CalArts Dance 2009-2011

THE SHARON DISNEY LUND SCHOOL OF

DANCE 2009–2011

DEAN’S INTRODUCTION S T E PH A N KOPLOW I T Z

The richness of the CalArts educational experience is based on a body of selfmotivated, intellectually curious students, an outstanding faculty of professional artists, an extensive inventory of equipment, and the unique cross-pollination of different disciplines.

BFA student Giovanni Allen in a solo performance

The Sharon Disney Lund School of Dance at CalArts is one of the nation’s premiere colleges for the professional training of contemporary dance artists.

The hallmarks of our school are technical excellence, a distinctive brand of innovative artistry, and a highenergy, production-intensive atmosphere of creative exchange between professionally motivated students and a faculty of practicing artists.

THE DRIVING FORCE OF OUR PROGRAMS— UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE—IS A COMMITMENT TO PREPARE STUDENTS FOR EXCITING CAREERS IN THE FIELD OF DANCE, AND TO ENABLE THEM TO BECOME CREATIVE CONTRIBUTORS TO THE ARTISTIC VITALITY OF THE PROFESSIONAL WORLD.

Dance is a discipline that requires physical, intellectual and artistic sophistication. Our comprehensive curricula include rigorous training in traditional ballet and contemporary dance techniques as well as diverse contemporary approaches to cultivating complex physical skills and a range of artistic styles. Courses in improvisation, composition and choreography stimulate imagination, creativity, problem-solving and an ability to utilize craft to give shape to each student’s personal artistic vision. Interdisciplinary courses, meanwhile, investigate the potent relationships between dance and music, video, theater and writing. In classes and on stage, students gain practical experience in all aspects of production, including lighting and costume design. For our undergraduate students, a wide range of courses in history and cultural studies broaden and deepen perspective on dance as an art form, and help to foster artists who have the cultural and critical awareness and savvy needed for successful careers in the arts.

THE KEY TO OUR EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY IS

CLOSE FACULTY MENTORING. IN A DYNAMIC ENVIRONMENT RICH WITH PERFORMANCE OPPORTUNITIES, OUR DISTINGUISHED FACULTY GUIDE STUDENTS IN EXPLORING THE RICH DIVERSITY OF THE CONTEMPORARY AESTHETIC LANDSCAPE WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY PROVIDING ENCOURAGEMENT AND ADVICE AS STUDENTS DEVELOP THEIR OWN UNIQUE ARTISTIC VOICES. More than that, to study at CalArts means you are a member of a singular institution, one that allows for cross-disciplinary work, the chance to meet colleagues across different artistic disciplines, and to live in an environment that encourages innovation, experimentation and creative connections. The size of The Sharon Disney Lund School of Dance is ideal in that it can function not only as a close-knit community where great attention is given to the individual but also as part of the remarkably diverse artistic world of CalArts.

As dean, I am committed to ensuring that each individual student is met with respect and the opportunity to develop into the unique and creative dance artist that she or he is passionate to become. Our singular goal, as it has been over the course of four decades, is to train the artists who advance the practice of dance so that it continues to stir and challenge the human imagination.

TOP RIGHT: One of the school’s four dance studios RIGHT: BFA students (FROM LEFT) Eric Esparza,

Kim Thompson, Crystaldawn Bell and Leo Gallo

The ensemble piece Catch Me‌, choreographed by faculty member Colin Connor, was staged as part of the 2007 Winter Dance Concert.

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: BFA students (FROM LEFT) Erika Marosi, Giovanni Allen and Crystaldawn Bell; the full ensemble; and Marosi and Allen with Kelsey Boone

THE SHARON DISNEY LUND SCHOOL OF

DANCE

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP : Bryn Cohn in a solo

performance; Cassandra Richards, also in a solo work; and Eric Esparza in a piece by Consuelo Barbetta called Ă˜, presented at the 2008 Spring Dance Concert

THE SHARON DISNEY LUND SCHOOL OF DANCE OFFERS TWO DEGREE PROGRAMS:

BFA PROGRAM IN DANCE EMPHASIZING PERFORMANCE, CHOREOGRAPHY AND DANCE PRODUCTION

MFA PROGRAM IN DANCE EMPHASIZING CHOREOGRAPHY

The information contained in this publication is subject to change. For the most up-to-date information about CalArts and The Sharon Disney Lund School of Dance, see calarts.edu.

01 08 17 26 27 36

DEAN’S INTRODUCTION, Stephan Koplowitz THE SCHOOL AT A GLANCE PROGRAMS FACULTY VISITING ARTISTS SPECIAL RESOURCES

38 FACILITIES 39 ALUMNI 40 APPLICATIONS

THE SCHOOL AT A GLANCE COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH TO DANCE The Sharon Disney Lund School of Dance places equal importance on technical excellence, choreographic creativity, artistic production and intellectual understanding.

These four branches of study converge to cultivate a deep mastery of the elements of the fine art of dance within the context of contemporary society.

CLOSE INTERACTION WITH RENOWNED GUEST ARTISTS To give students the opportunity to encounter first-hand a wide crosssection of contemporary practices, the school invites an eclectic selection of internationally recognized dance artists and companies to the CalArts campus each year. These guest artists give master classes, set repertory pieces for students, and present new work at CalArts-produced concerts.

DISTINGUISHED FACULTY OF WORKING DANCE ARTISTS All faculty members are acclaimed professionals working at the highest levels of dance today. Their wealth of real-world experience gives students a realistic perspective on the artistic and professional challenges of careers in dance.

PARTICIPATION IN FESTIVALS Each year, CalArts takes part in the American College Dance Festival and selects student choreographers and performers to represent the school at other regional and national festsivals.

In addition, the school awards fellowships to students participating in international summer festivals.

FOURTH-YEAR UNDERGRADUATE EXPERIENCE EXCHANGE PROGRAMS The school maintains a longstanding exchange program with London Contemporary Dance School. It is also developing additional exchange programs in Europe and Asia.

8

Created expressly for fourth-year Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) students, CalArts’ The Next Dance Company is designed to mirror the types of experiences the graduating class is likely to encounter in professional companies. In addition, the BFA Program in Dance offers a special seminar, NEXT! Preparing for My Future in Dance, to help fourth-year BFA students to make successful transitions to professional careers following graduation.

EXTENSIVE PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE

PERSONAL ATTENTION AND MENTORING The low student-faculty ratio and small class sizes allow each student to work closely with members of the faculty—including a mentor who serves as that student’s artistic advisor for the duration of the program.

The school’s annual performance calendar comprises 8–10 formal concerts featuring work by students, faculty and guest artists. This rigorous schedule provides students with regular performance opportunities at each stage of their development, and prepares them for the demands of professional dance productions.

Undergraduate students, in particular, gain valuable repertory experience.

COLLABORATIVE AND

PROFESSIONAL PARTNERSHIPS The Sharon Disney Lund School of Dance energetically pursues opportunities for forging connections between CalArts students and the broader professional community—in particular, through special school-wide projects. In the 2008–09 academic year, the entire student population is involved in the reconstruction of David Gordon’s 1982 piece Trying Times, carried out as part of the National Endowment for the Arts’ American Masterpieces initiative.

INTERDISCIPLINARY PROJECTS CalArts’ distinctive educational philosophy has always promoted cross-pollination across the arts. Both undergraduate and graduate students regularly collaborate with peers from other CalArts schools. This pool of collaborators includes musicians and composers; set, costume and lighting designers; experimental filmmakers and animation artists; multimedia and video artists; and directors and producers, among others.

COMMUNITY ARTS PARTNERSHIP (CAP)

ROY AND EDNA DISNEY/CALARTS THEATER (REDCAT) REDCAT is CalArts’ downtown Los Angeles center for the presentation of innovative visual, performing and media arts. The programming featured at this nationally recognized venue runs throughout the academic year, allowing students to experience a wide range of experimental work by a mix of emerging artists and internationally renowned practitioners. The Sharon Disney Lund School of Dance stages two sets of concerts of work by students, faculty and guest artists at REDCAT each year.

An award-winning, nationally recognized program, CAP links CalArts with the diverse communities of Los Angeles County through free after-school and school-based arts programs for youth. This program provides CalArts dance students the opportunity to teach, to hone their artistic abilities, and to help to redefine the role of artists, arts education, and the arts in society.

calarts.edu/dance 99

CYNTHIA MENDEZ From Valencia, California

BFA PROGRAM IN DANCE

“

After a few years of undergraduate work at College of the Canyons, I realized that dance was my life and that I wanted to be a dancer, or somehow be involved in the dance world.

CalArts was my dream school ever since I was little.

“In my first year, I did a lot of pieces to ‘wow’ the audience with, say, a leg extension. But the whole point of this school is the meaning of movement. What does it mean to you? What does it mean to the audience?

HERE, THE QUESTION WITH EACH INDIVIDUAL MOVEMENT, IS ‘WHY?’ INSTEAD OF ‘HOW?’ “There’s no doubt that the faculty here is amazing— and you never know where, when or from whom a breakthrough may come. There was a time when I was going through audition after audition and never getting into a piece.

And I asked one of my teachers, ‘What’s my problem? I know I can dance well.’ There wasn’t a problem with my dancing.

And he said, ‘You’ve got to be in the moment. It’s not about trying to figure out how to be perfect with the movement; it’s about being and staying within yourself, and figuring out what makes you move.’ With that change of mind, I’ve already landed two auditions here and been able to perform more pieces than I otherwise would have. So, I think if you’re intellectually ready—if you have a CalArts mindset—then this may be the right program for you.

“Here, it’s about much more than just dance and choreography: You also learn how to be an assistant manager, a stage manager, to design lighting, shoot video, do costuming and operate a lighting board. If I land a small black box, and I’m on my own and don’t have a budget for a whole bunch of people, I know that I can do all these things myself— not that I’m the greatest at all of these—but I can do them.

”

10

THIS PAGE : Faculty member Rosanna Gamson’s piece

Again Not Again, featured as part of the 2007 Winter Dance Concert CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Eric Esparza; the full ensemble; and Esparza with Jessie Brett OPPOSITE : Hannah Rutherford (LEFT) and Alisa Mittin in a work choreographed by Mira Kingsley and presented at the 2008 Spring Dance Concert

The thesis concert choreographed by Annika Kay (MFA 07) featured performances by Eric Esparza and Ashley Handel (FAR LEFT and ABOVE) and Consuelo Barbetta (ABOVE LEFT and RIGHT).

Min Li (BFA 07) performing a piece called Vibration of My Breath

PROGRAMS THE SHARON DISNEY LUND SCHOOL OF DANCE OFFERS AN UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM LEADING TO THE BACHELOR OF FINE ARTS (BFA) DEGREE AND A GRADUATE PROGRAM LEADING TO THE MASTER OF FINE ARTS (MFA) DEGREE. PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS ARE INVITED TO APPLY TO ONE OF THE TWO PROGRAMS:

BFA PROGRAM IN DANCE MFA PROGRAM IN DANCE

See detailed program requirements and current course listings at calarts.edu/courses.

Coursework for both programs is drawn from a range of more than 30 classes offered by the school each semester. The BFA program requires students to complete a minimum of 120 semester units—including a series of liberal arts/general education classes—while students in the MFA program must complete at least 60 units and successfully present a graduate thesis concert. All dance students may also take electives courses offered by the CalArts Schools of Art, Critical Studies, Film/Video, Music and Theater. In addition, all students in both the BFA and MFA programs are required to pass regular faculty reviews of their artistic and academic progress.

17

BFA

PROGRAM IN DANCE

This intensive four-year training program provides a developmental path to professionallevel skills, combining strong contemporary technique with high levels of artistry, selfconfidence, and literacy in the field of dance.

Throughout the four-year residency, each student works closely with a faculty mentor who provides one-on-one artistic and academic advice and guidance.

18

Students progress through a sequence of reviews each semester, including a midresidency review at the end of the second semester and a final review prior to graduation.

THE CURRICULUM OF T H E B FA P R O G R A M I N DANCE BUILDS A ROBUST F O U N D AT I O N I N B A L L E T AND CONTEMPOR ARY DANCE ST YLES.

Two daily technique classes four times each week establish the consistent means for developing the necessary skills throughout the four years of the program, while classes in dance composition and choreography also advance along a steady curricular path. The skills developed through this coursework are showcased in 8–10 formal concerts presented by the school each year, with students choreographing original work and performing in a variety of pieces by fellow students, faculty and guest artists. All BFA candidates are required to present an original solo in the fall semester of the second year, and to choreograph at least one group work for one of the school’s concerts during the remainder of the residency. In addition to concerts, all students and faculty participate in weekly Dance Showings, which serve as a lively and collegial forum for the presentation of works-in-progress and direct artistic feedback from faculty and fellow students.

Cassandra Richards in the second-year BFA (BFA2) solo concert, performing a work entitled Emotional You, Vicarious Me

19

T H E B FA C U R R I C U L U M A L S O INCLUDES COMPREHENSIVE INSTRUC TION IN ALL AREAS OF DANCE PRODUC TION. Courses in stagecraft, lighting and costume design, and audio and video production prepare students for a variety of design and production crewing responsibilities. In addition, students take courses in music for dance and dance for camera, gaining theoretical, practical and creative perspectives on the relationship between dance and media.

Other classes cover dance history, dance and global cultures, contemporary dance artists, anatomy, kinesiology, dance improvisation, contact improvisation, yoga, Pilates, partnering, pointe work, and Balinese and African dance. This roster of classes is supplemented with master classes conducted by visiting artists and companies.

Finally, BFA candidates round out their coursework with the Critical Studies Undergraduate Requirements, which enable students to develop critical thinking skills and gain a broad perspective on the role of the arts in contemporary society.

CalArts encourages all students to further pursue individual creative interests above and beyond curricular requirements.

Students in the BFA Program in Dance have the opportunities to showcase their abilities beyond the CalArts campus. The school stages two concerts each year at the Roy and Edna Disney/CalArts Theater (REDCAT) in downtown Los Angeles. It also selects students to take part in various festivals and conferences, including those sponsored by the American College Dance Festival Association, and provides approximately 20 fellowships to students attending national and international summer festivals.

ABOVE: Faculty member Cynthia Young (RIGHT) leads a

ballet technique class.

CRITICAL STUDIES UNDERGRADUATE REQUIREMENTS The Critical Studies Undergraduate Requirements are a series of classes on topics across the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences and cultural studies. Candidates for the BFA degree must complete at least 46 Critical Studies semester units as part of the overall 120 units needed for graduation. This amounts to an average of three Critical Studies classes per semester and represents nearly 40 percent of each BFA student’s course load over four years.

Courses on dance history and other subjects related to dance can fulfill a portion of this requirement.

To see more detailed information about the Critical Studies Undergraduate Requirements, go to calarts.edu/undergrad.

20

FOURTH-YEAR BFA EXPERIENCE As part of its comprehensive effort to enable all fourth-year BFA students to make successful transitions to careers following graduation, the BFA Program in Dance offers a special seminar called NEXT! Preparing for My Future in Dance.

This seminar helps graduating BFA students to design their careers by addressing subjects such as defining directions and objectives, researching possibilities, assessing options, financial survival, building contacts and support systems, self-presentation, honest selfassessment, setting useful goals, and how to continue to progress as a young artist.

Separately, CalArts is also presenting The Next Dance Company, featuring the artists of each year’s graduating BFA class. Designed to mirror the experiences graduates are likely to encounter in professional companies, work in this company allows fourth-year BFA candidates to gain valuable experience in rehearsing new works as well as reconstructing existing pieces. Some students choreograph for their peers, while others focus on the performance challenges of large ensemble works or smallcast pieces choreographed by faculty and guest artists. The process culminates each spring with formal concerts at REDCAT—an optimal showcase for the dancing and choreographic talents of the graduating class.

To apply to the BFA Program in Dance, go to calarts.edu/apply.

INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGE PROGRAM Two upper-division undergraduates are selected each year to study at London Contemporary Dance School during the fall semester, with two students from the London school coming to CalArts.

This unique opportunity allows CalArts students to experience conservatory-style training in the heart of London, and provides a foothold for exploring new opportunities in Europe.

BELOW: Acclaimed chorographer Reggie Wilson (LEFT),

artistic director of the Fist & Heel Performance Group, was a visiting artist at The Sharon Disney Lund School of Dance in conjunction with his company’s performances at REDCAT.

21

MFA

PROGRAM IN DANCE

The MFA Program in Dance enjoys a national reputation as a leading conservatory-style program with an emphasis on contemporary choreography and aesthetics.

This challenging two-year course of study is designed for experienced dance artists who wish to pursue professional careers as choreographers and educators.

22

To obtain the MFA degree, students must complete all course requirements, successfully present a graduate thesis concert during the second year of residency, and pass two faculty reviews of their work—once at the end of the first year and again prior to graduation. Qualified graduate-level applicants who are interested in interdisciplinary work with digital media may apply to be considered for a supplemental concentration in Integrated Media (see page 24).

T H E M FA C U R R I C U L U M E N A B L E S E A C H G R A D U AT E S TUDENT TO DE VELOP AND REFINE HIS OR HER OWN PERSONAL AESTHE TIC.

It includes seminars dealing with topics in professional dance—from organizing concepts in choreography to meeting the practical demands of producing concerts to identifying larger artistic and career goals. The curriculum also features classes in technique, composition, dance theory, costume design, dance production, dance on camera, and digital media and editing.

Students are required to create and present three original works in the first year of residency.

In consultation with the school’s dean, MFA candidates identify a progression of these pieces for presentation as part of various school concerts held each year. These works are first presented more informally for feedback during Dance Showings, a weekly forum that involves all faculty and students.

The thesis concert is produced in the second semester of the second year. An advisory committee consisting of the dean and at least three faculty members is assigned to each MFA candidate at the outset of the second year. As part of the preparation for the thesis concert, students are required to submit a written proposal, which must be approved by faculty before any thesis work is begun. Each MFA student receives a generous stipend for the thesis project and has the opportunity to

A first-year MFA (MFA1) concert

23

collaborate with artists from other CalArts schools—including composers, musicians, multimedia artists, and set, costume and lighting designers. Each MFA candidate must hold open auditions for his or her thesis concert.

MFA candidates are given a variety of teaching opportunities during their residencies, including selected classes within the undergraduate curriculum.

O V E R A L L , M FA S T U D E N T S P L AY A N I N T E G R A L LEADERSHIP ROLE WITHIN THE SCHOOL. THEY ARE E XPEC T ED TO SE T EXAMPLES IN ARTISTIC ACHIEVEMENT AND WORK E THIC FOR YOUNGER DANCERS TO FOLLOW.

CENTER FOR INTEGRATED MEDIA Integrated Media (IM) is a supplemental concentration offered by many MFA programs at CalArts—including the MFA Program in Dance— and supported by the Center for Integrated Media. Advanced dance artists who wish to combine their work with an exploration of digital and interactive technologies are invited to apply to the MFA Program in Dance and ask to be considered for the IM concentration.

For more information, go to calarts.edu/cim or see the Center for Integrated Media brochure.

GRADUATE ASSISTANTSHIPS There are paid positions available each semester to MFA dance students with documented experience in several areas of specialty: dance production manager, costume coordinator, dance history assistant, publicity assistant, video technician, sound technician, and newsletter editor.

BELOW: An interdisciplinary performance

choreographed by Kyu-Hee Park (BFA 06)

24

To apply to the MFA Program in Dance, go to calarts.edu/apply.

ANDRÉ MEGERDICHIAN From New York City

MFA PROGRAM IN DANCE

“

I came back to school when I was 37, after a long career as a performer. I had also taught at the Limón Institute. As a dancer, I could check off all the things I wanted to achieve in my life—and I’d taught at an internationally renowned school and at universities. The one area that really needed time and focus was choreography. I didn’t want to make an academic study of choreography; I knew that I just needed to do choreography.

When I visited CalArts, I noticed that the focus of all six schools here was on students discovering their own voices. It seems to be an overarching theme or philosophy at CalArts.

Everybody’s trying to figure out who they are as artists, and that really appealed to me. I want to discover who I am as a choreographer.

“Choreography is a craft, and it demands time, diligence and practice. We can look at stuff and talk about it all day, but what it really boils down to is time in the studio, creating work, looking at the work, and having other people look at it. Then, feeling out the responses and having an educated discussion about what

you’ve actually done—not about what you’re thinking, but what you’ve done. That’s what I really love about this school.

SINCE I GOT HERE, I HAVEN’T STOPPED MAKING WORK, AND PEOPLE ARE ALWAYS LOOKING AT IT AND TALKING ABOUT IT. “That constant output has helped my development by giving me a clear understanding of my strengths and weaknesses. Now, I can capitalize on that understanding.

”

25

THE SHARON DISNEY LUND SCHOOL OF DANCE

FACULTY Stephan Koplowitz

Cynthia Young

Dean

Associate Dean

Laurence Blake

Andre Tyson

Assistant Dean

Assistant Dean

Kate Fox

Mary Grcevic

Operations and Production Manager

Administrative Assistant

FACULTY Laurence Blake

David DK Kroth

Garth Belcon

ballet technique

lighting design, technical direction

assistant technical director

Stephanie Nugent

accompanist

Colin Connor contemporary technique and choreography

Robin Cox music for dancers

Glen Eddy ballet technique

Kate Fox anatomy of movement

Rosanna Gamson composition

Ed Groff dance history

Blake Colie

contemporary technique and composition/ improvisation

Sharon Lam

Francesca Penzani

Mark Litver

accompanist

dance for camera

accompanist

Mitchell Rose

Stephen Lockwood

dance for camera

accompanist

Andre Tyson contemporary technique, jazz

Cynthia Young ballet technique

Stephan Koplowitz choreography, MFA thesis seminar

See faculty bios online at calarts.edu/dance/faculty.

26

VISITING ARTISTS The school regularly invites distinguished visiting artists to share their experience and vision with students through master classes, lectures, demonstrations and performances. These presentations are an integral part of the school’s curriculum.

Guests include, among others, recipients of the prestigious Alpert Awards in the Arts (a fellowship program administered

by CalArts on behalf of The Herb Alpert Foundation), internationally renowned artists and companies who present work at REDCAT, and Los Angeles-based artists who feature in the school’s annual Commuter Festival. Recent visiting artists have included:

Betontanc Art Bridgeman and Myrna Packer Ronald K. Brown/EVIDENCE Donald Byrd Monica Favand Campagna Anne Carlson Hassan Christopher Mark Dendy Diavolo Dance Theater Jeanine Durning Eiko and Koma Joe Goode David Gordon Rennie Harris Alan Herdman Liz Hoefner Holly Johnston Larry Keigwin John Kelly Ralph Lemon Faustin Linyekula and Les Studio Kabako Fiona Lummis Victoria Marks Carla Maxwell Bradley Michaud Sarah Michelson Bebe Miller Laura Gorenstein Miller Lionel Popkin Aage Thordal-Christensen Troika Ranch David Rousseve Donna Uchizono

Composition faculty Rosanna Gamson with first-year BFA student Jessica Miles

Teri Weikel Reggie Wilson/ Fist & Heel Performance Group

27

LEO GALLO From Los Angeles

BFA PROGRAM IN DANCE

“

Tap was my big thing as a kid. When we moved to L.A. from Chico, I ended up joining a boy band for about four years, and I was tutored from seventh to 11th grade. So, I had a lot of professional experience before attending LACHSA [Los Angeles County High School for the Arts]. After that, coming to CalArts was the best choice I could have made. I thought I was ready to take over the world; but like my mom said, ‘You think you know everything until you go back to school, and then you realize you don’t know [expletive deleted].

“My first two years here I just danced.

I LOVE PERFORMING SO MUCH—IT’S A MOMENT IN WHICH YOU’RE VERY VULNERABLE—IT’S AN EXOTIC, INVIGORATING FEELING, HAVING THE AUDIENCE WATCH YOU. “You may be just lying on the floor with lights on you, no music, and you’re breathing heavily—you’re really alone. But you know that there are hundreds of people with you…

“Everyone has to choreograph at least one solo and one group piece by the time they graduate, and I was scared to choreograph during my first two years. It’s actually a great challenge to see what you’re capable of. Dancing won’t always be possible as you get older, but choreography will always be an option. To be included in our Winter Dance Concert last semester, I had to write a proposal for a piece and, at that time, I had no idea how to do it. So I created a narrative from a vision I had while driving. I saw a crow with a broken wing, running down the freeway. At first, I thought it was a box, but all of a sudden it turned into this crow. And I wondered about that bird’s life. If there were another crow around, would it help him—or eat him?

Thinking about these things, I melded them into a 10-minute dance that began with a broken crow.

“The faculty here really cares for you. If I had gone to a large university, I’d just be a number. The dance school at CalArts has only 85 students, and knowing that you can talk to your teachers whenever you need to is a big plus. I want to learn from someone I look up to, someone that has been someplace—someone who can help me get where I want to go.

”

28

The inaugural edition of the Student Choice Concert, in 2008, featured a program of new works curated by the students of The Sharon Disney Lund School of Dance.

ABOVE : RIP, a duet choreographed by AndrĂŠ Megerdichian and performed by Rachel Abrahams and Nicholas Bruder ABOVE RIGHT AND OPPOSITE : You Remind Me, choreographed

by Cassandra Richards and performed by Cameron Evans, Kimberly Kellums and Rhianna Rhoades

LEFT: What Dark Isn’t This?, choreographed by

Alisdair Stewart—an exchange student from London Contemporary Dance School—and performed by Stewart and Consuelo Barbetta ABOVE : Stewart and Barbetta with Nicholas Bruder OPPOSITE, ABOVE RIGHT: Brianne Willis (LEFT) and Melissa Bourkas in Skin Deep, choreographed

by Jason Williams OPPOSITE, FAR RIGHT: Bourkas with Jon Nai Russell in Skin Deep

RACHEL ABRAHAMS From Oyster Bay, New York

BFA PROGRAM IN DANCE

“

I came to CalArts right out of high school. I had only done ballet until my junior year, so I was looking for something new, and wanted to dive deeper into modern dance. It took me a little while to figure out that everything I want to do here, I could do. Anything I visualize for myself is achievable. Once you realize that, this is a wonderful place to be.

“I think it might be useful to people in high school who have only done ballet to know that if they keep up that strict training while they’re learning something new, the new will come faster. That was my experience.

I WAS TAKING RUSSIAN TECHNIQUE EVERY NIGHT, AND IN THE MORNING LEARNING HOW TO MOVE DIFFERENTLY. THE TWO PARALLELING EACH OTHER HELPED ME PICK UP MODERN FASTER, AND BEING ABLE TO GO BACK TO THE FAMILIAR GAVE ME A FEELING OF SECURITY. “So, we have ballet here. You’re not just going to be thrown into this wild and crazy new environment that’s modern and abstract. If you’re open to learning new things, the faculty will get you excited about it.

“The other students in the dance school are interesting people who come from all over. It’s a very supportive environment, because everyone’s trying to do the same thing. We all have to choreograph something, or ‘I’ve got to perform... I’m so stressed.’

And everyone else says, ‘I’m stressed, too! We’ll do this together.’

It’s a cool environment. CalArts is a community of artists. I have friends in the music school and one of them said, ‘I love coming to watch you dance because it makes me think about music in an entirely different way. When you guys move, you’re like notes dancing around, like another layer of music, watching and listening.’ It’s interesting to talk about things like that.

“You take a risk when you pick a school and then you hope it’s the right place. If you’re an open person, willing to try new things, this may be right for you. It’s up to you to decide how much you want to stretch or just stay where you are… I didn’t come here like a professional person; I came with an attitude. You’re going to be who you are, but CalArts expects a level of professionalism, and I didn’t have it at first. Now I do.

”

35

SPECIAL RESOURCES

FESTIVAL PARTICIPATION The Sharon Disney Lund School of Dance strives to bring the artistry of its students to wider audiences beyond the CalArts campus and Los Angeles region. To meet this goal, the school regularly selects student choreographers and performers to represent CalArts in regional and national festivals and conferences— including those sponsored by the American Dance College Festival Association. These gatherings provide a forum for CalArts students to perform, showcase new choreography, take master classes, and establish links with their peers across the United States.

The school also awards approximately 20 fellowships each year to support students who take part in national and international summer festivals. In recent years, CalArts students have traveled to the American Dance Festival in Durham, NC; Jacob’s Pillow in Becket, MA; Bates Dance Festival in Lewiston, ME; the Ailey School in New York; as well as festivals in Barcelona and Hong Kong.

PROFESSIONAL LINKS AND PARTNERSHIPS The school places a high priority on cultivating connections between the CalArts student population and the wider professional community. To do so, CalArts seeks professional partnerships with outside organizations and artists that allow students to work side by side with nationally celebrated practitioners and gain a level of experience that goes beyond the school’s curricular offerings. In 2007, CalArts was selected as a participant in the National Endowment for the Arts initiative aimed at the preservation of American masterpieces—in this case choreographer David Gordon’s landmark 1982 work Trying Times.* The reconstruction and touring of this work is taking place throughout the 2008–09 academic year and features residencies at CalArts involving the entire student body. This effort is culminating with a national tour, whose performing cast includes eight CalArts students.

The Sharon Disney Lund School of Dance is also linked with CalArts’ institute-wide professional producing arm, the Center for New Performance (CNP), which supports the development and realization of new interdisciplinary work. * The reconstruction and touring of David Gordon’s Trying Times is made possible by the National Endowment for the Arts’ American Masterpieces: A Dance Initiative, which is administered by the New England Foundation for the Arts with Dance/USA.

36

Award-winning Argentine choreographer Diana Szeinblum staged the Los Angeles premiere of a fierce, physically charged work called Alaska at REDCAT.

ROY AND EDNA DISNEY/CALARTS THEATER (REDCAT) Housed inside the iconic Frank Gehry-designed Walt Disney Concert Hall complex in downtown Los Angeles, REDCAT is a unique platform for the presentation of experimental and interdisciplinary work in the visual, performing and media arts. In addition to hosting the two annual concerts developed at The Sharon Disney Lund School of Dance, featuring faculty and students, REDCAT presents performances by leading dance companies from across the United States and around the world. Many of the artists who perform at REDCAT also come to the CalArts campus as visiting artists.

COMMUNITY ARTS PARTNERSHIP (CAP) CalArts’ Community Arts Partnership is an award-winning, nationally celebrated program that works with community arts centers and public schools throughout Los Angeles County to provide college-level arts education to middle and high school students.

CalArts dance students teach CAP workshops and classes, and organize and present public performances. CAP offers students the opportunity to share their knowledge and abilities with teenagers, and work directly with faculty artists to create innovative pedagogical approaches. CalArts students taking part in CAP programs gain valuable experience from teaching but also from real-world engagement with diverse Los Angeles communities.

37

FACILITIES THE SHARON DISNEY LUND DANCE THEATER The Sharon Disney Lund Dance Theater is a 50-foot-by-70-foot space used exclusively for dance performances, rehearsals and classes.

This hall features state-of-the-art, wall-to-wall L’Air sprung flooring covered with seamless black Lonstage. Retractable theater seating allows for many different staging configurations. Seating capacity is usually 100 to 125 persons, with a maximum capacity of 250.

The theater’s cyclorama consists of a white muslin bounce drop (suitable for projection), a black shark’s-tooth scrim on a traveler track, and black Duvateen side and top masking. An overhead catwalk/grid system includes more than 300 circuits, and supports vertical pipes that provide high-side boom positions, while booms on the floor are used for shins and head highs. This theater is equipped with four ElectroVoice sound reinforcement loudspeakers and a Sony video projector. Classes held in this space also make use of a Yamaha baby grand piano and a fully-equipped portable sound cart.

An enclosed production booth contains computer-based sound, light and video controls, video monitors, digital audio equipment, accessories such as gels, cables and microphones, and an intercom system.

DANCE STUDIOS Besides The Sharon Disney Lund Dance Theater, there are three other full-time dance studios.

The two larger dance studios measure 36 feet by 50 feet each. Used for both modern and ballet classes, both studios have vaulted ceilings and L’Air sprung floors covered in seamless Lonstage. Each space is equipped with pianos,

38

audio/video playback systems, ballet barres and mirrors. The third studio is 39 feet by 23 feet, and has a sprung wooden floor and mirrors.

BODY CONDITIONING STUDIO The fully carpeted Body Conditioning Studio is furnished with floor mats, hand weights, exercise barres, yoga straps, treadmill and various exercise balls. The studio also contains the following Pilates equipment: four reformers with boxes, two trapeze (Cadillac) tables with towers, and a Wunda chair with handles.

DIGITAL AND SOUND LABS The Digital Lab holds 12 Mac Intel workstations with extensive and up-to-date software packages for digital video production, performance documentation, and live editing.

The dedicated Sound Lab, meanwhile, allows students to learn multitrack mixing and other sound production techniques while creating concert sound tapes. All sound and video gear can be patched into computers and other multimedia equipment available at CalArts.

COSTUME SHOP The school shares a facility for costume construction with the CalArts School of Theater.

Students learn about costuming and sewing equipment as part of dance production classes, and use this facility to create costumes for all of dance concerts.

ALUMNI Alumni of The Sharon Disney Lund School of Dance include: Luciana Achugar (BFA 95)

Wanda Gala (BFA 05)

Cynthia Pepper (BFA 84)

Bessie Award-winning independent choreographer

independent choreographer and arts educator

artistic director, CPCollaborations

Karl Anderson (BFA 86)

Deborah Goffe (MFA 01)

solo dance artist and songwriter

artistic director, Slamfest

performer, choreographer, dance educator and video artist

Estelle Woodward Arnal

Sam Piperato (BFA 90) Susan Rose (BFA 71, MFA 73)

(BFA 96)

Levi Gonzalez (BFA 97)

choreographer and curator; director of artist services, Dance Theater Workshop

performer, choreographer and dance educator

artistic director and choreographer, Susan Rose and Dancers; faculty, Department of Dance, UC Riverside

Ella Ben-Aharon (BFA 03)

Jacques Heim (MFA 91)

Kim Shipp (MFA 98)

internationally acclaimed artistic director and choreographer, Diavolo Dance Theater

artistic director and choreographer, Shipp Dance Theater

Sahar Javedani (MFA 03)

Dawn Stoppiello (BFA 89)

artistic director and choreographer, Compani Javedani

Bessie Award-winning co-artistic director and choreographer, Troika Ranch

artistic director and choreographer, YelleB Dance Ensemble

Jamie Bishton (BFA 84) and Mary Ann Kellogg (BFA 75) former dancers, Twyla Tharp Dance

Debra Bluth (MFA 93) artistic director and choreographer, debrabluth/jesterfly

Keisha Clarke (BFA 98) former dancer, Garth Fagan Dance

Katie Diamond (BFA 03) Jonathan Fredrickson (BFA 06) and Ryan Mason (BFA 07) dancers, Lim贸n Dance Company

Frit (BFA 84, MFA 88) and Frat (BFA 86) Fuller co-artistic directors and choreographers, KIN Dance Company

Min Li (BFA 07) dancer, Scapino Ballet Rotterdam

Lisa Townsend (MFA 94)

Dallas McMurray (BFA 06) dancer, Mark Morris Dance Group

artistic director and choreographer, Lisa Townsend Company

Nycole Merritt (BFA 96)

Kate Weare (BFA 94)

dancer, Dallas Black Dance Theater

Laura Gorenstein Miller

Alpert Award-nominated artistic director and choreographer, Kate Weare Company

(BFA 92)

artistic director and choreographer, Helios Dance Theater

Iris Pell (BFA 73) independent choreographer and dance educator

39

APPLICATIONS

To apply to The Sharon Disney Lund School of Dance, go to calarts.edu/apply.

All application, audition and portfolio instructions are listed on the CalArts application web page.

ABOVE: The school’s Digital Lab RIGHT: The Body Conditioning Studio

40

Beginning in the summer of 2008, Dean Stephan Koplowitz has led a site-based touring company called TaskForce to create a series of movement and music pieces that respond to unique water-related sites in and around Los Angeles—here the Los Angeles River. This work represented the first leg of a threeyear project across a number of U.S. and European venues.

The school’s Commuter Festival, a showcase for a wide array of new works by Los Angeles-based dance artists, is designed to build new links between CalArts and the local professional dance community.

THIS PAGE : Beneath the Water, choreographed by Monica Favand and performed by (FROM LEFT) Janet Collard (CalArts BFA 03), Monica Campagna and Andriana Mitchell (CalArts BFA 05) OPPOSITE : After the Fracture, choreographed by Bradley Michaud and performed by Michaud (TOP) and Jay Bartley

Scenes from the 2007 BFA2 solo concert: THIS PAGE : Bryn Cohn OPPOSITE : Giovanni Allen and Julia Romanskaya