of “Sophisticated Ladies.” Rebekka also worked as a soloist with Keen Dance Theater (KDT), a contemporary company under the direction of John Keen, with whom she toured internationally. In 2014, Rebekka founded Awaken Dance Theater, a NYC-based company that performs works about social and political issues. She recently premiered a piece about climate change, and won “best choreography” in 2015 at the NYC10 Festival for a piece exploring the tragedy of gun violence. In 2016, the company was honored to host the tribute concert from NYC dancers to the victims of the tragic Pulse nightclub shooting in the Orlando, FL.

Jaclyn O’Rourke

Jaclyn O’Rourke

Jaclyn O’Rourke is a graduate of the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, PA where she received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Jazz Dance Performance. She has been a member of ASH Contemporary Dance Company under the direction of Braham Logan Crane where she has toured extensively throughout the country. While a member of ASH she performed in Budapest, Hungary at The Sziget Festival, the Philly Fringe Festival, and at New York City’s Carnival Choreographer’s Ball. Jaclyn spent six years as a performer at Atlantic City’s Taj Mahal with Almost Angels where she had the opportunity to perform for many of the industries top artists. Jaclyn has danced with Michael Susten & Company where she has performed in various shows in New York City. Jaclyn’s eclectic, award-winning choreography has won several top awards, been showcased at the annual New York City Carnival Choreographer’s Ball, Boston University’s dance team, as a teacher for Bill Hotaling’s Manhattan Dance Project, and as a guest teacher at The University of the Arts & Millennium Dance Complex Philadelphia. She is currently on faculty at Jazz Unlimited Dance Studio in Marlton, NJ and at The Rock School West.

Andrea Palesh

Andrea Palesh

Andrea Palesh is a NYC based producer, director, choreographer, and marketing consultant.  She attended Colorado State University where she graduated with a BA in Dance and BS in Fashion Merchandising.  Since moving to NYC, she’s danced in Eyes of a Blue Dog Dance Theater, performed as a backup dancer for entertainer Robert Taylor Jr., was a featured dancer in the off-broadway show Chris March’s Butt-Cracker Suite, and toured internationally and domestically with Mystic India: The World Tour.  Most recently she was the associate choreographer and featured artist in the hip-hop/vaudeville show Rebirth of Rabbit’s Foot and the choreographer of the production Gunpowder.  Currently she directs, choreographs, and performs for the nightlife cabaret spectacle: Guilty Pleasures Cabaret.  When she’s not dancing or choreographing, she can be found designing costumes, contributing articles for online publications, and consulting brands with their online marketing and social media presence.  

Sal Pernice

Sal Pernice

Brooklyn born and bred, Sal Pernice got his start on stage at the age of four, when he tore down the house dancing to “Darktown Strutters’ Ball” at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. He attended the High School of Performing Arts, and upon graduation, performed with the Santa Fe Opera Ballet Company. Soon after, he went on tour as Baby John in Jerome Robbins’ unparalleled “West Side Story.” Sal was a veteran of nine Broadway shows including “Dear World” with Angela Lansbury, “The Apple Tree” with Alan Alda, and “Goodtime Charley” with Joel Grey. His performing career also included stock, industrials, and national tours. Having achieved success and a sense of completion performing under others’ direction, Sal decided to create his own choreography and teach others. For almost 30 years he taught children and adults at the 92Y Harkness Dance Center. At the Center’s 75th Anniversary Gala, Sal directed young dancers in the Harkness Repertory Ensemble in an excerpt from Jerome Robbins’ “Opus Jazz.” He was also on the faculty at Ballet Academy East. Sal died on September 9, 2018. He will be remembered by many in the dance community, especially his devoted students, who now call themselves the Salarinas.

 

Spencer Pond

Spencer Pond

Spencer Pond (he/they) is a pop artist based out of Queens. They aim to create dance pieces that are flamboyant and rhythmic, with community on the brain, and tongue in the cheek. He’s proud of the future.
Jaime Shannon

Jaime Shannon

Jaime Shannon began her dance training at the age of four at the Lee Lund Studio of Dance in Milford, CT.  In 2006 she received her B.A. in dance from Hofstra University where she studied with Lance Westergard, Stormy Brandenberger, Robin Becker, Carla Wolfangle, Rachel List, and Amy Marshall. Since then, Jaime has performed professionally with Azul Dance Theatre, Dance Cat-Alyst, Soluq Dance Theater, Lauren Hale Dance, and Kelley Donovan and Dancers.  In 2010 Jaime met Tony Fraser and together, they quickly became a dynamic partnership in the swing dance community. Together they have performed and taught various styles of swing dance throughout the U.S., Canada, Europe, and Australia. In 2014 Jaime formed Kilowatt Dance Theater (KDT), a dance company specializing in the roots of early jazz dance, swing, lindy hop, and blues in combination with modern and contemporary dance. KDT has had the honor of performing at such noted venues as Jacob’s Pillow, The Battery Dance Festival, Lincoln Center’s Midsummer Night’s Swing, and Jazz Choreography Enterprises.

Elaine Tripoulas

Elaine Tripoulas

Elaine Tripoulas began dancing at age eight in her hometown outside of Cleveland, Ohio. She graduated from Cornell University in 2015 with a B.S. in Interior Design and a concentration in Performing and Media Arts. While at Cornell, she choreographed for two dance groups as well as theatrical productions of Sartre’s “No Exit” and “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.” Since moving to NYC, Elaine has choreographed for DanceWorks NYC, NACHMO, and Fertile Ground. She’s also performed at the Young Choreographer’s Festival, WAX Works, Conkrete Jungle, and Uptown Rising. When not dancing, Elaine works as an experiential designer and teaches indoor cycling.

INSPIRATIONAL JAZZ DANCE ARTISTS

We thought you might enjoy seeing some videos of dance artists who influenced and inspired some of our choreographers in this production of the JCE Jazz Dance Project.

Spencer Pond
When I was creating “Opus 10”, I used it as an opportunity to explore different ways of partnering and improve upon my skills. Unfortunately, more classical jazz partnering was something I never learned due to a lot of factors (one being my size, and another being the fact I always wanted to be Cyd and not Fred). I watched many videos from old movie musicals to learn lifts and tricks, and this scene with Cyd Charisse and Fred Astaire in “The Band Wagon” is one of my favorites. It truly is a masterclass in elegance, classical lines, and using dynamic movements to tell a story. You’ll see a lot of these elements in the work paired with different styles of partnering such as Lindy Hop and Contemporary, and given a 2018 spin by playing around with who gets to be the leader.

Andrea Palesh
In college I had the pleasure of seeing “Les Ballets Jazz de Montreal” live. Their performance single handedly inspired years of my choreography. It was the first time I had seen organic contemporary movement seamlessly blended with jazz musicality and musical theater story telling in a concert dance setting. Seeing their performance gave me the confidence to explore blending my love for jazz dance with my passion for creating unique pieces of art on stage.

Elaine Tripoulas
I had heard “Tilted” by Christine and the Queens before, but what made me really love the piece was seeing it performed live at Coachella – the artist and the dancers performed the same choreography from the video. I love the androgynous style of the dancers and the playful quality of the choreography. The movement choice highlights the quirky musicality and is purely entertaining because of its light, almost slapstick-like, quality. I try to capture the same fun and unexpected qualities in my work!

Jaime Shannon and Tony Fraser
A lot of the movement in this piece is inspired by Dean Collins. Dean Collins was an American lindy hop dancer/choreographer and innovator of swing dance. He worked on 38 films throughout the 1930’s and 40’s in LA. Collins developed a specific smooth style of lindy hop that is featured in a majority of his films. His signature style is often still referred to today as “Hollywood style Lindy Hop.” When we were developing the content for our piece, we played a lot with the smooth, stretchy, counterbalanced technique that defined Dean Collin’s style.

Barbara Angeline
Many times, when I choreograph, I have an iconic performer or choreographer or time period that I’m excited to explore. So, I research, research, research for weeks–even months–as the start of my process. “Doin’ My Jazz” was the opposite for me. Last winter, I wanted to do a new work, and I needed to MOVE and shake off winter! James Brown’s “And I Do Just What I Want” is a song that I’ve used for years to get my jazz dance artists to move in ways that are loose, groovy, free and brave. So I took the music and went into a studio and “Doin’ My Jazz” flew out of my body! Though I wasn’t focused on particular themes or moves, 1960s social dances and James Brown’s iconic shaky legs infused themselves on my movements. I’ve never had an experience choreographing that spontaneously! Later, I refined a few moments and referred back to James Brown videos to accomplish a more tributary version of his free, expressive, energetic amazingness in moments of the piece involving shaky legs. But “Doin’ My Jazz” is a self-portrait of my soul’s calling out to me to do my thing.

 All of JCE’s programs are made possible in part by support from our sponsor, Salon Ishi.

We need your support.

Make a tax deductible donation—no contribution is too small!

Or help us by volunteering your time and talents.

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This
Optimized by Seraphinite Accelerator
Turns on site high speed to be attractive for people and search engines.