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What audiences and critics had to say about Philadelphia Dance Projects Presents 2010

Philadelphia Dance Projects Presents 2010 has officially come to a close. Many thanks to all who came out to PDP performances these past weeks! Nearly 900 friendly, enthusiastic and discerning audience members joined us to truly make PDP Presents 2010 a success!

Jano Cohen's Snow Falling on the Waves

What the Critics had to say:

The Philadelphia Inquirer dance critics had many reflective, revealing and overwhelmingly positive words to share about PDP Presents 2010. They’ve called the Local Dance History Project and Next Up programs “quite a tour de force,” “sculptural,” and “Very catchy … Very cheeky … Very zippy … Very ironic …Very calming.”

John Luna and Scott McPheeters in a duet by Dan Martin and Michael
Biello

Red Thread was hailed as “rich and complex … with moments of great tenderness and laugh-out-loud humor” with “exquisitely subtle, focused movement,” said the Inquirer, which also declared SCUBA National Touring Network for Dance “a fascinating look at developing talent, from Philadelphia and other cities.”

Philadelphia City Paper’s Bruce Schimmel wrote, “Now that the economic bubble has burst and corporate culture discredited, America may be ready once again to be moved by its artists. Especially by live, intimate performances like these [Biello/Martin/Houston-Jones], where artists take chances for audiences ready to catch them. If we could only get those most in need through the door.”

Published on March 29, 2010 - 12:47pm

More photos from PDP Presents 2010 by Brian Mengini

Photos from Philadelphia Dance Projects Presents 2010 by photographer Brian Mengini. Visit Brian online at www.bmengini.com!

Two Men Dancing

Two Men Dancing

Published on March 29, 2010 - 12:46pm

A heartfelt and special thanks from Terry Fox

A heartfelt and special thanks from Terry Fox to:

The Artists of the Local Dance History Project: Dan Martin, Michael Biello, Ishmael Houston-Jones, Scott McPheeters, William Robinson, Gregory Holt, John Luna, Anthony Perollo, Jano Cohen, Megan Mazarick, Alie Vidich, Jodi Obeid, Heather Murphy, Gabrielle Revlock, Niv Acosta, Theresa Cermanski, Jermey Nowak and the Citizens Footbook Chorus.

Red Thread: Lisa Kraus, Vicky Shick, Eva Karczag, Meg Foley, Gabrielle Revlock and Michelle Tantoco.

Next Up: Otto Ramstad, Chris Yon and Taryn Griggs.

SCUBA ‘10: The BodyCartography Project: Olive Bieringa, Otto Ramstad and all the “Jumpers” - Michelle Tantoco, Nyx Zierhut, Judy Williams, Sarah Gladwin-Camp, Nick Allin, Meredith Rich; Liberation Dance Theatre: Jacinta Vlach, Nzinga Woods, Oliva Eng, Yeni Lucero; Avatard: Megan Mazarick and Alex Holmes

More thanks to all the many other artists and participants in the LDHP Forum, Motion Pictures and Workshops.

“Hats Off!” to PDP Production folks: Matt Sharp, PDP Tech Director; Assistant Zornitsa Stoyanova; Leigh Mumford, Tech Director of the Performance Garage; Nanette Joyce, Director of Conwell Dance Theater along with all the Conwell crew including House Manager Jimena Alviar.

Special thanks to Advisor Anna Drozdowski, Moderator Lisa Kraus, Videographer Carmella Vassor Johnson and Photographer Brian Mengini.

Without all of you, none of this would have been possible.

- Terry Fox, PDP Executive Director

Photo: Alie Vidich in Stolen Poem (above-right); photo by Brian Mengini

Published on March 29, 2010 - 12:42pm

Watch Animal Farm on video, See Jacinta Vlach / Liberation Dance Theater at SCUBA

Watch a preview video of Animal Farm by Jacinta Vlach / Liberation Dance Theater. The San Francisco based company will perform in PDP’s SCUBA National Touring Network for Dance program on Friday, March 19 and Saturday, March 20 at Temple University’s Conwell Dance Theater. Inspired by George Orwell’s classic 20^th century novella of the same title, Animal Farm explores the infrastructure of contemporary politics and propaganda. Using various dance forms including Step, Dancehall, Jazz, and Urban Contemporary, Animal Farm brings together an eclectic fusion of fine art and working-class sensibilities.

Published on March 15, 2010 - 4:51pm

Dance Talk: Q&A with Red Thread artists Lisa Kraus and Meg Foley

This week, curatorial advisor Anna Drozdowski interviews Red Thread co-choreographer Lisa Kraus with dancer Meg Foley, offering an inside peek into the creative development of both artist’s work.

Anna Drozdowski: Why did you choose to sew several generations together for this project? Lisa Kraus: It came up because I saw how the Gee’s Bend quilters pass on their ways to daughters and nieces. Also, if you ask what it means to be dancing as an older person, you end up contrasting that with what it’s like dancing in your twenties or thirties. Meg, Michele and Gabi are around the ages Eva, Vicky and I were when we first met. It made sense to see how the two kinds of energy and ability and interest work together.

Tell me about the things you’ve learned from your younger contemporaries in this process.
Lisa: We’ve gone into using movement language you don’t usually associate with older people - moves from hip hop. Meg and I captured some of her improve and we’ve scored some sections around that quality. It’s segmented and small, interesting in contrast to all the flowing Brown-esque quality we know so well. Gabi is very offhand with her humor and her presence magnetizes me. I’m studying it. And Michele, who is delicate physically but has the capacity to be gargantuan and thrilling has us thinking about how you light fires and spark abandon…

Published on March 8, 2010 - 5:09pm

Philadelphia Dance Projects in print, online and on the radio

Philadelphia Dance Projects Presents 2010 is all over the news. Follow the links below to learn more about PDP Presents and the artists participating in the series, in print, online and on the radio.

The Philadelphia Inquirer dance critic Merilyn Jackson interviews PDP’s Terry Fox and Lisa Kraus in a feature story on the series: The old, the new, moving together
Bruce Schimmel writes about the series and the Local Dance History Project in his Philadelphia City Paper column: Dancing About Politics, Bodies in motion can rebalance the body politic
From WHYY’s Arts and Culture desk, Peter Crimmins interviews Dan Martin, Terry Fox and Tom Whitehead about Philadelphia’s dance history and the challenges of preserving dance performance: Homemade films help dancers re-stage past performances
The Gloucester County Times sits down with Terry Fox: Newfield woman helps dancers pursue dreams
Lewis Whittington profiles Michael Biello and Dan Martin in Edge Philadelphia: Back to the ‘70s
The Dance Journal offers An Interview with Terry Fox

Published on March 5, 2010 - 5:03pm

Watch the trailer for Little Ease [outside the box], a MOTION PICTURES selection

Check out the trailer for Little Ease [outside the box], one of the many films being shown at Motion Pictures Annual Shorts Program on Thursday, March 4. Little Ease is a new take on a classic piece of choreography conceived in 1985 by extreme action pioneer Elizabeth Streb.

In its current incarnation Ami Ipapo has been called to take on the box. As a performer she is concerned with how much to honor the past and how much of herself to bring to the piece. As a member of the current STREB company, Ami is keenly aware of the evolution of Pop Action and uniquely suited to exploring this in her role as performer.

Published on March 1, 2010 - 12:28pm

The show must go on! PDP Presents 2010 opens tonight, snow and all

The show must go on! Philadelphia Dance Projects Presents 2010 will open tonight, Friday, February 26 at The Performance Garage as planned. To borrow a line from the U.S. Postal Service - neither snow, nor rain, nor gloom of night, nor the winds of change will stop the show! Come see performances from Local Dance History Project artists Dan Martin, Michael Biello and Ishmael Houston-Jones and Next Up artist Otto Ramstad beginning at 7:30 p.m. We hope you will join us and bring your friends! Find out how to navigate your way to The Performance Garage here. If you cannot make it to the show, tickets to Friday’s performance will be honored on a first-come, first-serve basis for either Saturday, February 27 performances at 2 p.m. or 7:30 p.m. If you wish to exchange your tickets, please call (215) 546-2552 in advance.

From WHYY’s Arts and Culture desk, Peter Crimmins interviews Dan Martin, Terry Fox and Tom Whitehead about Philadelphia’s dance history and the challenges of preserving dance performance. Listen to the story online at whyy.org.

Published on February 26, 2010 - 1:57pm

Navigate your way to The Performance Garage

Don’t let the canyons of snow still lining Philly streets deter you from getting out of the house to see some delightful, engaging and provocative dance artists. The Performance Garage, located at 1515 Brandywine Street, is one block North of Spring Garden Street and is accessible by public transportation. Take the Broad Street subway to the Spring Garden Street Station, or catch the C bus or #2 bus. Driving? Metered parking on Spring Garden is FREE beginning at 6:30 p.m. and there is a safe and well lit parking lot at the NW corner of Broad and Spring Garden, just one block from the venue.

Published on February 26, 2010 - 1:46pm

Dance Talk: Q&A with Ishmael Houston-Jones

This week, curatorial advisor Anna Drozdowski interviews Local Dance History Project artist Ishmael Houston-Jones, offering an inside peek into the creative development of the artist’s work.

Anna Drozdowski: Tell me about DEAD, in two sentences.
Ishmael Houston-Jones: When my late mother saw DEAD for the first time her only comment was, “Bess Truman isn’t dead.” My reply was, “But she will be one day.”

What was happening in 1980 (or thereabouts) that was important to your artistic growth? Ishmael: By 1980 I had left Philadelphia. I moved to New York on Thanksgiving Day 1979. During the 1970s when I lived here, besides the Ballet, the main players on the dance scene were Group Motion, Zero Moving Co., Philadanco, Juba, Arthur Hall’s Afro American Dance Ensemble, South Street Dance Company, Joan Kerr Dance Company, Sybil Dance Company and Ann Vachon/Dance Conduit. Toward the end of the decade there was a movement of independent choreographers many gathered around Terry Fox’s studio in Old City. I taught and rehearsed there, as did Terry, of course. Jano Cohen, Wendy Hammerstrom, Anne Marie Mulgrew and others were part of a core of artists centered on the Church Street Loft. Terry lived there with composer Jeff Cain so there were always many musicians on the scene as well. At this time Old City was transitioning from being a rather desolate district of light manufacturing and warehouses to an artists’ neighborhood. It was still possible to find really cheap live/work spaces so there were a lot of visual artists living and making work in the area.

Ishmael Houston-Jones and Michael Biello today; image by Jacques-Jean Tiziou

Ishmael Houston-Jones and Michael Biello today; image by Jacques-Jean Tiziou / www.jjtiziou.net

Published on February 16, 2010 - 2:22pm

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