Body And Soul

Warren Adams, born and raised in South Africa, is among several choreographers whose dances will receive their New York premieres during BalletMet Columbus's return engagement at The Joyce Theater (September 30-October 5). Adams will present "The Audacious One," inspired by the speech that first brought Senator Barack Obama to national and international attention and acclaim. Created as a four-minute piece for BalletMet's 30th anniversary season in Columbus, Ohio, the work will now be seen in an expanded version, set to Mozart's Requiem. Program notes--http://infinitebody.blogspot.com. Guest info at http://www.joyce.org and http://www.balletmet.org/performances_hot_nights_adams.php. (c)2008, Eva Yaa Asantewaa

Jane Goldberg--tap dancer and journalist--discusses her entertaining and insightful new book, "Shoot Me While I'm Happy: Memories from The Tap Goddess of the Lower East Side." Program notes--http://infinitebody.blogspot.com. Guest info at http://www.janegoldberg.org. (c)2008, Eva Yaa Asantewaa

Bessie Award-winning choreographer Jane Comfort talks about "An American Rendition"--her new dance-theater work that addresses American addiction to Reality TV and avoidance of political realities such as our government's policy of rendition--the secret kidnapping, interrogation and torture of detainees in overseas prisons. Jane Comfort and Company will premiere this piece at the Duke on 42nd Street (September 24-28). Program notes--http://infinitebody.blogspot.com. Guest info at www.janecomfortandcompany.org. (c)2008, Eva Yaa Asantewaa

Dancer-choreographer Adrienne Westwood discusses her upcoming premiere, "Lullaby in Surrealism" (September 25-27 at the Ailey Citigroup Theater) and talks about founding a collaborative dance company with several fellow graduates of North Carolina School of the Arts. Program notes--http://infinitebody.blogspot.com. Guest info at www.viadance.org. (c)2008, Eva Yaa Asantewaa

Program notes--http://infinitebody.blogspot.com. Guest info at www.gwirtzmandance.org. (c)2008, Eva Yaa Asantewaa

An interview with dancer-choreographer Ana Maria Alvarez, founder and artistic director of Contra-Tiempo, a Latin activist dance troupe based in Los Angeles. Program notes--http://infinitebody.blogspot.com. Guest info at www.contra-tiempo.org. (c)2008, Eva Yaa Asantewaa

Choreographer Jill Johnson talks with Eva about her residency with Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet and her new dance installation, The Copier. Program notes--http://infinitebody.blogspot.com. Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet info at www.cedarlakedance.com. (c)2008, Eva Yaa Asantewaa

Program notes--http://infinitebody.blogspot.com. Guest info at www.alchemyperformance.com and www.miramania.com. (c)2008, Eva Yaa Asantewaa

Program notes at http://infinitebody.blogspot.com. Guest info at www.risajaroslow.org. (c)2008, Eva Yaa Asantewaa

For program notes, see http://infinitebody.blogspot.com. Guest info at www.keigwinandcompany.com. (c)2008, Eva Yaa Asantewaa

It’s immediately clear that Tom Pearson and Zach Morris of Third Rail Projects take great pleasure in their work and that the personal bond between them creates an atmosphere of trust and courage that nourishes their entire artistic team. The dancer-choreographers spoke with me today about their partnership, their creative process and “Vanishing Point,” a new presentation at Danspace Project (June 26-28). BIOS TOM PEARSON Tom Pearson works in a variety of media. Each work introduces its own movement and/or visual vocabulary, defined by the parameters of the subject and performance environment. Pearson’s work ranges from the surreal to the absurd, and part of his creative project includes an examination of American Indian identity in urban situations and everyday circumstances. Through the lens of a contemporary movement vocabulary, he creates dense, evocative worlds that illuminate the transient and the transformational, using movement abstracted from and coupled with everyday action. Paired with this is a

Hilary Easton's creativity combines secure craft, sharp intelligence, hearty expression and fearless exploration. Here's a delightful conversation I had with the choreographer in a studio at New York's Lincoln Center. BIO Hiilary Easton has danced with Kinematic, Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company, XXY Dance/Music and many others. Ms. Easton has been commissioned to choreograph for many exciting projects, most recently The Talking Band's "Imminence," which premiered at La MaMa in February 2008. Ms. Easton is a consultant for VSA Arts, the New York Philharmonic, and Big Thought/Dallas. She has taught at Connecticut College, Princeton University, and the University of Montana and will be in residency this November at The Hermitage Artist Retreat in Sarasota, Florida. Hilary Easton + Company will perform "Noise + Speed" during Mt. Tremper Arts's inaugural season. The troupe will tour their 2007 work "It's All True" for Lincoln Center Institute and will present their next New York season in March 2009

If you can see this description text but missed the text for the previous two podcasts--the UF students and Emily Berry interviews--you can find that information on my blog, InfiniteBody. Thanks, once again, for your support! LINK http://infinitebody.blogspot.com Body and Soul is the official podcast of InfiniteBody dance blog at http://infinitebody.blogspot.com. Subscribe through iTunes or at http://magickaleva.hipcast.com/rss/bodyandsoul.xml. (c)2008, Eva Yaa Asantewaa

“I believe that art has the power to create change,” says Emily Berry, artistic director of B3W and my guest for today’s podcast. Recently, Berry set a new dance on her students at Queensborough Community College, dealing straight on with the issue of race. Given the prominence of this issue–for better or for worse--in this year’s presidential campaign, I thought it appropriate to take a look at how one contemporary dance artist has chosen to address this longstanding societal divide. You can see videos of Berry's work at http://www.b3w.org. BIO Emily Berry is the Artistic Director of B3W, formerly the Emily Berry Dance Company, which has performed in the US, England and Mexico. She has performed with Ann Arbor Dance Works, Boris Willis Moves, Dakshina/Daniel Phoenix Singh & Company, Michele Dunleavy, Lesole’s Dance Project (South African), and Ashe Moyubba Afro-Cuban Folkloric Dance Ensemble. She has performed at such venues as the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Dance Place, Teatro de Danza in

A few weeks ago, I interviewed choreographer Neta Pulvermacher about her UF/NYC Dance Xchange program for dance majors from University of Florida's College of Fine Arts. The students are now here in New York, and I met them last evening at Judson Memorial Church where we attended a Movement Research performance. After watching dances by Rose Anne Spradlin, Rebecca Lazier, DD Dorvillier and Julian Barnett, we gathered around, and I asked the students to share some of their reactions to the show. LINKS Interview with Neta Pulvermacher http://infinitebody.blogspot.com/2008/04/neta-pulvermacher-body-and-soul-podcast.html Joyce SoHo http://www.joyce.org University of Florida College of Fine Arts, Scool of Theatre and Dance http://arts.ufl.edu/theatreanddance/ Body and Soul is the official podcast of InfiniteBody dance blog at http://infinitebody.blogspot.com. Subscribe through iTunes or at http://magickaleva.hipcast.com/rss/bodyandsoul.xml. (c)2008, Eva Yaa Asantewaa This material may not be reproduced in

In Part 2 of our conversation about the 2008 La MaMa Moves! dance festival, co-curators Nicky Paraiso and Mia B. Yoo discuss a new addition to their festival schedule--a forum for choreographers. GUEST BIOS See Part 1. EVENT La MaMa Moves! -- May 2-June 1 For up-to-the-minute calendar and ticketing details, see the link below or call 212-475-7710. LINK La MaMa e.t.c. http://www.lamama.org/ Click on Dance Festival 2008 Body and Soul is the official podcast of InfiniteBody dance blog at http://infinitebody.blogspot.com. Subscribe through iTunes or at http://magickaleva.hipcast.com/rss/bodyandsoul.xml. (c)2008, Eva Yaa Asantewaa

La MaMa Moves! again! Ellen Stewart's legendary East Village theater presents its big annual dance festival, starting this weekend with a presentation of Ivy Baldwin Dance. I spoke with co-curators Nicky Paraiso and Mia B. Yoo about all of their sensational events, including the "Dancing for Micki" benefit in honor of Micki Wesson, the great supporter and champion of New York dance. In Part 2 of our conversation--a separate podcast--Nicky and Mia discuss a new addition to their festival schedule--a forum for choreographers. Nicky Paraiso is currently Performance Curator at The Club at La MaMa Experimental Theatre, and co-curates (with Mia B. Yoo) La MaMa Moves!, La MaMa’s annual spring dance festival. He has been a prolific actor at La MaMa, and the New York downtown theater and performance scene, since 1979. Paraiso has been a member of Meredith Monk/The House and Vocal Ensemble (1981-1990), touring extensively throughout the United States, Europe and Japan. He has worked as an actor and musical director w

The Kitchen, located in Chelsea, and The Studio Museum in Harlem have a couple of exciting things in common. Both centers herald innovation in the arts. And now both have Hoofers' House--an intimate tap jam session celebrating tap dance on the cutting edge. Rashida Bumbray--who co-founded Hoofers' House at SMH and now serves as Assistant Curator at The Kitchen--joins me to talk about this new partnership and The Kitchen's upcoming free event, hosted by master tap dancer/teacher Jason Samuels Smith (May 23). BIO Rashida Bumbray is a dancer and curator living in Harlem. While Bumbray's primary dance form is tap, she has studied with international dance masters of various forms in Brazil, The Gambia, and London. Her personal work combines her passion for dance and visual art in the interest of creating and presenting work that interrogates society and inspires transformation. Bumbray has been Assistant Curator at The Kitchen since Fall 2006. Previously she enjoyed a five and half year tenure at The Studio

Acclaimed dancer-choreographer Nora Chipaumire--recipient of a 2007 New York Dance and Performance ("Bessie") Award--joins me to discuss her vision and mission as a Zimbabwe-born contemporary dance artist of Shona heritage. She previews her April 30-May 1 solo season at Dance Theater Workshop. BIO Nora Chipaumire was born in Mutare, Zimbabwe during the Chimurenga Chechipiri, or second war of liberation. A self-exiled artist now based in New York, she investigates the collaborative process within cultural, political, economic, and technological identities of African contemporary life. Her work is transnational, unafraid, and eager to burn cultural, creative, and geographic boundaries. She creates provocative and politically relevant multimedia dance work, illuminating the struggles of human identity in an increasingly borderless world. Her work is inspired by art from her native country such as shona sculpture and chimurenga music--art that results from the often violent convergence of rural, urban, African,

New York-based choreographer Neta Pulvermacher, who teaches at the University of Florida, joined me to talk about her plans for this year's big student field trip to New York--the Second Annual UF/NYC Dance Xchange (May 3-10, 2008)--and also share a preview of other exciting upcoming projects. BIO Neta Pulvermacher is the founder and project director of the UF/NYC Dance Xchange. She was born and raised in Kibbutz Lehavot Habashan, Israel. She graduated from Juilliard in 1985 and holds an MFA from the ADF/Hollins University. She founded The Neta Dance Company in 1987 and since then has choreographed over 65 works for her company and for numerous ballet and modern companies. Her company tours throughout the US as well as in Europe and Israel. Neta is an Assistant Professor of Dance at the University of Florida. She has choreographed for director, Mira Nair’s feature film, The Namesake, which was released in March of 2007. Most recently she was invited to the MANCC at FSU to work with the Limón Dance Compa