Alumni Profile

Jesse Kile BFA '98

Jesse Kile graduated from the Sharon Disney Lund School of Dance at CalArts with a BFA in 1998. She then ran off on Phish tour for the next 6 years, where she developed a nasty rock and roll habit and was known on the scene as the groupie who couldn’t get had. Not satisfied with watching musicians being the only rock stars, Jesse got it in her head to legitimize her groupie antics by founding Groovehoops, a glam rock hoop circus. Groovehoops spent 5 outrageous years touring the US with rock bands like the String Cheese Incident. Sound Tribe Sector Nine, The Brazilian Girls, George Clinton and the Parliament Funkadelic. Just to name a few (and because she can’t remember the rest!).

After the grueling Groovehoops schedule tweaked her body as well her mind, Jesse retired from the scene. She now enjoys using her neuroceptors for wholesome pursuits like producing the beautiful film-work by Bec Stupak of Honeygun Labs. As well as being the Dance Mama for boogie genius Malcolm Stuart.

Jesse spent the summer of ’08 acting in Ang Lee’s upcoming feature “Taking Woodstock”. She plays a similar character like the one she used to be when she was on Phish tour. Like the hoop, it all comes back full circle.

 

What brought you to CalArts?

I graduated from Orange County High School of the Arts.  It was a natural progression from there to CalArts. Looking back, it was the only path I could’ve chosen. Most of the faculty at the arts high school were somehow connected to CalArts and they guided me “home” where I belonged.

 

How has your CalArts educations been relevant to your professional path?

100% of what I have always done professionally comes from my education at CalArts. This sounds like an advertisement, but it’s true. I work in a lot of different realms in NYC artistically and my education qualifies me for that. Whether I’m directing, producing, writing, acting, staging or, of course, dancing, I feel confident in the decisions I make because CalArts geared me up to call the shots. 

 

What advice would you give to our current or perspective students?

CalArts can feel like a Dionysian paradise, but it’s not. You’re there to work. The party vibe at school can be uber interesting, but other students don’t have to rely on their bodies as much as the dance majors. I guess I’m saying party lightly. Never let it distract you from your art. Also, I can’t stress enough how much the faculty will influence you, so soak it up. They’re like parents, at times what they say may bum you out but in the end, they’re always right.

 

On the set of "Taking Woodstock"

CalArts is unique in that it houses the Schools of Art, Critical Studies, Dance, Film/Video, Music and Theater as well as the Division of Library and Informational Resources under one roof. As a student, how did you engage with other members of the CalArts community and how did it influence your art making?

I was and am a super collaborator. I learned at CalArts that my real talent is in working with others on their art, making it better and helping them fulfill their vision.

I was really into checking out the music school and seeing what they were up to – and not just because that was where the cute boys were. One of the things I’m so grateful for is that CalArts gave me the ability to work with all kinds of music, with composers, and have actual knowledgeable input. They taught me a lot more than just how to count.

Another thing I was really into was animation. I became a fan of the School of Film/Video. I am now the producer for an amazing filmmaker who is also a motion graphics animator and I know how she does her thing.  It was never foreign for me to work in this medium due to the education I received from being around animators.

I still study Buddhism after taking a Zen and Art classes. So you could say I kinda picked up a religion at school as well.

I was in the CalArts comedy improv group for two years. I was the first non-theater major to join. Christyne Lawson made me audition to help practice getting over an unreasonable fear for auditions. The big surprise was that I got into the group. It was a harrowing two years. I don’t think anything has made me feel more electrified and vomitous at the same time. Comedy improv taught me to put the balls to the wall and go for it. The experience with the group served me well, it gave me the courage to make a complete ass of myself in the hope of turning out some good work. This experience helped me quell my fears and now I enjoy auditions.

 

With Director Ang Lee

How did the School of Dance fulfill your need to forge a career in dance?

CalArts really equips you with the ability to have DIY company and make it first class. I founded a glam rock circus several years ago, called Groovehoops. We started out with no cash and quickly became a cult hit in NYC. The whole thing was totally hippie-rigged and silly. But people loved us and thought we were way fancier than we really were. We produced a light show (thanks DK!!!) and designed and constructed some super rad costumes. We handmade our cirque gear, booked our own shows, made our own website, wrote our own contracts, etc.  We were shameless self-promoters, which I think is something I had picked up at school. There is so much to see at CalArts that you really have to rally people to see your work sometimes. I never felt we needed help achieving success outside of ourselves. Groovehoops was a self-contained entity. Looking back on it now it seemed quite easy. Oh yeah, we were self-taught in our cirque craft as well.

Now I’m the Jiminy Cricket for my favorite dancer/ choreographer/ artist Malcolm Stuart. I help guide him through his career and I try to hand down to him my experience and education from CalArts. He makes me so proud to be able to assist in his development as an artist!

How did the technique classes prepare you for the physical demands of a career in dance?

The dance faculty ingrained technique so deep into my very being that I no longer have to take class. When I dance I still have all my chops! Though I wish I worked even harder back then so now I’d have even more chops to rest my laurels on!!!

I also left school with the belief that I am capable of creating my own movement technique, which I did with the hoops.

How did the other curricular courses (composition, dance history, anatomy, etc) inform you about the world of dance and how did it prepare you to move forward with your ideas and personal voice?

I’m a dance history nerd. I totally love all those old school stories. It’s our heritage as dancers. I’m always going back and referring vintage work, like Alwin Nikolai and the Ballet Russes. Those were some far out artists breaking rules. They had a radical outlook. I could daydream about them forever.

I’ve been known to teach a little Pilates here and there (30 hrs a week for 10 years) so the anatomy was really handy.

I’m not a talented choreographer, I learned that in composition class! I am however, a bad-ass rehearsal director. I espeacially love staging work and editing other choreographers work. 

How has the technical production requirements of the program informed the way you communicate about your work?

I am completely at ease with tech crews. I rarely find it a challenge to communicate my needs in production with them. Also, if I’m not lucky enough to have a crew I know how to fake it like I do. I learned how to stage a production top to bottom on a shoestring budget and make it look slick. Again, this was something I learned at CalArts.

CalArts has a strong mentoring system for each student. How did you find the guidance and support of your mentor as a student? Have you had the opportunity to mentor young artist in your career?

I am so used to needing a mentor that I keep collecting them. I now have Celia Costas as my production mentor, Michael Hausman as my assistant director mentor, Kathleen Chopin as my acting mentor, and Joshua White as my everything mentor. I’m sooo lucky. It may not be the healthiest thing -but I was very concerned with impressing my mentor at school. Now I’m very concerned with impressing my current mentors, it’s a device I use to kick my own ass into achieving better work than I thought possible. I urge students to continue to source out mentors after school, you never stop needing them.

 

Do you continue to work or correspond with any CalArtians?

I’m in touch with a bunch of CalArtians. I work with some, and I socialize with some. I continue to have relationships with CalArtians to this day!

Artwork by Bec Stupak, featuring Jesse Kile as the Mushroom Princess far right

Current position in occupation. 

Producer, Honeygun Labs

Assistant Director, Colorwheel

Any other degrees or certifications that you have earned? 

Pilates Certification

 

Links for this Artist:

http://www.honeygunlabs.com/

http://colorwheelperformance.com/

http://groovehoops.com/videos.html

Streaming Video:

Amanda Lepore,Cotton Candy

Directed by Bec Stupak, Produced by Jesse Kile

Honeygun Labs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54_hTQk9GqM

Barbie's 50th Runway Show

Producer

http://www.barbiemedia.com/?home=1

May 2009

Taking Woodstock

A film by Ang Lee

Actress, EarthLight Player

August 14^th 2009

Reviews: 

http://groovehoops.com/print2.html

 

 

 

 

Sahar Javedani MFA '02

Sahar Javedani, Artistic Director

Sahar Javedani is originally from San Diego, California by way of Tehran, Iran. Javedani is Artistic Director of compani javedani, a contemporary dance theater ensemble devoted to cultivating an empowered, intelligent and socially responsible community uniting all generations, cultures, races, and religions. Javedani has a Master of Fine Arts in Choreography and Integrated Media from California Institute of the Arts, a Bachelor of Arts in Dance and Theater from Hollins University, and was nominated for the 2008-2009 Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative. compani javedani’s recent performances and collaborations have included the Lincoln Center Out of Doors Festival “”Dreams of a Caspian Rain,” Abrons Art Center “Maahinen Neito,” Alvin Ailey Citigroup Theater, Tribeca Performing Arts Center “from Persia, with Measured Love,” Brooklyn Museum “Bazm-o-Razm” with Susan Oetgen and Likeness to Lily, Performance Mix Festival at Joyce Soho “Reparations” with James Scruggs, Triskelion Arts Center, Movement Research at DTW, The Chocolate Factory, Voice and Vision Envision Retreat and Lab at Bard College, Dance Conversations at the Flea Theater, Whitewave Dumbo Dance Festival and Whitewave Wave Rising Series, “In the Valley of Damavand,” Dance New Amsterdam, Empire Fulton Ferry Park, New York Theater Workshop, Fort Greene Park Dance for Peace Festival “Once upon a Time in India,” American Dance Guild’s festival at the Hudson Guild Theater, Dixon Place, The FAR Space, newsteps and Ear to the Ground Series at Mulberry Street Theater, Solar One Dance Festival, and the Chashama Oasis Festival “Story of Devdas and Paro.” Sahar Javedani is currently participating in her second year as an Artist-in-Residence at Tribeca Performing Arts Center and in the 2008-2009 DTW Fresh Tracks Performance and Residency Program and most recently in the 2009-2010 Dance Theater Workshop Studio Series creative residency.

What brought you to CalArts?

I have to thank my dear friend and collaborator of sixteen years Kate Conklin for bringing me to CalArts. She completed both her bachelors and masters degree in music at CalArts and is currently on faculty as director of the Bulgarian Vocal Ensemble.

 

How has your CalArts education been relevant to your professional path?

As a prospective student for the MFA program, I knew that I wanted to pursue a double concentration in Choreography and Integrated Media. CalArts was a perfect fit, I felt completely embraced by all of the departments including music composition, puppetry, film, and animation. It is through these collaborations that I have developed strong and enduring relationships with fellow artists, a priceless resource of talent indeed! 

What advice would you give to our current or perspective students?

I have a consistent comment that I share with all prospective students that you can have two distinct experiences at CalArts. 1) Stay focused and rooted in your school of choice, perfect your craft, build a powerful repertory/portfolio, etc. and 2) Open your creative heart and embrace the opportunity to diversify your talents in collaborative work with students in other departments.

 

CalArts is unique in that it houses the Schools of Art, Critical Studies, Dance, Film/Video, Music and Theater as well as the Division of Library and Informational Resources under one roof. As a student, how did you engage with other members of the CalArts community and how did it influence your art making?

I had the great fortune of collaborating with artists in the various departments at CalArts but most notably in commissioning original music for my MFA 1 Thesis Concert from Kate Conklin and Bryan Landers which included their live performance with guest artist John Bergamo. I studied North Indian Sargam as well as Balinese and Javanese dance. Both years, I worked with fellow artists in the Integrated Media program to develop installations for the annual showcase and collaborated with students in the puppetry program for a thesis performance. I continue to work with composer Bryan Landers, who designed the compani javedani website and commissioned music for a few large-scale performances.

How did the School of Dance fulfill your need to forge a career in dance?

When I came to CalArts, I wasn’t entirely convinced of a future in dance per se, but with a goal to deepen in the areas of performance studies and composition. The MFA program allowed me the freedom to explore various digital modalities and fortify my knowledge of technical theater, design and execution. The unlimited access to desirable resources as rehearsal space, dedicated students/performers, a media lab, etc. all played integral roles in strengthening my voice as a dancetheatermaker.

How did the technique classes prepare you for the physical demands of a career in dance?

In all honesty, I struggled with technique while pursuing my degree. I don’t believe I was a very good listener in class, and I always wanted to change the dance phrases to make them more meaningful for me, more theatrical, more narrative, I desperately wanted to fall in love with the dance. In retrospect, I believe I tried as hard as I could with the strengths I had at the time. Where I believe I excelled was in composition and in weekly showings where I was able to clearly speak about work in a fiercely honest and critical manner.

 

How did the other curricular courses (composition, dance history, anatomy, etc) inform you about the world of dance and how did it prepare you to move forward with your ideas and personal voice?

I believe that I came to CalArts with a very strong background in dance history, anatomy, etc thanks to a wonderful bachelor of arts program at Hollins University. What I quickly realized in pursuing my MFA at CalArts was the imperative requirement for self-discipline and sustained vigor. I spent many evenings locking myself up in the media lab until 4am, editing film, working diligently to hone my vision, how I want the audience to experience that which I have created. This practice has followed me to this day, and yes, cultivating balance in my daily life is a constant challenge and I wouldn’t want it any other way (insert devious and satisfied smile here.)

How has the technical production requirements of the program informed the way you communicate about your work?

As the daughter of an architect and set designer, raised in musical theater and opera, I came to CalArts with very strong technical skills, which played a great role in communicating with fellow lighting designers and designing costumes for every dance concert presented. The technical education I received at CalArts helped me to clarify in a concise and impactful manner the vision I desired to make manifest with my own work. 

CalArts has a strong mentoring system for each student. How did you find the guidance and support of your mentor as a student? Have you had the opportunity to mentor young artist in your career?

I believe the strongest mentors I had were in my fellow collaborators and the dancers I worked with, which I believe included nearly the entire first year dance student base. I required unabashed honesty from them and they delivered. I was always very conscious of making their involvement in a project worthwhile.

 

Do you continue to work or correspond with any CalArtians?

I love this question! You could say I’m one of the strongest advocates of CalArts. Immediately after graduation, I served two years on the CalArts Alumni Board of Directors and continue to sing the praises of CalArts to anyone who will listen. I continue work to with dancers who’ve graduated from the BFA dance program and support the work of my fellow alumnae from the dance, music, theater and film schools.

Current positions in occupation:

Artistic Director : compani javedani

World Music/Dance + Yoga Teaching Artist: Learning thru an Expanded Arts Program, Inc.

Group Exercise Instructor in Bellydance and Athletic Stretch: Reebok Sports Club/NY

Any other degrees or certifications that you have earned?

Master of Fine Arts California Institute of the Arts in Choreography and Integrated Media 2002

Bachelor of Arts Hollins University in Dance and Theater

 About this Artist:

 

Links:

http://javedani.com/

http://www.myspace.com/saharjavedani

http://www.facebook.com/people/Sahar-Javedani/643748229

http://twitter.com/saharjavedani

http://www.youtube.com/user/saharjavedani

Streaming Video:

http://javedani.com/

http://www.youtube.com/user/saharjavedani

Reviews:  

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/27/arts/dance/27trac.html?_r=1&ref=arts

http://idanznews.com/2009/01/26/and-the-winner-isfresh-tracks-dance-theater-workshop-january-23-2009.aspx#comment-1747212

http://www.offoffoff.com/dance/2009/fresh_tracks_2009.php

http://www.dancespirit.com/articles/1695

Upcoming Performances, Workshops or Exhibitions:  

May 16-17, Danspace@BRICstudio, Brooklyn, NYC

June 20, American Dance Guild Performance at the Construction Company

June 14-28, Guest Artist Voice & Vision Retreat, Bard College

July 23-25, Solar Powered Dance Series, New York City

 

Photo Credits:

"In the Valley of Damavand" with Angel Vasquez and Megan Sipe

 "In the Valley of Damavand" with Kelley Branch and Megan Sipe

"Dreams of a Caspian Rain" with Angel Vasquez, Makenzi Rasey, and Ruby MacDougall

"in the Middle, somewhat aggravated" with Sahar Javedani

 

Jessica Gaynor MFA '02

Jessica Gaynor holds a BA in American Studies from Brown University and an MFA in Dance from California Institute of the Arts. Since moving to New York in 2003 her work has been performed at Triskelion Arts, Dance Space, Williamsburg Arts Nexus, Jennifer Muller/The Works HATCH series, The Kitchen, Hudson Guild Theater, Brooklyn Arts Exchange, The Merce Cunningham Studio, DancenOw/NYC, The FAR Space, Movement Research and Brown University. Ms. Gaynor is a co-founder of ThisThat Dance Collective, through which she produced two New York dance seasons, and is currently Artistic Director of Jessica Gaynor Dance. She was the repertory guest choreographer at the Fieldston School in 2005, and artist-in-residence at Brown University in 2006. She currently teaches dance at The Brearley School and is the Assistant Director of Alice Teirstein’s Young Dancemakers Company.

What brought you to CalArts?

CalArts was the only place I found where I could truly focus on choreography.

 

How has your CalArts educations been relevant to your professional path?

CalArts never pushed a particular aesthetic on me. As a choreographer I was encouraged to be an individual, develop my own aesthetic, and take chances in my work. To this day I have continued to explore movement ideas, develop new vocabulary, push beyond my comfort zone, and experiment with new ideas.

 

What advice would you give to our current or perspective students?

Take every class you can and take in as much information as you can. It becomes difficult to fit in dance class, work, and rehearsals in your life outside of school. I never slept through a dance class at CalArts and I think that is one of the best things I did for myself while I was a student.

 

CalArts is unique in that it houses the Schools of Art, Critical Studies, Dance, Film/Video, Music and Theater as well as the Division of Library and Informational Resources under one roof. As a student, how did you engage with other members of the CalArts community and how did it influence your art making?

I tried to collaborate as much as possible. I really enjoyed the collaborative composer/choreographer class. From there, I met a composer who ended up writing music for my thesis concert. I have since worked with various CalArts composers and musicians in New York, which has enriched my work tremendously. For my thesis concert, I also collaborated with a costume designer, a technical theater major who built a set for my show, and a graphic designer who worked on both the poster and program for my concert. Not every element of the show was successful, but I realized that school was a safe place to experiment, and so I tried to do so in every element of my concert. This idea of collaboration has influenced my work today.

 

How did the School of Dance fulfill your need to forge a career in dance?

Before coming to CalArts I didn’t feel ready to show work in New York. After leaving CalArts, I formed a dance company and began showing work in small festivals in New York City and worked my way up to producing full evenings of work. CalArts gave me the confidence I needed to perform my work in professional venues.

 

How did the technique classes prepare you for the physical demands of a career in dance?

I never missed a dance class at CalArts. Taking ballet and modern dance everyday both improved my technical abilities and made me understand how important it is to take care of my body through disciplined study. After CalArts I continued to take class on a regular basis, which helped me as a performer and a choreographer.

 

How did the other curricular courses (composition, dance history, anatomy, etc) inform you about the world of dance and how did it prepare you to move forward with your ideas and personal voice?

One of the best courses was the collaborative course between choreographers and composers. Since that class I have worked collaboratively with composers, live musicians, and taped music in an informed way. I am constantly questioning the relationship between music and dance. My favorite class at CalArts was Showings because I learned so much from the open conversation that existed in that forum.

 

How has the technical production requirements of the program informed the way you communicate about your work?

I was the TA in the theater during my time at CalArts, and I learned a great deal about lights, sound and the technical side of dance as a whole. This knowledge has been so important to my work as a choreographer. I am always prepared when I enter a technical rehearsal. I know what type of lights I want and I have the vocabulary to ask for them. 

CalArts has a strong mentoring system for each student. How did you find the guidance and support of your mentor as a student? Have you had the opportunity to mentor young artist in your career?

As an MFA student, I felt like I was able to ask for feedback from many members of the Dance Faculty. I was constantly seeking critique while at school in order to get better at the craft of choreography. I am currently the Artistic Director of my dance company, as well as a full time dance teacher, and Assistant Director of a summer dance company for high school dancers, so I work hard at being a mentor. Similar to my experiences at CalArts, I try to be supportive, open and honest as a mentor to young artists.

 

Do you continue to work or correspond with any CalArtians?

I currently have three dancers in my company whom I met at CalArts: Sundara Duncan, Blythe Proffitt and Angel Vasquez, and I worked with Katie Diamond, Wan-Chen Chang, Lisa-Marie Elliott and Haley Hauglum in the past. My husband, Quentin Tolimieri, graduated from the Music School at CalArts and I have collaborated with him and many other musicians and composers from CalArts who are now living in New York. There is a large CalArts community in New York and I both work with and correspond with many other CalArtians on a weekly basis.

 

Current positions:

Artistic Director, Jessica Gaynor Dance

Assistant Director, young Dancemakers Company

Dance Teacher, The Brearley School

 

Other degrees or certifications:

BA, Brown University

 Links for this artist:

 www.jessicagaynordance.com

 Upcoming Performances, Workshops or  Exhibitions:

 March 28, 2009 - DanceNow/NYC RAW Festival  Studio Show at DTW

 April 7, 2009 – 60x60 Dance Festival at  Galapagos Arts Space

 

Streaming Video:

http://www.youtube.com/jessicagaynordance

Photo Credits:

Enlarged to Show Texture (2008)

Choreography by Jessica Gaynor

Dancers: Sundara Duncan, Angel Vasquez, Ashlie Kittleson, Blythe Proffitt

Photo by Yaniv Schulman

 

Enlarged to Show Texture (2008)

Choreography by Jessica Gaynor

Dancers: Angel Vasquez, Renee Kurz, Ashlie Kittleson, Blythe Proffitt, Sundara Duncan

Photo by Yaniv Schulman

 

Enlarged to Show Texture (2008)

Choreography by Jessica Gaynor

Dancers: Renee Kurz, Blythe Proffitt, Angel Vasquez, Ashlie Kittleson

Photo by Yaniv Schulman

 

Perched (2006)

Choreography by Jessica Gaynor

Dancers: Sundara Duncan, Katie Diamond, Ashlie Kittlson, Blythe Proffitt

Photo by Maribel Arce

 

Standstill (2007)

Choreography by Jessica Gaynor

Dancers: Renee Kurz, Angel Vasquez, Jin Ju Song

Photo by Maribel Arce

Wanda Gala BFA '05

Wanda Gala is an arts educator and choreographer from the US whose work integrates the somatic perspectives and histories of its participants into the creation and teaching of dance. Her performance works examine the historical and contemporary distortions of individual and cultural ideals, mythologies and fantasies. These," post nuclear family tales" (LA Weekly) occur in theatrical, installation, filmic and site-specific contexts. Individual and collaborative works have been presented in the US and abroad in Poland, Switzerland, Scotland, and Italy. Recent showings include the screening of “Okno (Okna, drzwi, sciany)” at the American Dance Festival and Festival Era Nowy Horyzonty in Wroclaw, Poland. And, The Blue Storm, a site specific work at the North Burial Grounds in Providence, RI: one of Rhode Islands oldest burial grounds dating back to 1700.

Gala has worked with children in public and private schools in the US and has also lead workshops for the past three years at the Thirteenth through Fifteenth International Contemporary Dance Conferences in Bytom, Poland. She has served as an artist in residence (2006-2007) for the Wolf Trap program at the Music Center of Los Angeles and the Beacon Center for Arts (2007-2008) in Brooklyn, NY. She holds a BFA in Dance from California Institute of the Arts (2005) and is currently a candidate for a Masters in Ethnochoreology at the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance at the University of Limerick.  

 What brought you to CalArts?

 I found it listed inside of a Performing Arts Handbook as one of  the top ten schools in the country for dance. I was interested in  continuing to live in Los Angeles because I was engaged in the  commercial dance world, but I think most people who know me  would laugh at that reality and its outcome.

 What kept you at CalArts?

 The continuous inspiration I received from, as well as, the radical  hospitality (charity) of my close friends.

 How has your CalArts education been relevant to your  professional path?

 My education at Calarts gave me a language for dance: a linguistic  and experiential vocabulary that continually serves me in expressing the forms value. Secondly, yet equally important, it gave me a rhythm, a pace with which to engage the world as an art-maker. This institution gave me a good sense of how much can happen in a day and how I can best go about facilitating that reality for myself.

What advice would you give to our current or perspective students?

Stick to your guns, if you have a vision follow it through. It is a gift to be a part of a community in which you have the resources to create mindfully. Do something you’ve never done before and don’t stop there. Do it because you can.

How did the other curricular courses (composition, dance history, anatomy, etc) inform you about the world of dance and how did it prepare you to move forward with your ideas and personal voice? 

Studying performance theory, philosophy and anthropology in the School of Critical Studies presented a multiplicity of perspectives within which to interpret the performance act.  These were most influential, next to courses in dance composition, where a whole other intelligence was promoted and actualized. Between these practical and academic discourses came a vision of why I may ‘dance’ in this world today (rather than some other social service) and how to best expand upon that sense. 

How has the technical production requirements of the program informed the way you communicate about your work? 

Under the direction of Technical Director DK and Assistant TD Jaime Hunter the lessons I learned within the theatre were invaluable. Having a sensitivity to realistically gauge and communicate your needs to the TD of your host venue not only creates a friendly work environment, but also saves time, money, energy and has insured my mental well being. This aspect of the BFA course in Dance at Calarts has been of great value.

CalArts has a strong mentoring system for each student. How did you find the guidance and support of your mentor as a student?

The dance community at Calarts is tight knit. A personal interaction with each of your professors on, practically, a daily basis is the norm. My impression was that the faculty as a community worked together as my mentor providing me with a solid spectrum of opinions from which to pool and direct my own course of action as an artist.

Do you continue to work or correspond with any CalArtians?

Yes. I have been collaborating with experimental composer Bob Bellerue (MFA 2003) for the past five years. I continue correspondence with, and keep meeting more, alumnus that share similar addictions to their practical pursuits.  Some of them are engaging in some of the best performance actions out there.

Current Occupations:

Independent Choreographer, Movement Consultant, Arts Educator, and Post-Graduate Student

Any other degrees or certifications that you have earned?

Candidate for Masters in Ethnochoreolgy, The University of Limerick 2009

Link for this Artist:

www.crashfall.org

Blog:

www.movementresearch.org/publishing

 

Photo Credits:

Wanda Gala from,” Okna, Drzwi, Sciany” made in collaboration with Kamila Chomicz, in Warsaw, Poland 2006. US premiere, ADF Dance on Camera 2007.

"Lili’I": Performed by Lilia Kibarska. REDCAT, Los Angeles, CA (2006).

"W Ruchu Na Skos": Performed by Brooke Smiley. Highways Performance Space, Santa Monica, CA (2008).

"Dunmore Caves Project": Images from left: Dunmore Caves Ireland, Wanda Gala, Brooklyn, NY (2007).

"Solome ( w/Bob Bellerue)": Performed by Wanda Gala and Bob Bellerue. Galleria Entropia, Wroclaw, Poland (2006).

Activities 2009:

 6 March 2009

 Student Symposium: Dance Research Forum Ireland

 Irish World Academy for Music and Dance, Limerick, Ireland

http://www.danceresearchforumireland.org/

 17 – 26 April 2009

 IPEDAK 2009 - Intensive Programme in Ethnochoreology and Dance Anthropology                                                       Norwegian University for Science and Technology                                                                                                     Trondheim, Norway

http://www.rff-sentret.no

 19-22 June 2009

 The Society of Dance History Scholars Annual Conference                                                                                                Stanford and San Francisco, California 

http://www.sdhs.org/index.html

 28 June- 11 July 2009                                                                                                                                                          Projekty Społeczne  16^th Annual Contemporary Dance Conference and Performance Festival                                            Bytom, Poland

http://15conference.stt.art.pl/

 31 July- 8,August 2009
 PAF- Performing Arts Forum
St Erme Outre et Ramecourt, France

http://www.pa-f.net

 For short works set on and in collaboration with other performing artists, please visit:
 In NYC: Narcissister, nightly at The Box: http://www.narcissister.com
 In LA: Lucent Dossier, Thursday evenings at The Edison: www.lucentdossier.com

 

 

 

 

Maria Hassabi BFA '94

Maria Hassabi

Director/Choreographer/Performer 

Maria Hassabi is a director/choreographer/performer. Her work employs extreme physicality and aesthetic precision, to create urban worlds filled with iconic images. Hassabi’s works live within a tense juncture of dance, performance art and installation.

Born in Nicosia, Cyprus, Maria Hassabi moved to the United States in 1990 to study at the California Institute of the Arts in Los Angeles, where she received a BFA in Performance and Choreography. In 1994 she moved to New York City and continued her studies in various “release” techniques and The Alexander Technique. She has performed with many independent choreographers and was a member of Chamecki/Lerner Company for 8 years.

Since 1999, Hassabi has created four evening-length works and eight short-form pieces.

Hassabi’s works have been performed throughout the US, at venues such as PS122, The Kitchen, Dance Theater Workshop, P.S. 1 Contemporary Art Center, Danspace Project at St. Marks Church, The Joyce Theater and Ballroom Marfa, Texas. Internationally Hassabi’s work has been presented at ImpulsTanz Vienna, TSEH-Springdance/Dialogue Moscow, In- Presentable Festival Madrid, Musée Géo Charles in Grenoble, France and numerous other European festivals in Cyprus, Greece and Portugal. Hassabi has collaborated closely with artists from various disciplines since 1997, including dancers, visual artists, photographers and fashion designers.

Maria Hassabi is currently developing a new diptych work titled SOLO SHOW, consisting of two evening-length performances. Both of the evening-length works will be presented at Performance Space 122 (PS122) in New York City concurrently during the Fall of 2009.  The works will be co-produced by PS122, the French Institute Alliance Francaise (FIAF) as part of their Crossing the Line Festival, and the 2009 Visual Art Performance Biennial, PERFORMA 09.  

Her first evening-length piece, Lights premiered at the Biennale of Young Artists of Europe and the Mediterranean in Sarajevo-Herzegovina in 2001, and was subsequently presented in New York City at P.S. 1 Contemporary Art Center.  In 2004, Dance Theater Workshop commissioned and presented the evening-length Dead is Dead, which was followed by the 2006 premiere of Still Smoking at The Kitchen. Hassabi’s most recent evening-long performance GLORIA was chosen as one of the best performances of 2007 in both The New York Times and TimeOut NY.  The work premiered at BALLROOM Marfa, Texas in May 2007 as a trio, and then in New York at Performance Space 122 in November 2007 as a duet. Roslyn Sulcas of The New York Times wrote, “A piece of pure theater in which the cumulative effect of their disaffected, sculptural poses was as compelling as it was mysterious.”

Hassabi has received funding for her work from the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, Foundation 2021, The Brown Foundation, and The Allison Sarofim/990Manegement Trust.  

 

 

 

 "The boundaries between dance,  artwork,  installation and  performance  are subtly  blurred... every sculptural  position  suggests  unverifiable meaning."

 THE NEW YORK TIMES, ROSLYN  SULCAS, November 10,  2007

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/10/arts/dance/10roun.html? =Top/Reference/Times%20Topics/Organizations/D/Danspace%20Project

Other degrees or certifications:

"Pilates Method of Body Conditioning", certificate

 

 Links for this Artist:

 www.mariahassabi.com

  Streaming Video:

 www.mariahassabi.com

 www.youtube.com/mariahassabi

 “What made “Dead is Dead” work so  well…  was its luck of pretension and its  skillful staging and overall dramatic  arc."                                     

THE NEW YORK TIMES, Jennifer  Dunning December  15, 2004

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/15/arts/dance/15hass.htmln=Top/Reference/Times%20Topics/Organizations/D/Dance%20Theater%20Workshop

luciana achugar '95

Artistic Director/Choreographer

luciana achugar  

luciana achugar is an Uruguayan choreographer based in Brooklyn. 
She moved to New York in 1995 after graduating from Cal Arts. In NY she worked as a dancer with several influential choreographers including Maria Hassabi, Chameckilerner and John Jasperse. From 1999 to 2003, she worked in a close collaborative relationship with choreographer Levi Gonzalez and has been doing her own independent work since 2002.

achugar has created six independent works, the last one of which The Sublime is Us premiered at Dance Theatre Workshop in October 2008. Her work has been presented in NY at Movement Research’s MELT Festival; the Ensemble Studio Theatre; The Latino American Dance: Not Festival Project; CANADA Gallery; Klaus von Nichtssagend Gallery; La MaMa; Abrons Arts Center; Danspace Project and Dance Theatre Workshop; in Cambridge Massachusets at the Green Studios and in Uruguay at the Festival Iberoamericano de Danza and the Centro Cultural de España. 
The Sublime is Us will be presented again by DTW this January 8 & 10 as part of the NY APAP Conference. In April 2009 she will present A Super natural Return to Love (2004) at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, MN.

achugar received a BESSIE Award as Creator/Choreographer for her first full evening-length piece Exhausting Love at Danspace Project which premiered in November 2006 and most recently, in November 2008, she accepted Tere O'Connor's BAX10 artist and artists in progress "Passing it on Award", The BAX10 honors individuals in the arts who have revealed and transformed our creative world, deepened the definition of their field and paved the way for others.

luciana achugar is a 2008 New York Foundation for the Arts fellow in Choreography. She was a 2007 Choreography Fellow of the Maggie Allesee National Center for Choreography at Florida State University and a Sugar Salon Artist, a program developed by WAX in partnership with the Barnard College Department of Dance. She was a 2001-2002 and 2002-2003 Movement Research Artist-in-Residence and has been in Residencies at Barnard College, Bennington College, DTW’s Outer/Space Program, the LEX-Dance Summer Residency, MANCC at FSU and at the Daghdha Dance Company in Limerick, Ireland.

She is a 2008 recipient of Building Up Infrastructure Levels for Dance (BUILD), a program of New York Foundation for the Arts. BUILD is a JPMorgan Chase Regrant Program, made possible by The J.P. Morgan Chase Foundation, with additional support provided by The Starry Night Fund of the Tides Foundation. Her work has received support from the Meet the Composer Fund; the Puffin Foundation; The Leonard and Sophie Davis Fund; and from public funds from the Manhattan Community Arts Fund, supported by the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs and administered by the LMCC.

 

What brought you to CalArts?

I got to CalArts through a recommendation of a faculty member at Northwestern University whom I had had an interview with and who suggested that CalArts would be the right place for me.

 

How has your CalArts educations been relevant to your professional path?

It was instrumental in developing a strong sense of what I was most interested when it came to Dance as an art form, and in learning to be eloquent when talking about work. It also helped me develop my own sense of discipline and rigor when it comes to approaching my career.

 

What advice would you give to our current or perspective students?

I would advice them to learn to write proposals for projects and to learn some other skill besides dancing because it is really difficult when you get out of college to start to build one’s career just with dancing skills.

 

CalArts is unique in that it houses the Schools of Art, Critical Studies, Dance, Film/Video, Music and Theater as well as the Division of Library and Informational Resources under one roof. As a student, how did you engage with other members of the CalArts community and how did it influence your art making?

Just by being at CalArts one gets to meet other students from different schools so as the years went on I began to be more aware of what was going on in other schools and was exposed to a lot of music and visual art especially which greatly influenced my view of art in general. I was mostly influenced by the art school because it opened my mind up thinking of work conceptually and by several of the Critical Studies courses I took while I was there. Some of those courses helped me articulate ideas I already had but didn’t know about some of the reasons I was so drawn to working with the body as a medium.

 

How did the School of Dance fulfill your need to forge a career in dance?

It helped me develop a relationship to dance that was so much more specific and focused than when I started my first year, just wanting to dance but not having a specific path within it. It encouraged me to make my own work and it prepared me by giving me all the responsibility that it comes with producing a show; from choosing dancers to scheduling rehearsals, collaborating with costume designers, composers and lighting designers. It encouraged all of the students to see each other’s work and give each other feedback creating a strong sense of dialogue which kept me engaged and has continued to in my relationship to contemporary choreographers in NYC.

How did the technique classes prepare you for the physical demands of a career in dance?

The consistency of the technique classes and the importance given to attendance helped me wanna seek out the same level of consistency in my own practice once I was out of college. The Ballet classes felt incredibly helpful in organizing my body and they did not feel like they were imposing the classical aesthetic in terms of style but just giving me an incredible tool to use for any kind of work. The Modern classes felt a bit dated when I was there (‘91-‘95) but the regularity of visiting artists that were connected with more contemporary ways of moving and thinking of technique was incredibly influential and helpful. In fact, I went on to study with some of those visiting artists, such as Shelley Senter and Ralph Lemon, once I moved to NY.

How did the other curricular courses (composition, dance history, anatomy, etc) inform you about the world of dance and how did it prepare you to move forward with your ideas and personal voice?

The Dance History courses were particularly influential because I had a very limited knowledge of what had happened in Dance since Martha Graham when I got to CalArts. I was most specifically influenced by learning about the Judson Church Post-Modern Movement during the 60’s and 70’s, and this prompoted me to go much deeper into studying these forms, going straight to the Trisha Brown Company to study more after College.

The Composition classes were without my knowing it at the time what mostly prepared me for my career. Having had numerous opportunities to create without so much pressure of succeeding while in school gave me an opportunity to play and learn about what my tendencies and recurring interests were. I learned  so many different ways to make material and arrange it and most of all I learned to look at other people’s work, to talk about it and to learn what I like in dance through seeing their work.

How has the technical production requirements of the program informed the way you communicate about your work?

The fact that I spent so much of my time at Theater 2 while being in school made me incredibly comfortable and familiar with the technical aspects surrounding a production and it taught me the language that one needs to use in order to communicate with the lighting designer and the crew for everything to work smoothly and to feel a mutual respect with your collaborators; especially when time is so limited in those situations.

 

CalArts has a strong mentoring system for each student. How did you find the guidance and support of your mentor as a student? Have you had the opportunity to mentor young artist in your career?

I think my relationship to my mentor was a critical part of my education at CalArts. I had a particularly traumatic experience since my first mentor was Rebecca Bobele who passed away when I was on my second year. She was very influential because of her passion for choreography and fierce dancing.

I guess you could say that in some ways I have mentored some of the dancers that have worked with me for a few years. I have given a lot of advice and speficic feedback in terms of choreography and career choices. It feels really good to know that you have something to give back.

 

Do you continue to work or correspond with any CalArtians?

Yes! I have a lot of close friends that I am in close contact with who are all here in NY. When I first moved here they were my support group and practically like my family.

I started choreographing with Levi Gonzalez with whom I had done a lot of work while at CalArts. I danced for Wendy Winters and for Maria Hassabi before I started choreographing. Later Wendy became a Costume Designer for Dance and she desgined costumes for me and for Levi. I built a Dance Loft space to live and rehearse in from scratch with Maria Hassabi in 2004 but we unfortunately ended up losing it. (NY real estate is a nightmare). And I continue to be a strong supporter of both Maria’s and Levi’s work and they are of mine.

Last but not least I have been collaborating very closely for the last three years with Michael Mahalchick (an CalArts alumni form the MFA Art program), mostly he has been making music for my shows. But it has become more like a relationship to a dramaturg since he becomes deeply invested in the process of the work.

Any other degrees or certifications that you  have earned?

I became a Pilates Instructor with The Pilates  Method.

  

  Links for this Artist: 

  www.lachugar.org                                                                     

  www.youtube.com/lachugar

  www.dtw.org

  http://movementresearch.org/performancejournal/

  http://www.mancc.org/2007-2008-artists/luciana-achugar-2.html

   

  

 Photo Credits:

 Headshot: luciana achugar. Photo by Chase Granoff.

 “legs”: from “A Super Natural Return to Love”, December ’04 at DTW. Photo by Briana Blasko.          Dancers: L to R: Kim Osterberger, Willa Carroll, Beatrice Wong, luciana achugar, Anna Azrieli and      Jennifer Kjos.   

 “towards altar”: from “Exhausting Love at Danspace Project”, November ’06 at Danspace Project.  Photo by Briana Blasko. Dancers: L to R: (back) Hilary Clark, Beatrice Wong and Jennifer Kjos.      (front) luciana achugar and Melanie Maar.

 “crawling”: from “Franny & Zooey”, April ’07 at DTW. Photo by Alex Escalante.                            Dancer: luciana achugar.

 “luciana at mirror”:  from “The Sublime is US”, October ’08 at DTW. Photo by Ryutaro Mishima.  Dancer: luciana achugar.

 

Upcoming Performances, Workshops or Exhibitions:

 January ’09:  Interview in the Issue #34 of Movement Research’s Performance Journal.

 January 10^th, ’09: Presenting The Sublime is Us, (which premiered at DTW in October ’08) for the New York APAP Conference (2 shows at 5:30 & 8 pm).

Winter ’09: Commissioned by the George Washington University Dance Department to make a new piece on their students.

March 1^st:  Composition Workshop: The Inherent Proposition in the Making of a Dance,  for “CLASS” at BARN in Brooklyn, NY.

 April 30-May2: Presenting A Super Natural Return to Love, (which premiered at DTW in December 2004) at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis.

 Winter ’10:  Premiere of new work at The Kitchen, NYC.

Dallas McMurray BFA '06

Dallas McMurray from El Cerrito, CA, began studying jazz, tap, and acrobatics with Katie Maltsberger, and ballet with Yukiko Sakakura. Dallas has performed with the Limón Dance Company in addition to works by Jiri Kylian, Alonzo King, Robert Moses, and Colin Connor. After graduating with a BFA in Dance from the California Institute of the Arts, Dallas joined Mark Morris Dance Group as an apprentice in 2006, becoming  a company member in 2007. Dallas most recently performed a solo choreographed by John Heginbotham at Dance Theater Workshop, as a part of the danceNOW festival, and with Steeledance(Teri and Oliver Steele) at Dance New Amsterdam, in an evening length work entitled “Bicipital Groove or Echo My Instincts”.

What brought you to CalArts?

I actually didn’t know much about the school before I went. I had a friend that was going, so I thought it would be fun to know somebody already. 

How has your CalArts educations been relevant to your professional path?  

I went to CalArts to study dance. I wanted to learn as much as I could about it, and strengthen my technique and performance quality so I could someday be professional. 

What advice would you give to our current or perspective students? 

 I would say to them, start thinking where you want to go with your dancing while you are there. I have no regrets about the way I spent my time at CalArts, but if I could do it again, I would have taken more advantage of the available space and talent…it’s free!! I was a bit insecure with my own choreography, so that affected how often I showed pieces. I look back now and realize..no one cares! That is the point of the Showings class, to grow, learn, and make mistakes. Also, I would tell them to see dance performances, and do research about different companies, etc. It would be very helpful to know what direction you want to go, if you know what is out there. 

CalArts is unique in that it houses the Schools of Art, Critical Studies, Dance, Film/Video, Music and Theater as well as the Division of Library and Informational Resources under one roof. As a student, how did you engage with other members of the CalArts community and how did it influence your art making?

I learned that it is hard! I wasn’t very good at collaborating much, but it was nice to see my classmates finding the ways they liked to work, or being in a piece that was a collaboration. 

 

 How did the School of Dance fulfill your need to forge  a career  in dance?

 In my last semester, I had no clue at all what I was going to do  after. I was afraid I would just be stuck somewhere, and end up  not dancing much. I knew I wanted to dance, I just didn’t know  where or with whom. During spring break, the dance school  organized a trip for our class to visit New York. That was my first  time in NY, and I knew I wanted to go there, just from that one  week. That helped give me some direction on where I wanted to  go. There are a lot of opportunities in New York, and I’m glad I’m  here.

 How did the technique classes prepare you for the physical  demands of a career in dance? 

 All of the teachers I had while at CalArts taught me a lot. The 3  week rotations helped keep taking class fresh. I always knew they were good classes while I was there, but after visiting last year, it was nice to see how hard they really are! I haven’t taken a ballet class as tough as Laurence’s anywhere in the city….not yet at least!

 

How did the other curricular courses (composition, dance history, anatomy, etc) inform you about the world of dance and how did it prepare you to move forward with your ideas and personal voice?

I still share memories from all these classes with friends that went to other schools, comparing and contrasting. The project I recently did with Steeledance forced me to utilize certain aspects from my comp classes. Taking phrases and changing them up, or creating duets and quartets from the movement. I’m glad to know that all of those tools are still in there! 

How has the technical production requirements of the program informed the way you communicate about your work?

I have an appreciation for what the people involved with the technical side do. It’s tough, and it was great to have been on that side of things during performances at CalArts. 

CalArts has a strong mentoring system for each student. How did you find the guidance and support of your mentor as a student? Have you had the opportunity to mentor young artist in your career? 

Colin really helped me a lot. He never let me slack off, and kept me pushing harder and harder! It was tough, but I look back now and thank him so much for that support! 

Do you continue to work or correspond with any CalArtians?

ALL THE TIME!

 

“Mr. McMurray, a new dancer, was a marvel of seemingly artless grace in both “Excursions” and “New Love Song Waltzes.”  -NY Times, Alastair Macaulay

Links for this Artist:

www.mmdg.org

 

Streaming Video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBH3NjU0aAg

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S25Ud7ZWu7I

 

Upcoming Performances, Workshops or Exhibitions:

Mark Morris Dance Group

December 5, 2008	Olympia, WA	Washington Center for the Performing Arts
January 29-31, 2009	Washington, DC	Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Production: Mozart Dances
February 16, 2009	Big Island, HI	Kahilu Theatre
February 19, 2009	Maui, HI	Maui Arts & Cultural Center
March 19-22, 2009	Boston, MA	Cutler Majestic Theatre
May 14-17, 2009	New York, NY	Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts Production: Romeo & Juliet, On Motifs of Shakespeare

   

 Photo Credit:

"Romeo and Juliet: Motifs on Shakespeare" - choreography by Mark Morris

"Italian Concerto" - choreography by Mark Morris, photography by Stephanie Berger

"Romeo and Juliet: Motifs on Shakespeare" - choreography by Mark Morris

"Excursions" - choreography by Mark Morris

"Mozart Dances: - choreography by Mark Morris

"Romeo and Juliet: Motifs on Shakespeare" - choreography by Mark Morris

 

Karl Anderson BFA '86

KARL ANDERSON started dancing when he was nineteen.  Discovering dance was a cathartic experience that changed his life in every respect.  For the first time, Karl discovered something that he loved.  He was driven to investigate himself, his world-view, and the worlds of art and expression.  In 1986, Karl received a BFA in Dance from the California Institute of the Arts.  Upon graduation, he returned to San Francisco.   He performed with Contraband, the Joe Goode Performance Group, Motivity, and The San Francisco Moving Company.   He also presented his own work at Centerspace and at Footwork studio in San Francisco.

Upon moving to New York in 1987, Karl performed with Ze' Eva Cohen, David Dorfman, Charles Dennis, Jeff McMahon, Stephanie Skura, and Merián Soto.  Karl's company, SLAMFEST, was presented at BACA Downtown, Fieldworks, Gowanus Arts Exchange, Movement Research at the Judson Church, Performance Space 122's New Stuff series, Rapp Arts Center, Robert Yohn's Dance Loft, and Socrates Sculpture Park.  His choreography was also presented at the Metropolitan School for the Arts in Syracuse New York, the Patio Theater of the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture in Old San Juan PR, the John L. Haar Theater in Edmonton Canada (1989 and 1991); and the first National Performance Network touring contract in Canada at the Dancer's Studio West in Calgary.             

Mr. Anderson took a hiatus from dance in 1990.  He graduated from Pratt Institute with a Bachelor's of Architecture in 1996 and a Master's of Architecture in 1998.  Midway through this major life change, Karl realized that although he liked architecture, dance was what he loved. During his last year at Pratt, he performed with David Lindsay-Abaire and Daniel Safer, Speed Carroll, Pt. Satya Narayana Charka, Beth Coiner, and Andrea Mills.           

Since graduating from Pratt, Karl has performed with Wendy Blum, Keely Garfield, Allyson Green, Kate Gyllenhaal, Curt Haworth, Clarinda Mac Low, Amy Sue Rosen, Lynn Marie Ruse, Jordana Toback, and Sally Silvers, and he is currently dancing with Molly Rabinowitz.  

Since 1998, SLAMFEST productions have been presented at Arts on the Hudson II Festival on Pier 63, the TalkTalk/WalkWalk Festival at the Bowery Poetry Club in 2003 and 2004, the BRICK studio, CalArts School of Dance Alumni Concert at St. Mark’s Church, CalArts Alumni Concert at The Kitchen, Dancenow Downtown Festival 2000 (at the Joyce SoHo), Dancenowfest 2001 (at Williamsburg Arts Nexus and at Joyce SoHo), dancenow/nyc 2002 (at the Joyce SoHo), dancenOw/NYC 2005 (at Joe’s Pub), Dancenow/NYC Festival 2006 (at Dance Theater Workshop), Downtown Dance Festival at Chase Plaza, Dance Theater Workshop’s Freshtracks showcase, a Splitstream, and the Carnival Series, Dancer’s over 40 at the 42^nd St. studios, Danspace Project’s Food For Thought series, Dixon Place, D.U.M.B.O. art under the bridge Dance Festival (2001 and 2006), Galapagos Art & Performance Space, Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, Joyce SoHo Benefit Auction 2007, La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club, Movement Research at the Judson Church and Movement Research Improvisation Festival at Danspace Project, P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center, Sal Anthony’s Movement Salon, University Settlement, and Wave Rising Series at the John Ryan Theater.  In 2002 and 2003 SLAMFEST self-produced full evening concerts at the Williamsburg Arts Nexus and a partially subsidized self-produced concert at the Joyce SoHo in 2007. 

SLAMFEST has toured domestically to Hoboken NJ. at the DeBaun Auditorium at Steven’s Institute in their SWEAT Modern Dance Series (2006), the Philadelphia Live Arts Festival (2004), Richmond VA. at the Grace St. Theater (2002, 2004, and 2005), the ‘East Meets West’ Performance Festival at Sushi in San Diego (2005), the WestWaveDanceFestival at the ODC Theater in San Francisco (2005), presented improvisation-based works in Seattle at the Textile Factory and at On The House (2003).  SLAMFEST has also toured internationally to John Moores University in Liverpool England (2006) and to Universidad De La Americas in Puebla Mexico (2007 and 2008).

Mr. Anderson is a certified instructor of the Skinner Releasing Technique and has taught both domestically and internationally.  A card-carrying member of the American Civil Liberties Union, Karl is an artist member of Dance Theater Workshop and serves on the DTW Curatorial Advisory Committee.

“…an innovative duet…full of intimate, unexpected gestures”

Jennifer de Poyen / The San Diego Union-Tribune (2005)          Intercourse

 

 What brought you to CalArts?

 I discovered CalArts quite by accident.  A friend at  the time had an audition slot and asked if I wanted  to accompany her.  They let me try out even  though I had not preregistered.  I started dancing  at age 19 and I had about one year under-my-belt when I auditioned.  Thankfully, Donald Byrd, liked how weird my improvisations were and was also able to completely overlook my absurd attempts at learning dance movement. 

I knew immediately upon matriculation that I would never be a great dancer, or possibly never even be a really good dancer.  I had a knack for choreography and I was pushed in that direction.  I loved my time at CalArts.  I absorbed as much as possible and I was fearless about making the most odd stuff imaginable.  Some of it was pure genius but most of it was a kind or hapless regurgitation.  As I found my voice and aesthetic preferences, I became egoistic and lost my way.  By my senior year I had an attitude problem and my work had become shallow.  It took me a few years in the professional setting to regroup and get my ego under control once again.  

What advice would you give to present or perspective students?

My advice to any young CalArtian who might be battling with the know-it-all syndrome is: you don't. No one does.  I think it is entirely possible to absorb information and influences, imitate and copy, and discover your own unique vision without necessarily disregarding those aesthetic endeavors that you don't find terribly interesting or deep.  The longer I'm in this field of dance more I'm able to applaud anyone who is brave enough to make something.  In a world where viscous people run most of the countries and a third of the global population goes to bed hungry every night, how pointed do we really need to be with our artistic critiques?  Being helpful seems like a much better use of our time and energy.   

CalArts is unique in that it houses the Schools of Art, Critical Studies, Dance, Film/Video, Music and Theater as well as the Division of Library and Informational Resources under one roof. As a student, how did you engage with other members of the CalArts community and how did it influence your art making?

At the time, I knew that CalArts was a special environment.  But it wasn't until I retuned to school and earned additional degrees in Architecture that I realized how amazing CalArts was (and most probably still is).  CalArts is a hotbed of collaboration.  Since I graduated in 1986, I have made collaborations with four different CalArtians who I met later in New York.  I have also collaborated with composers and designers of all sorts.  The intrapollenation that occurs at CalArts is an invaluable preparation for the "real" world.  The mentoring system is amazing and rare.  CalArts if packed with excellent teachers who care.  Drink it up.

Unless you are Mr. or Mrs. Moneybags, making art upon graduation is going to be very difficult if not totally daunting.  It takes a strong vision that is also malleable, tenacity, and a commitment to the long road ahead.  Over the past twenty years, I have taught and performed at numerous institutions of higher learning and I have to say that CalArts is unlike any college or University that I've come across.  CalArts is an amazing place that changed my life for the better and anyone who is lucky enough to be a student at CalArts should be quite thankful indeed.          

What other degrees or certifications do you have?

Although I earn a living as a site manager for a design/build architectural firm and I simply loose hundreds to thousands of dollars per dance piece, my official title for my dance company would be Choreographer and Artistic Director.

Since CalArts, I have earned degrees in Architecture from Pratt Institute: BArch 1996 and MArch 1998 and I have become a certified facilitator of the Skinner Releasing Technique.

Upcoming performances

 

May  2009                lecture/demonstration                       University of Wisconsin

April/May 2009        teaching and performance                 Universidad De Las Americas (Puebla, MX)

March  2009            teaching and creating a 

                                new piece on students                       University of Virginia

February  2009       performance                                       Danspace Project

“…an original, engaging thinker who relishes questions and distrusts pat answers.”

Eva Yaa Asantewaa / The Village Voice (2002)

“…a beautiful duet.”

Deborah Jowitt / The Village Voice (2004)          Intercourse

Links for this Artist:

www.slamfest.org

Email:

slamfest@msn.com

Photo Credit:

                                                 Toro                                                         Photographer: Estela Morales

Words 

a solo made and performed by Karl Anderson 

premiered at Footwork Dance Studio (San Francisco) 

Photographer: Estela Morales

Intercourse

A collaboration by Karl Anderson and Kate Weare

premiered at Dance Theater Workshop in 2004

Photographer: Paul H. Taylor

"...Crack Baby..."

A collaboration by Karl Anderson and Leslie Derrick

made and performed by the collaborators

premiered at P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center in 2001

Photographer: Gordon Douglas

Squint to Focus

premiered at Dance Theater Workshop in 2004

Performers: Rachel Lynch-John, Molly Rabinowitz, and Kristi Spessard

Intercourse

A collaboration by Karl Anderson and Kate Weare

premiered at Dance Theater Workshop in 2004

Photographer: Paul H. Taylor

Estelle Woodward Arnal BFA '96

 Estelle Woodward Arnal     Brooklyn, NY 

 Director of Artist Services, Dance Theater Workshop 

 Master of Fine Arts in Choreography and Performance, Bennington College

 Estelle Woodward Arnal has been on staff in the Artist Services department at Dance Theater Workshop since 2001. In addition to her role in the dance community as an arts administrator, Estelle maintains an active career as a choreographer and performer. She has performed with Clyde Forth Visual Theater, Trajal Harrell, Mark Dendy Dance and Theater, Joyce Lim, Maureen Flemming and The Ensemble Project directed by Katherine Ferrier. Estelle received her BFA in Dance from CalArts in 1996. In 2000 she completed her MFA in choreography and performance at Bennington College where she met her co-collaborator, Jeff Arnal. Most recently, their work has been presented at The Chocolate Factory in Long Island City, NY, Food for Thought at Danspace Project, Roulette at Location One, and the Vision Collaborations Festival. Estelle and Jeff are co-founders and Artistic Directors of Improvised and Otherwise, an annual festival for experimental music and dance. Estelle currently resides in Brooklyn, NY with Jeff and their son, Thomas Casey Arnal (b. 4/13/07).

What brought you to CalArts?

 When I started researching colleges, I called the American Dance Festival offices and asked for some recommendations of fine arts programs outside of North Carolina and New York.  I was told that the students who came to ADF from CalArts were consistently the more creative and adventurous dancers in the program.  How could I not apply after an endorsement like that?

How has your CalArts educations been relevant to your professional path?

 I think that the strong emphasis CalArts places on performance as well as composition was critical to my creative development.  I discovered my love of solo performance at CalArts and this has informed my process throughout my career.  The faculty always encouraged me to forge my own path as a choreographer and to put my work out there as much as possible.  When I first arrived in New York after graduation, I pursued many performing opportunities, but ultimately found that creating and performing in my own work was more satisfying and where I wanted to focus my energy.  After two years in the city, I decided to move on to graduate school where I could immerse myself in the development of my choreography.  I have since been performing my work on a regular basis in New York and the surrounding region.

What advice would you give to our current or perspective students?

 Stay open minded to new possibilities and don’t be afraid to take risks throughout your career.  There are many paths that you can take as a dance artist; I always advocate for artists to create their own model rather than feeling obligated to follow in the footsteps of others. 

CalArts is unique in that it houses the Schools of Art, Critical Studies, Dance, Film/Video, Music and Theater as well as the Division of Library and Informational Resources under one roof. As a student, how did you engage with other members of the CalArts community and how did it influence your art making?

 I remember watching the final projects from the Video for Dance class and Comp 4 class in Showings during my first year at CalArts, and I was completely enthralled by the prospect of working with artists outside of dance.  I was fortunate to have the opportunity to participate in a number of collaborative projects over the next 3 years.  These were truly eye-opening experiences for me – learning how to communicate your ideas clearly and create a shared vision with an artist working in a different discipline.  When I left NY to go to grad school, one of my primary goals was to identify other artists that I could develop a working relationship with.  I was successful in that endeavor in that I met composer / percussionist, Jeff Arnal, at Bennington, who I began collaborating with on improvisational scores and multi-media performance pieces.  That relationship has continued for the past 10 years and has expanded to include projects with a broad range of musicians, visual artists, dancers and filmmakers.  

 How did the technique classes prepare you for  the physical demands of a career in dance?

 I think the well-rounded approach to technique at CalArts was very effective, and I always enjoyed the rotating format for the instructors.  The broad exposure to different styles of moving and movement invention provided a solid base for me to work from as I’ve strived to define my own vocabulary and craft a unique voice in the field.  I also think the Pilates and Yoga training that was provided helped me develop a practice for maintaining strength and flexibility as my body has changed over the years.

 How did the other curricular courses  (composition, dance history, anatomy, etc)  inform you about the world of dance and how  did it prepare you to move forward with your  ideas and personal voice?

 Without a doubt, the dance history and composition courses at CalArts heavily influenced my development as a choreographer.  I think it’s so important to understand where your ideas reside within the larger continuum of the dance field.  But you can’t develop that understanding if you don’t know what has come before you and what is going on in the field now.  I think the fact that many of the composition teachers that I studied with were also working artists made a big difference, because their experience was framed by something larger than just their role as a faculty member.  Similarly, the dance history classes helped put the work we were developing in comp class into a broader context that transcended the campus environment.     

How has the technical production requirements of the program informed the way you communicate about your work?

 I think that the technical production faculty at CalArts instilled in me a great respect for the work that is involved in producing a show.  I consider the lighting designers and stage managers that I’ve worked with to be equal partners in the collaborative process.  However, I have frequently found myself in performance situations where I’ve had to manage many of the production aspects myself, which I would not be able to do had I not received that training as a student.  I think artists have to be prepared to work in all types of performance situations, from low to no tech showings as well as full productions with a large crew.  

 CalArts has a strong mentoring system for each student. How did you find the guidance and support of your mentor as a student? Have you had the opportunity to mentor young artist in your career?

 I had two mentors at CalArts, Tina Yuan and Lyndon Branaugh, both of whom were incredibly active and supportive.  One thing I always appreciated at CalArts was that even though you had one person assigned as your mentor, the other faculty were always willing to meet and discuss ideas or challenges that you were grappling with.  I think the mentor relationship is really crucial for both emerging and established artists; it helps to have someone outside of your circle to have a dialogue with about your work.  In my role at Dance Theater Workshop as Director of Artist Services, I have had the opportunity to serve in a mentor capacity to a number of artists.  Moreover, I have been able to institute a mentor structure into several of the programs that I manage so that other artists are paired with people in the community who are interested in mentoring.  

Do you continue to work or correspond with any CalArtians?

 I am happy to say that I’ve been able to work with several CalArtians at Dance Theater Workshop – artists who were students before, during and after my time -  including Levi Gonzalez, Luciana Achugar, Maria Hassabi, Jessica Gaynor, Sue Hogan, Sahar Javedani, Ella Ben-Aharon, and Michael Zimmerman, among others.  And of course, I have stayed in close touch with my two partners in crime from the CalArts days – Tiffany Parish and Emily Fernandez. 

 Links for this Artist:

www.generaterecords.net

www.dancetheaterworkshop.org

 Press:

 Interview with Eva Yaa Asantewaa on Infinite  Body

infinitebody.blogspot.com

 Interview with Isabella Bruno on CultureBot

culturebot.org

Review on Offoffoff.org by Antonietta Vicario

www.offoffoff.org

Video:

Transparent Paths (excerpt)

Recorded: October 21, 2005

Presented by The Chocolate Factory Theater, Long Island City, NY

No Frame

Recorded: December 18, 2005

Food for Thought at Danspace Project at Saint Marks Church, New York, NY

Kate Weare BFA '94

Kate Weare, Artistic Director

Kate Weare Company

Kate Weare, Choreographer & Artistic Director of Kate Weare Company, was nominated for The Alpert Award in the Arts in 2008.  Weare’s newest work, Bridge of Sighs, co-commissioned by Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, premiered from August 13-17, 2008 in The Duke Theater to rave reviews.  In Spring 2008, Kate Weare Company (KWCo) enjoyed a residency at Dance New Amsterdam and showed work-in-progress there from May 1-4, 2008.  In September, KWCo set the award-winning repertory duet Drop Down on Washington D.C.’s preeminent modern dance company, CityDance Ensemble. Weare’s trio, The Light Has Not the Arms to Carry Us, appeared in New York City Center’s Fall for Dance in September 2008 to an excellent mention in The NY Times. Weare and her company members are invited to serve as Guest Artists this Fall at Long Island University, Roger Williams University and CityDance Ensemble.  In Spring 2009, Weare will be commissioned by Danspace Project at St. Mark’s Church-in-the-Bowery to create a new work, Lean-to.

  Awarded a 2007 Joyce Soho Residency, Weare was mentored by  Gwen Welliver, former Rehearsal Director of Trisha Brown Dance  Company.  In April 2007, Weare was selected for MANCC’s ‘Free  To Rep’ Program with Axis Dance Company, and subsequently  commissioned for a 20-minute quintet, Foregone, to tour  nationally.  In May 2007, KWCo won The A.W.A.R.D. Show, (a  New York series in which the audience and a select panel votes on  the best modern dance) receiving top prize of $10,000 for a 2006  duet, Drop Down.  In July 2007, KWCo premiered an evening of six  dances entitled, Leveling, at Theater Artaud to open SF’s West  Wave Dance Festival.  In November 2007, Weare was honored with  a Choreographic Fellowship at the Maggie Allesee National Center  for Choreography at Florida State to explore the relationship  between music and movement.  In December and April of 2007/08,  KWCo enjoyed two week long Creative Development Residencies  at Jacob’s Pillow. 

Awarded a 2004 Djerassi Artist’s Residency in Woodside, CA, Weare has shown work in San Francisco’s WestWave Dance Festival since 1998, maintaining a bi-costal presence as a dance maker. Weare was nominated for SF’s Isadora Duncan Dance Award for her duet Suit/Skin in 1999.  Weare has presented work at Highways, LACE and Los Angeles Theater Center, Theater Artaud, The Cowell Theater and ODC Theater, San Diego’s Sushi, Cinema Reks, Belgrade, Teater Kosmos, Vienna and The Place, London.  Zwei, a film created with Canadian filmmaker Kenji Ouellet, was an award finalist at the 2001 Dance on Camera Festival at Lincoln Center and screened in the 2003 Dancing for Camera at The American Dance Festival.  KWCo was most recently invited to work with Director Shlomo Godder on a short film about selected NY artists as part of a promotional project for Lexus Corporation’s car designers.

 Weare earned her BFA in Dance from CalArts in 1994. Since moving to NYC in 2000, Weare has been commissioned by Dance Theater Workshop in 2004 & 2006, and presented at City Center, Jacob’s Pillow, Joyce Soho, The Kitchen, The 92^nd St. Y, WAX, BAX, Movement Research at Judson Church, Symphony Space, DancemOpolitan @ Joe’s Pub, NYU’s Frederick Loewe Theater, and La Mama Theater. 

The Village Voice: Clinging to Life in Kate Weare’s Bridge of Sighs; The Choreographer and Company Make Passion seem like a New Subject   By Deborah Jowitt, September 3, 2008 

 “Note to self: Try not to miss any performances by Kate Weare's group. While joining the fervent applause for the premiere of Bridge of Sighs at Jacob's Pillow's Doris Duke Studio, I'm thinking: "This is what I've been craving." I understand many choreographers' current interest in physical eclecticism and inconsistency in a falling-apart world, but Weare's movement emerges from a fusion of ideas and emotion—gripping you with its actual heat and, in its pauses, altercations, and meltings, penetrating the complexities of human behavior.” 

What brought you to CalArts?

I applied to CalArts because of its reputation as a choreography program.  My instinct early on was that I was more interested in making my own work than aspiring to be part of big dance company.

How has your CalArts educations been relevant to your professional path?

CalArts manages to achieve a fine balance in developing an individual’s voice and at the same time fostering a climate of questioning, collaborating and exploring between points of view.  In school I developed the self-awareness and resolve I’d need later to cultivate my own voice despite shifting trends in the art world.  CalArts’ unique, inclusive environment offers up radically diverse stances about art-making practices and values.  I came to accept at CalArts that I was one point of view among many, but that my point of view was my own and, therefore, I was really the one who needed to nurture it.

What advice would you give to our current or perspective students?

It took me far too long to hone my administrative, financial and strategic skills – the skills that American artists today HAVE to develop (assuming there’s no trust fund to hire out the work.)  For me, the hardest part of the administrative workload is balancing it against my creative practice. The sooner one starts practicing administration - grant-writing, budgets, book-keeping, tax preparation, press packets, press releases, mailing lists, fund-raising - the better not to feel overwhelmed as your artistic life develops. Although it isn’t glamorous, soak up as much of this practical information as you can while in school so the transition to doing it yourself isn’t so agonizing.  These days, one’s ability to think pragmatically is vital to a long life in the arts.

The Boston Globe: Different Styles, But Duo Provides a Journey of Struggle   By Janine Parker, August 16, 2008

“Weare traffics in a hot-blooded, hyper-physical post- modern dance… The four compelling dancers in Weare's world premiere "Bridge of Sighs" - Weare, Clark, Douglas Gillespie, and Leslie Kraus - depict the magnetism, healthy or not, that can draw and hold people together.” 

CalArts is unique in that it houses the Schools of Art, Critical Studies, Dance, Film/Video, Music and Theater as well as the Division of Library and Informational Resources under one roof. As a student, how did you engage with other members of the CalArts community and how did it influence your art making?

I have to say I wish I had collaborated more with artists of other disciplines while in school.  Even if you make a monstrosity, you’ll learn from it and sometimes the more you fail, the more you’ve risked - an important way to get to know yourself better as an artist.  Collaborating becomes so much more difficult out of school when everyone is struggling to make a living and balance complex lives.  CalArts is the perfect place to take risks and be messy without real-world consequences like losing money, nasty reviews, or collaborations that end bitterly.

How did the School of Dance fulfill your need to forge a career in dance?

I always knew I’d make a career in dance, but CalArts helped me hone a foundational value system as a choreographer that even now keeps me grounded.  I know what I love about making dances - what gets my heart beating in the studio - and I hold my honest impulses close and don’t second-guess them, even as I venture into unknown places as an artist.  I believe that you come into a situation with your innate gifts and instincts and your school environment either supports and broadens them, or undermines and silences them.  I grew as an artist at CalArts even if it wasn’t always apparent to me at the time, and I’m grateful for that.  I also was privileged to go London Contemporary Dance School in my third year as an exchange student and that was a fascinating experience.  Though I loved being in London, my time at LCD’s conservatory program made me appreciate just how much CalArts is structured to support the development of the individual’s voice.

How did the technique classes prepare you for the physical demands of a career in dance?

I think CalArts offered me a good balance between dance technique, unusual academics, and, above all, creative space to explore according to my own instincts. In some ways, the most powerful forces that shaped me were relationships with fellow students – friendships that affected my artistic development profoundly. The CalArts I attended had a diverse population in terms of background, education, age and interest.  I connected with people from aspects of the art world I’d never know otherwise, like animation, for example.  I’m still close to people involved in animation, design, theater, film, writing and visual art who lead artistic lives very different from my own.  That was a huge benefit of CalArts.

 Do you continue to work or correspond  with any CalArtians?

 CalArts has a wonderful, expansive field of  working graduates throughout the country.  When  I meet other CalArts grads, I often feel that our  values click more easily within the art world.  Not  that we make work that bears any similarity, just  that we don’t hold the same assumptions about  what ‘good art’ should be that many artists who  derive from more traditional backgrounds  do. That was a freeing aspect of CalArts, the  open-endedness, the deep California relativism.  Eventually, it allows you to alight upon your own value system as an artist; the urges and reasons that drive you as an individual and that are potent enough to keep you creating despite the challenges of a life in the arts.

Degrees:

B.F.A. California Institute of the Arts, CA

Professional Certificate of Therapeutic Massage, The Swedish Institute, NY

Certificate of Swedish Massage, Touch Therapy Institute, Los Angeles, CA

 

Links for this Artist:

www.kateweare.com

info@kateweare.com

"The Light Has Not The Arms To Carry Us" September 2008 presented at City Center's "Fall for Dance"

The New York Times: Claudia La Rocco, September 27, 2008

“Ms. Weare’s exceedingly handsome dance, a trio for herself, Douglas Gillespie and this year’s Fall for Dance literal poster girl, Leslie Kraus, recalled the simple, sensual pleasures to be had in watching articulate, fiercely honed bodies slice through time and space. Relationships and emotional states were suggested but never, thankfully, made plain, shifting in much the same way that panels of light, designed by Brian Jones, shifted across the stage.” 

Bloomberg News: Tobi Tobias, September 12,2008

“And then there's the bicoastal contemporary choreographer Kate Weare, from whom great things are expected. Typically, she deals with intimate personal relationships, coupling fierce movement with subtle feeling. What she and her company make of them in “The Light Has Not the Arms to Carry Us'' remains to be seen. Keep your eye on the redhead, Leslie Kraus, this year's Fall for Dance poster girl!” 

 

Photo Credit:

Headshot taken from "Wet Road" by  Alex Escalante at Dance Theater Workshop, NYC

"Framework by Steven Schreiber at Dance New Amsterdam, NYC 

Dancers: Kate Weare (foreground) and Adrian Clark (background)

"Bridge of Sighs" by Ben Rudick at Jacob's Pillow in the Doris Duke Theater

"Bridge of Sighs" by Ben Rudick at Jacob's Pillow in the Doris Duke Theater 

 Dancers: Kate Weare and Adrian Clark

"Bridge of Sighs" by Kurt Perschke at Jacob's Pillow in the Doris Duke Theater

"Wet Road" by Alex Escalante at Dance Theater Workshop, NYC  

 Dancers: Kate Weare, Lindsey and Jason Dietz Marchant

"Bridge of Sighs" by Christopher Duggan at Jacob's Pillow in the Doris Duke Theater