THE NEW YORK CHOREOGRAPHY PROJECT APRIL 2017
DATES
Saturday, April 29, 8:00 – reception follows the performance
Sunday, April 30, 4:00
LOCATION
Salvatore Capezio Theatre at Peridance
126 E. 13th Street
New York, New York 10003
www.peridance.com
PHOTO GALLERY
Men’s Medley
Choreographer: Billy Griffin | Photo: Jan La Salle
Falling into the Current
Choreographer: Gregory Kollarus | Photo: Jan La Salle
The Lowdown
Choreographer: Jaime Shannon | Photo: Jan La Salle
A Walk?
Choreographer: Karin Kawamoto | Photo: Jan La Salle
wisdom within our very flesh
Choreographer: Antuan Byers | Photo: Jan La Salle
Can’t Take My Eyes Off You
Choreographer: Ashley Stafford | Photo: Jan La Salle
Who Is She
Choreographer: Kavin T. Grant | Photo: Jan La Salle
All Blues
Choreographer: Sue Samuels | Photo: Jan La Salle
Man’s World
Choreographer: Rachel Leigh Dolan | Photo: Jan La Salle
Trampin
Choreographer: Kyle Weiler | Photo: Jan La Salle
Liquid Hope
Choreographer: Cat Manturuk | Photo: Jan La Salle
Hypno
Choreographers: Sharlane Conner and Bryan Menjivar | Photo: Jan La Salle
Tango
Choreographers: Ashley Carter and Vanessa Martínez de Baños | Photo: Jan La Salle
The Cave
Choreographer: Ali Koinoglou | Photo: Jan La Salle
JCE Board of Directors
Photo: Jan La Salle
Photo: Jan La Salle
Photo: Jan La Salle
Photo: Jan La Salle
Photo: Jan La Salle
Photo: Jan La Salle
Photo: Jan La Salle
Photo courtesy of Merete Muenter
Artistic Directors
Marian Hyun
Marian Hyun has studied jazz and ballet in New York with Luigi, Bob Audy, Ed Kresley, Shirley Bassat, Julia Dubno, and wonderful teachers in Paris, France, Susan Sparks and Frédéric Lazzarelli. A graduate of Sarah Lawrence College, she was a freelance writer and a writing instructor at the New School before enrolling in the Dance Education Lab (DEL) at 92nd Street Y. Since then she has taught dance to people of all ages, from two-year-old pre-ballerinas to senior citizen jazz buffs in various New York studios and community centers. She has choreographed for the New York Jazz Choreography Project, Choreographer’s Canvas, the Fridays at Noon Marathon at 92nd Street Y, and the Comedy in Dance Festival at Triskelion Arts. In May 2007 at New Dance Group, Marian produced the first performance of the New York Jazz Choreography Project, a showcase devoted to jazz dance. It sold out. Subsequent performances of the Jazz Project have been produced semiannually by Jazz Choreography Enterprises, Inc., a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization established in 2007 to promote the creation of original jazz choreography. Marian is the president and co-artistic director of Jazz Choreography Enterprises.
Merete Muenter
Merete Muenter is a founding member 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), Eddie and the Palaceades (Midtown International Theatre Festival “MITF”), The King of Second Avenue (New Repertory Theatre). Director/choreographer:Fiddler on the Roof - In Yiddish (Assistant Director, Australian Company, Director, Joel Grey), The Bridges of Madison County, (American Theater Group), Chicago, The Who’s Tommy, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (Woodstock Playhouse), They Walk Among Us (MITF / Award - Best Choreography), Roar of the Greasepaint (Lancaster Opera House).
Featured Choreographers
Antuan Byers
Antuan Byers (Dallas, Tx) is currently a senior in the Ailey/Fordham BFA program and a graduate of the certificate program at the Parsons School of Design. He is a alumni of Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, under the direction of Lily Weiss. Antuan has danced alongside Grammy Award Winner, Erykah Badu, Tony Award Winners, Jennifer Holliday and Melba Moore, and Tony Award Nominee, Felicia P. Fields. Antuan has been featured in New York Magazine, Dazed Digital, and Tribeca Film as a dancer in Erik Madigan-Heck’s “The Enemy,” choreographed by Elena Vazintaris. He can also be seen in the music video,“Bury Me” by The Skins featuring D.R.A.M.. Antuan has performed with KEIGWIN + Co. for the Park Avenue Armory’s 2015 Gala as well as the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater for both their Lincoln Center and City Center Opening Night Gala’s. Antuan is currently a dancer with The Metropolitan Opera Ballet under the direction of Joseph Fritz, performing works by Kim Brandstrup, Alexei Ratmansky, and Christopher Wheeldon, among others. Additionally, Antuan is a dancer with Washington National Opera Ballet as well as an apprentice with Ailey II.
Ashley Carter
Ashley Carter is passionate about her work as a dancer, teacher and choreographer; and as co-director of NYC-based company DoubleTake Dance www.DoubleTakeDanceCo.com. She has had the opportunity to perform and/or choreograph at venues such as Jacob’s Pillow, SummerStage, Battery Dance Festival, Webster Hall, the New York Jazz Choreography Project and Carnival Choreographer’s Ball. Ashley is on faculty at Ballet Academy East and Joffrey in New York. She can be seen working alongside artists such as Ricky Martin, NeYo, Lady Sovereign, Nicki Minaj and Mila Kunis, for companies like Pilobolus, Balasole, Derek Mitchell, Germaul Barnes/Viewsic Expressions, Ruddur Dance, HannaQ Dance Co, the Little Opera Theatre of NY and Balasole, and for brands such as Nike, Athleta, Nokia, Microsoft, Heineken, Yahoo, Ameriprise, the Rachel Ray Show and Lush Cosmetics. She has been seen off-Broadway in “West Side Story”; performed in a music video for Sia, a Boost Mobile commercial, a feature film with Justin Timberlake, and is credited with choreographing independent feature film “The Ride of Tom and Valkyrie” and the musical “Dragula.” Recently, Ashley was featured in the original dance film “Here We Go Again” (dir. Nathan Cohen), performed as Fritz/Rat King/Russia in “DIY Nutcracker,” danced in “Barber of Seville” with the Amore Opera, and worked on “Peter Pan” for Broadway Asia.
Sharlane Conner
Sharlane Conner’s recent musical theater credits include “On Your Feet” (John W. Engeman Theater), the first regional production of “On Your Feet” (Gateway Playhouse) and “In the Heights” (Olney Theatre Center). Past stage experience: The Actor’s Fund CTFD Gala, “Gilded” at the Capital Fringe Festival, “Broadway Bares,” Bare Opera’s “Goyescas,” Chicago Int’l Salsa Congress, NY Int’l Salsa Congress, and “Apollo Club Harlem.” She has toured internationally with Catapult Entertainment (seen on “America’s Got Talent”) and her recent TV/Film credits include “Younger,” “Tick Tick Boom,” “Pose” and “The Tick.” Sharlane majored in Dance at Dean College and trained at The Alvin Ailey School’s Summer Intensive and Independent Study Program. She previously worked at Dance With Me Studios (owned by DWTS pros Maks & Val Chmerkovskiy) where she trained and competed in multiple ballroom, Latin and social dance styles. Sharlane is thrilled to be back performing and choreographing again for JCE!
Rachel Leigh Dolan
Rachel Leigh Dolan is a Choreographer and Master Dance Teaching Artist based in Washington, DC. She is a Helen Hayes Award Nominated Choreographer whose highlights include: Hair and Cabaret at the Keegan Theatre, Oliver at Adventure Theatre MTC, recently James and the Giant Peach, directed by Michael Baron, and A Year with Frog and Toad at Imagination Stage. In 2014, Rachel was honored to be selected as part of the 2014-15 Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation Prestigious Observership Class, and has since become a proud Associate Member. She continues to grow her portfolio of unique choreographic style, and always strives to take on challenging projects with progressive theaters. As a professional performer, Rachel made her debut in 2000 in Debbie Allen’s Dreams at the Kennedy Center, and performed with Ms. Allen again in 2002 in Pearl. A dance educator, she has had the privilege to teach at numerous prestigious studios, schools, and universities in the Washington, DC Metropolitan area, including Catholic University of America, American University, Montgomery College, Joy of Motion, and Loudoun School of Ballet. In 2014, Rachel became a faculty member at the innovative private performing arts secondary school, The Academy at Metropolitan School of the Arts.
Kavin T. Grant
Kavin T. Grant (1981-2019), a native of Jacksonville, Florida, was an Associate Professor of Dance at Alabama State University. He received his MFA in Dance with a concentration in Choreography and Performance from Temple University in Philadelphia, PA. Mr. Grant trained with Kariamu and Company: Traditions, and was a member for three years; Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet; Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater; Florida Community College at Jacksonville; and Jacksonville University, where he earned a BFA in Dance with departmental honors and a minor in Sociology. He was a guest instructor at Tri-Cities High School, Booker T. Washington Magnet High School, Temple University, Penn State University, The University of the Arts, The University of Akron, Rowan University, Muhlenberg College, Tallahassee Community College and Jacksonville University. He was also the founder/CEO of Kavin Grant Productions and Entertainment, LLC. Three of his choreographic works were adjudicated and selected for the Gala program at various Regions of the American College Dance Festival, and one chosen for the National American College Dance Festival. He specialized in classical ballet (Vaganova), contemporary ballet, contemporary modern, hip-hop, jazz, African (Umfundalai), musical theater and step dance. On March 31, 2019, Kavin T. Grant died in a car accident. JCE is presenting his work for the fifth time since 2015 and is dedicating these performances to him. A talented choreographer and much loved teacher, he is greatly missed by the dance community.
Billy Griffin
Billy Griffin is a New York City based artist who received his BFA from New York University/Tisch School Of The Arts. Performing credits include the Broadway/1st National productions of Mary Poppins, Young Frankenstein, and White Christmas, as well as Jeff Amsden’s A Few Good Men Dancin’, The Electric Company on PBS, and the video game Dance on Broadway for Nintendo Wii. As a director/choreographer he has created work for Hershey Park, Waldameer Park, The Miss America Organization, The National YoungArts Foundation, Fleet Week at South Street Seaport, The Neighborhood Playhouse, Steps Conservatory and NYU. Associate/assistant credits include working with Andy Blankenbuehler on Only Gold, Josh Bergasse on episodes of NBC’s SMASH, Marlo Hunter on My Life Is A Musical at Bay Street Theater/Duke on 42nd and Al Blackstone on Broadway Backwards, BC Beat, Gypsy Of The Year, the new musical Crazy In Love, Freddie Falls In Love at the Pershing Square Signature Center and the Fire Island Dance Festival and most recently The View Upstairs which is currently running off-Broadway. Billy also teaches regularly at Broadway Dance Center, Steps On Broadway and NYU.
Karin Kawamoto
Karin Kawamoto spent her early 20′s playing Connie Wong in A Chorus Line in several International Tours as well as in regional theaters, working for Baayork Lee and Mitzi Hamilton, among other notable directors. She also sang and danced for Ms. Lee and Marvin Hamlisch at the Hollywood Bowl and the opening of the Cincinnati Performing Arts center. In addition to performing in industrials, at theme parks, and Civic Light Operas, Karin has assisted Baayork in recreating Turkey Lurkey from Promises, Promises at NYU and for private workshops. In 2015, she dusted off her dance shoes to perform in National Asian Artists Project’s 5th Anniversary Gala, where she performed in two of her favorite numbers, Big Spender from Sweet Charity and Turkey Lurkey, from Promises, Promises. She also danced in the 2016 Annual BC/EFA Easter Bonnet at the Minskoff, finally performing on a Broadway stage. Recently, Karin also made her film debut in the soon-to-be-released film short, Parental Pride, and teaches an open jazz dance class for NAAPs Professional Development program that is open to the public. Karin has a B.A. from UC Irvine in Sociology and Psychology, and a minor in classical voice.
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!
Gregory Kollarus
Gregory Kollarus is a proud alumnus of the Long Island High School for the Arts (LIHSA) dance program. He also attended the Martha Graham Teen Program and went on to study at the Joffrey Ballet School in New York City and Joffrey Midwest. He is a proud graduate of The William Esper Studio where he studied the Meisner technique. Gregory is a co-founder of Logos Dance Collective, for which he co-choreographed “Allegory of the Cave,” “Echolocation,” “Flutter,” “The Missing Shade of You,” and “Curved Spacetimes,” performed with all of the founding member of Logos Dance Collective: Barbra Montero, Patra Jongjitirat, and Theresa Duhon. He also created his own jazz piece, “Falling Into the Current.” Gregory is a dance instructor at the Studio for Performing Arts in Commack, Long Island alongside with Jamie Chandler-Torns, and the Alden Moves Studio in Brooklyn owned by Alden LaPaglia. Gregory and Alden co-choreographed and performed “Once in A Life Time” at the Dixon Place Theater and for the APAP City Center. Gregory has been seen in productions of “West Side Story” at the John Engeman Theater, “Carrie the Musical,” and “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.”
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.
Vanessa Martínez de Baños
Vanessa Martínez de Baños is a recognized dancer, teacher and choreographer, and co-director of DoubleTakeDanceCo.com (NY SummerStage, Battery, Carnival, Jazz Choreography Project, etc). Featured twice in Dance Informa Magazine, DoubleTake Dance (DTD) has recently received several commissions: Rock that Rolls choreographic commission for Dancing Wheels in Cleveland, OH; HT Chen New Steps residency NYC; Next Step commission and performance for JPAC NYC. Currently she dances and choreographs for DTD, Daniel Gwirtzman and American Tap Dance Foundation. Other companies/choreographers include DIY Nutcracker, BalaSole, Noir Tribe Media, RSW & associates, ABT, Little Opera Theater, Ikada, Ryan Beck, Derek Mitchell, Guillém Alonso, Lynn Schwab and Tony Waag, L’OREAL, Heineken, Ameriprise, Yahoo, Ursus Vodka, KDDance, Tag Heuer, Lush Cosmetics/Gorilla Perfumes, Fuse TV, X- Box/Kinect (Times Square with NeYo and Lady Sovereign), Rachel Ray Show etc. Film credits include “Friends With Benefits” with Justin Timberlake (IMDB 2011). Vanessa is passionate about her teaching career. On faculty at Steps, Joffrey, BAE and a Tap City Leader, she’s been featured on CNN, NBC and TV Globo in Brazil.
Bryan Menjivar
Bryan Ernesto Menjivar is a triple threat performer from the West Coast. Born and raised in California, he was always the life of the party as a child, so much so that he enjoyed and strived for the limelight. Dancing was his escape from the harsh realities of his troubled youth; he started in Hip-Hop and contemporary in school, and salsa and merengue at home. In 2008 he graduated from the Musical Theatre program at AMDA LA. Shortly after that he joined the high seas and danced for Carnival Cruise Lines. He enjoyed the challenge and never looked back. Following those 5 years he moved to the city to pursue his dream of Broadway and hasn’t given up yet. He is currently working for Dance with Me studios where he is still building up his resume and honing his skill but also making it possible for him to create new styles and choreograph many awesome and beautiful pieces. He wants to thank his partner, Sharlane, for not giving up on him, his family for always being there, but most of all his man and dog—Teddy and Oliver—for being the family he always wanted.
Sue Samuels
Sue Samuels — performer, master jazz teacher, choreographer — has an established reputation as one of the leaders within the performing arts community. She was the co-founder/owner of Jo Jo’s Dance Factory in New York City, which later became Broadway Dance Center. Sue has been on the faculty of Broadway Dance Center since 1986 and is also on the faculty of Peridance Capezio Center NYC. Students have included numerous stage, film, and television stars such as Melba Moore, Brooke Shields, Dominique Dawes and Irene Cara. As a performer and choreographer, Sue has over 40 years of extensive credits in film, television, and theatrical productions on Broadway and around the world. In 2009, Sue founded Jazz Roots Dance, a professional company dedicated to the preservation of the classic jazz dance form while aiming to excite and educate all generations about its roots. In Spring 2013 she self-produced and presented a successful season for Jazz Roots Dance, and in Fall 2013 the company completed its first tour to L.A. to perform in the TriArt Festival in San Pedro. Sue is a 2015 recipient of the Flo Bert Award for her dedication to the Jazz Dance art form. Critics agree that this company is “a new force to be reckoned with.”
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.
Ashley Stafford
Originally from Bloomington, Indiana, Ashley Stafford came to New York City by way of Lexington, Kentucky. A free-spirited and hyperactive choreographer, teacher, performer, photographer, and pianist, Ashley’s love for the arts began at a very young age with the Indiana University pre-college ballet and music programs. She graduated with honors and received her Bachelor’s degree in Piano Performance, as well as a minor in Psychology, from Transylvania University. Ashley currently teaches for the Children and Teens Program at Broadway Dance Center and at Downtown Dance Factory. Her choreography has been showcased in both the Brooklyn Dance Festival and Gotham Dance Theater’s performances for emerging choreographers, as well as in Chris Palacio’s Rooftop Showcase. She performs regularly for both stage and for film, and has appeared on MTV, Good Morning America, and Telemundo to name a few. Ashley aims to fuse together her diverse training, life experiences, musical knowledge, and passion for the arts to create works that are relatable, genuine, and powerful.
Kyle Weiler
Kyle is honored to be back presenting work with NY Jazz Choreography. A recent graduate of The Juilliard School, he has performed the works of José Limon, Martha Graham, Paul Taylor, Kyle Abraham, Camille A Brown, and Brian Brooks. Recent stage credits include: Damn Yankees (Ordway) and Mamma Mia & Dear Edwina (Theatre Aspen). Kyle participated in Arts Powers Arusha, an arts outreach exchange in Arusha, Tanzania. Back home in Minnesota, he has created original material for local dance companies, Hennepin Theatre Trust, and assistant directed/choreographed Bare: The Pop Opera at Minneapolis Children’s Theatre. He is also a founding member of the Arts Fusion Initiative, a diverse group of artists who create unique, interdisciplinary performances inspired by American poets. For the next year, he will be adventuring around Europe and Asia, playing Diesel in the centennial tour of West Side Story. Much love to his family and mentors!
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 edition of the New York Jazz Choreography Project.
Gregory Kollarus
Gregory’s piece in the Jazz Project was inspired by Judy Garland and Fred Astaire in “A Couple of Swells” and Bob Fosse and Gwen Verdon in “Who’s Got The Pain.” “‘Falling Into the Current’ was inspired by classic jazz and vaudeville. It’s about two vaudevillian performers who used to be wildly successful, but at this point in their lives, they are completely washed up and homeless. These two people have basically sacrificed their lives for the art of vaudeville and jazz.”
Sue Samuels
Sue’s inspiration is Jack Cole, who is a founding father of the Classic Jazz Dance style we have today. “He traveled the world and came back with the ‘jazz hand,’ head, shoulder and hip isolations, and rhythmic moves which are used in different countries around the world. When he returned to the USA, he added his classic ballet training with the shoulder, hip and head isolations, jazz hand and other finger movements he had picked up and one of my personal favorites, the hinge!”
Rachel Leigh Dolan
Rachel is influenced by old Hollywood musicals. “Cyd Charisse is a huge influence…in choreographing for a female. Her movement is sexy and classy and captivating.” This video is from “Singin’ in the Rain” featuring Gene Kelly and Cyd Charisse.
Kyle Weiler
I was actually inspired to make this piece after reading the Neil Simon play, ‘The Sunshine Boys,’ produced in 1972. The play is about the tumultuous relationship of a famous vaudeville comedy duo that reunites after 11 years apart. This Shaw & Lee video below provided additional inspiration and insight into the physicality of the due.
The April 2017 New York Jazz Choreography Project is made possible in part with public funds from Creative Engagement, supported by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council and the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and administered by Lower Manhattan Cultural Council.
Lower Manhattan Cultural Council empowers artists by providing them with networks, resources, and support, to create vibrant, sustainable communities in Lower Manhattan and beyond.
All of JCE’s programs are made possible in part by support from our sponsor, Salon Ishi.
