Lang Dance Spring Production 2024 - Program

‭ ANG DANCE‬ L ‭SPRING PRODUCTION 2024‬

‭photo: Frank Mullaney‬

‭ ay 3-4, 2024‬ M ‭New York Live Arts‬

‭Dear Family, Friends, and Colleagues,‬ ‭ onight we are thrilled to present work from two esteemed‬ T ‭guest artists: Beth Gill, through our Guest Artist Residency,‬ ‭and Jordan Demetrius Lloyd. These widely admired dance‬ ‭artists worked intensively with students in semester-long‬ ‭performance courses. It has been an honor to have these‬ ‭adventurous and generous artists join us for the semester.‬ ‭ e also are proud to present student-created work that‬ W ‭was devised this semester in Rebecca Stenn’s‬ ‭Transmedia: Process & Point of View course, along with a‬ ‭solo dance created and performed by a graduating senior,‬ ‭Cassie Brey.‬ ‭ ogether these dances demonstrate varied approaches to‬ T ‭choreographic research and performance, in keeping with‬ ‭the spirit of our program.‬ ‭ hese performances would not have been possible without‬ T ‭the exceptional work of our lighting designer, Kathy‬ ‭Kaufman, and stage manager, Meredith Belis. ‬ ‭ e would like to thank the Lang dance faculty for their‬ W ‭expert and thoughtful teaching. Lastly, we would like to‬ ‭thank our Dean, Christoph Cox, the magnificent Rafael‬ ‭Muñoz, Associate Director of The Arts, and‬‭Ariana Guerra,‬ ‭Production Manager for Lang Arts‬‭. Thank you for your‬ ‭support and enthusiasm for the arts at Lang College.‬ ‭We hope you enjoy the performance.‬ -‭ Danielle Goldman, Chair of the Arts‬ ‭- Neil Greenberg, Dance Program Director‬

‭P R O G R A M‬ ‭Lighting Design by‬‭Kathy Kaufman‬ ‭Stage Management by‬‭Meredith Belis‬

‭Allswhere‬ ‭ horeographed by: Jordan Demetrius Lloyd in collaboration with‬ C ‭the performers‬ ‭Sound Design by: Jordan Demetrius Lloyd‬ ‭ ound samples by: Ryan Wolfe,‬‭Drums‬‭(2021),‬‭Heartbeat‬ S ‭(2021),‬‭Space‬‭(2023),‬‭Minnesota‬‭(2023),‬‭3‬‭(2023),‬‭Repri‬‭(2023),‬ ‭NJT 9‬‭(2024),‬‭6‬‭(2024); Francisco Meirino and Bruno‬‭Deplane,‬ ‭Dedans‬‭(2018); AACSCS,‬‭AE.CSCS (VIII), Vol. 1‬ ‭(2023);‬ ‭Richard Chartier,‬‭Activité‬‭(2002); Celer,‬‭Volcanic‬‭Institutions‬ ‭(2018)‬ ‭Costumes by:‬‭The Performers‬ ‭ erformed by:‬‭Okailey Afroso,‬‭Aidan Bason-Mitchell, Cassie‬ P ‭Brey, Marianna Cenci, Layla Greene, Ella Kuether, Bella Lynch,‬ ‭Juliannie Mateo, Ruby Perez, Nills Roman, Aja Wells, Helen‬ ‭Zhang‬

‭Equipoise‬ ‭ reated and performed by‬‭: Rebecca Stenn’s Transmedia:‬ C ‭Process and Point of View* course‬ ‭ usic by:‬‭John Cage,‬‭Sonata and Interlude‬‭; Zilong Chen,‬ M ‭Original compositions‬ ‭ ideo by:‬‭Helen Jiayu Zhang, from images created by the‬ V ‭cast‬ ‭Text:‬‭The cast‬ ‭ erformed by:‬‭Okailey Afroso, Aidan Bason-Mitchell, Eliza‬ P ‭Blutt, Rebecca Chang, Zilong Chen, Sienna Elgueseba,‬ ‭Tess Driscoll-Gannon, Bella Lynch, Nills Alexis Roman,‬ ‭Isaiah Westbrook, Helen Jiayu Zhang‬

‭*‬‭My new course, “Transmedia: Process and Point of View,”‬

f‭unctioned primarily as an art-making work group in which‬ ‭students were encouraged to approach choreography, visual art‬ ‭and the written word as mediums for research and discovery.‬ ‭Students worked within these three distinct media, creating,‬ ‭revising and sharing their projects in class throughout the‬ ‭semester. Our‬‭art-making practice was complemented with‬ ‭reading and writing assignments, utilizing each form of discourse‬ ‭to further examine and interrogate form, texture, meaning‬ ‭making, intent, point of view, voice, and compositional strategies.‬ ‭What you will see this evening reflects that process; students‬ ‭have worked to combine these studies into one collaborative‬ ‭piece. Each has contributed movement, text and visual art to this‬ ‭collective effort to form an ensemble that prizes exploration and‬ ‭a generosity of spirit. - Rebecca‬

‭To Tilt the Slipping Plane‬ ‭Choreographed and Performed by:‬‭Cassie Brey‬ ‭ usic by:‬‭David Bowie,‬‭Time‬‭; Prince,‬‭I Would Die 4 U‬‭,‬ M ‭Rone,‬‭Human‬ ‭ third place, a liminal ether, and a box purchased at a‬ A ‭now-shuttered Van Heusen. This piece asks what, if anything,‬ ‭separates body and object? It is also an homage to the modern‬ ‭shopping mall’s creator, Victor Gruen, and a nod to what might‬ ‭exist beyond the labyrinth of capitalism - the third place Gruen‬ ‭originally envisioned.‬

‭New York City Serenade‬ ‭Choreographed by‬‭: Beth Gill‬ ‭Music by:‬‭Bruce Springsteen‬ ‭ erformed by‬‭: Ava Baldassari, Keb Barshack, Aida Bauer,‬ P ‭Mikaela Cadenhead, Rebecca Chang, Tess‬ ‭Driscoll-Gannon, Iris Katorri, Ali Keledjian, K Lightman,‬ ‭Noelle Nations, Aja Wells, Xingyu Yuan‬

‭BIOGRAPHIES‬ ‭ eth Gill (Choreographer, Guest Artist Residency)‬‭is an‬ B ‭award-winning choreographer, based in New York City‬ ‭since 2005. Her multidisciplinary works are captivating,‬ ‭cinematic timescapes, the product of long-term‬ ‭collaborations with celebrated artists. Gill is the proud‬ ‭recipient of the Herb Alpert, Doris Duke Impact, Foundation‬ ‭for Contemporary Art and two “Bessie” awards. She has‬ ‭produced eight commissioned evening-length works met‬ ‭with critical acclaim. She has toured nationally and‬ ‭internationally and been honored with (among others):‬ ‭Guggenheim Fellowship, NEFA’s National Dance Project‬ ‭grant, Princeton’s Hodder Fellowship and Lower Manhattan‬ ‭Cultural Council’s Extended Life Artist in Residence.‬ ‭ ordan Demetrius Lloyd (Guest Choreographer)‬‭is a‬ J ‭dance artist based in Brooklyn, NY. He graduated from The‬ ‭College at Brockport and grew up in Albany, NY. He has‬ ‭collaborated with and performed for Beth Gill, Netta‬ ‭Yerushalmy, Tere O’Connor, Jonathan Gonzalez, Karl‬ ‭Rogers, David Dorfman Dance, Monica Bill Barnes, and‬ ‭more. He is currently on faculty at The American Dance‬ ‭Festival, and has taught at The New School, Rutgers‬ ‭University, New York University, University of the Arts, and‬ ‭Sarah Lawrence College. His work has been produced by:‬ ‭Danspace Project, New York Live Arts, BRIC, ISSUE‬ ‭Project Room, BAAD!, Movement Research at Judson‬ ‭Memorial Church and The Center for Performance‬ ‭Research. He received the 2021-23 Jerome Hill Artist‬ ‭Fellowship, and was listed on Dance Magazine’s ‘25 to‬ ‭Watch’ list for 2023. For more, head to‬‭jordandlloyd.com‬ ‭ ebecca Stenn (Instructor, Transmedia: Process and‬ R ‭Point of View)‬‭,‬‭Rebecca Stenn, dancer, choreographer,‬ ‭educator, writer, painter has been hailed in The New York‬ ‭Times as an artist who possesses “‬‭wit, concision and gutsy‬ ‭passion.”‬‭Stenn’s dance company, Rebecca Stenn‬ ‭Company, has performed nationally and internationally‬

i‭ncluding such venues as The Edinburgh Festival, The‬ ‭Joyce Theater, BAM Fisher, Danspace Project and Jacob’s‬ ‭Pillow Dance Festival among others. As a principal dancer‬ ‭with MOMIX, Stenn performed in over 30 countries and‬ ‭appeared in films for Italian, Spanish and French television.‬ ‭Stenn is a founding member of the company Pilobolus Too,‬ ‭with whom she toured throughout the world. Stenn is‬ ‭currently on faculty at The New School, where she has just‬ ‭received a 2024 Distinguished Teaching Award, and‬ ‭Princeton University and is Choreographer-in-Residence at‬ ‭Dartmouth College. Recently, Stenn embarked on a visual‬ ‭arts practice as a painter, and is currently represented by‬ ‭Agora Gallery in NYC. Her work has been exhibited in‬ ‭galleries in New York City, London, Milan, Venice and‬ ‭Lisbon and at art fairs in Miami, NYC and South Hampton.‬ ‭She holds a BFA from The Juilliard School and MFA from‬ ‭The University of Wisconsin. Stenn is the proud mother of‬ ‭Jonah and Elie Weissman.‬ ‭ eredith Belis (Stage Manager)‬‭has worked with artists‬ M ‭including Meredith Monk, Wendy Whelan, Neil Greenberg,‬ ‭Dean Moss, James Whiteside, and Maria Kotchetokova.‬ ‭She is very passionate about her work with dancers and‬ ‭musicians. She is a graduate of Bennington College and‬ ‭was the Production Manager for the dance department at‬ ‭Sarah Lawrence College from 2016-2019. She is currently‬ ‭the Production Stage Manager with A.I.M by Kyle‬ ‭Abraham. When not working, she is busy raising her 8 year‬ ‭old daughter, Ramona.‬ ‭ athy Kaufmann (Lighting Designer)‬‭is a New York City‬ K ‭native, and two time Bessie recipient. She is resident‬ ‭designer at Danspace Project at St. Mark's Church, and‬ ‭has toured extensively throughout the world. She designs‬ ‭regularly for Dorrance Dance, Joanna Kotze, The Bang‬ ‭Group, Mariana Valencia, NDI, Rebecca Stenn, Ephrat‬ ‭Asherie Dance, Vicky Shick, and Music From The Sole.‬

‭THANKS‬ ‭ rom Beth:‬ F ‭Thank you to Neil Greenberg and Danielle Goldman for‬ ‭having me at Lang Dance this semester! Big‬ ‭congratulations and thank you to my amazing cast for their‬ ‭focus, commitment and heart!‬ ‭.‬ ‭From Rebecca:‬ ‭Thank you to the smart, adventurous, beautiful and‬ ‭incredibly committed group of dancers I have had the‬ ‭pleasure of working with, to create The Pond. It has been a‬ ‭joy. Thank you to Neil and Danielle, for creating such a‬ ‭wonderful environment in the dance program at Lang,‬ ‭where we are encouraged to try things out, take risks and‬ ‭stretch the boundaries of what we thought might be‬ ‭possible. Thank you to Meredith for guiding us all in these‬ ‭productions with such strength and certainty, thank you to‬ ‭everyone at NYLA, and thank you to Kathy, for creating‬ ‭worlds of light that we can truly come alive in.‬

‭Da‬‭nc‬‭e at Lang‬ ‭ ituated in the Arts major at Eugene Lang College, the‬ S ‭Dance program offers a unique undergraduate dance‬ ‭curriculum centered on recent developments in the field,‬ ‭combining intensive practice and performance‬ ‭opportunities with a rigorous liberal arts education.‬ ‭Students at Lang explore dance through varied modes of‬ ‭analysis—verbal, textual and physical—through a‬ ‭curriculum that emphasizes research and experimentation.‬ ‭Conversation is fostered across artistic genres and‬ ‭students are encouraged to think about dance in social,‬ ‭historical, and cultural contexts, through a variety of‬ ‭disciplinary lenses. This approach stimulates aspiring‬ ‭dancers and choreographers to think about their roles in‬ ‭society and to consider multiple ways of engaging a public‬ ‭through dance.‬

‭www.langdance.com‬

‭Lang Dance Faculty 2023-2024‬ l‭uciana achugar‬ ‭Ana “Rokafella” Garcia‬ ‭Beth Gill‬ ‭Danielle Goldman‬ ‭Neil Greenberg‬ ‭Nia Love‬ ‭Jordan Demetrius Lloyd‬ ‭Juliette Mapp‬ ‭Katy Pyle‬ ‭Rebecca Stenn‬ ‭Pavan Thimmaiah‬ ‭Ogemdi Ude‬ ‭Mariana Valencia‬ ‭Sasha Welsh‬ ‭Katie Workum‬