1UMS 09-10

HUBBARD STREET DANCE CHICAGO

T E A C H E R R E S O U R C E G U I D E

2 0 0 9 - 2 0 1 0

2 UMS 09-10

Michigan Council for Arts & Cultural Affairs

University of Michigan

Anonymous

Arts at Michigan

Arts Midwest’s Performing Arts Fund

Bank of Ann Arbor

Bustan al-Funun Foundation for Arab Arts

The Dan Cameron Family Foundation/Alan and Swanna Saltiel

Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan

Consulate General of the Netherlands in New York

Doris Duke Charitable Foundation

Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art

DTE Energy Foundation

The Esperance Family Foundation

David and Phyllis Herzig Endowment Fund

Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn LLP

JazzNet Endowment

W.K. Kellogg Foundation

Masco Corporation Foundation

Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone, P.L.C.

THE MOSAIC FOUNDATION (of R. and P. Heydon)

The Mosaic Foundation [Washington, DC]

National Dance Project of the New England Foundation for the Arts

National Endowment for the Arts

Prudence and Amnon Rosenthal K-12 Education Endowment Fund

Rick and Sue Snyder

Target

TCF Bank

UMS Advisory Committee

University of Michigan Credit Union

University of Michigan Health System

U-M Office of the Senior Vice Provost for Academic Affairs

U-M Office of the Vice President for Research

Wallace Endowment Fund

This Teacher Resource Guide is a product of the UMS Youth Education Program. Researched, written, and edited by Emily Barkakati and Mark Johnson.

Special thanks to Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Erika Nelson, Farrah Malik, Meredith Dincolo, Pablo Piantino, Sue Budin, Michael Kondziolka, and Omari Rush for their contributions, feedback, and support in developing this guide.

SUPPORTERS

H U B B A R D S T R E E T D A N C E C H I C A G O

GLENN EDGERTON artistic director

T E A C H E R R E S O U R C E G U I D E 2 0 0 9 - 2 0 1 0

U M S Y O U T H E D U C AT I O N P R O G R A M

11AM - 12 NOON

FRIDAYAPRIL 23

2010

POWERCENTER

4 UMS 09-10

ATTENDING THE CONCERT6 Attending the Show8 Map + Directions9 The Power Center

HUBBARD STREET DANCE CHICAGO (HSDC)11 Contemporary v. Modern12 Lou Conte + His Repertory Company14 Timeline15 UMS + HSDC

TABLE OF CONTENTS

THE ART-MAKERS18 Dancers22 Dancer Interviews

25 Artistic Staff

REPERTOIRE28 At’em (Atem) Adam29 Bitter Suite30 Rehearsals

ABOUT DANCE32 Modern + Contemporary Dance35 How to Watch Dance37 Movement38 Elements

RESOURCES40 Vocabulary42 Lesson Plans43 Bibliography + Photo Credits44 Organizations45 Suggested Readings

ABOUT UMS47 What is UMS?48 Youth Education Program50 Contacting UMS

Short on time?If you only have 15 minutes to review this guide, just read the sections in black in the Table of Contents.

Those pages will provide the most important information about this performance.

5UMS 09-10

AT T E N D I N G T H E C O N C E RT

6 UMS 09-10

TICKETS We do not use paper tickets for

Youth Performances. We hold school reserva-

tions at the door and seat groups upon arrival.

DOOR ENTRY A UMS Youth Performance

staff person will greet your group at your bus

as you unload. You will enter through the

front doors of the Power Center, which faces

Fletcher Street.

BEFORE THE START Please allow the usher

to seat individuals in your group in the order

that they arrive in the theater. Once everyone

is seated you may then rearrange yourselves

and escort students to the bathrooms before

the performance starts. PLEASE spread the

adults throughout the group of students.

DURING THE PERFORMANCE At the

start of the performance, the lights well

dim and an onstage UMS staff member will

welcome you to the performance and provide

important logistical information. If you have

any questions, concerns, or complaints (for

instance, about your comfort or the behavior

of surrounding groups) please IMMEDIATELY

report the situation to an usher or staff mem-

ber in the lobby.

PERFORMANCE LENGTH 60 minutes with

no intermission

AFTER THE PERFORMANCE When the

performance ends, remain seated. A UMS

staff member will come to the stage and

release each group individually based on the

location of your seats.

SEATING & USHERS When you arrive at

the front doors, tell the Head Usher at the

door the name of your school group and he/

she will have ushers escort you to your block

of seats. All UMS Youth Performance ushers

wear large, black laminated badges with their

names in white letters.

ARRIVAL TIME Please arrive at the Power

Center between 10:30-10:50 AM to allow you

time to get seated and comfortable before the

show starts.

DROP OFF Have buses, vans, or cars drop

off students on Fletcher Street in front of the

Power Center. If there is no space in the drop

off zone, circle the block until space becomes

available. Cars may park at curbside metered

spots or in the visitor parking lot behind the

power Center. Buses should wait/park at

Briarwood Mall.

DETAILS

AT T E N D I N G T H E S H O WWe want you to enjoy your time with UMS!

PLEASE review the important information below about attending the Youth Performance:

TICKETS

USHER

7UMS 09-10

BUS PICK UP When your group is released,

please exit the performance hall through the

same door you entered. A UMS Youth Perfor-

mance staff member will be outside to direct

you to your bus.

AAPS EDUCATORS You will likely not get

on the bus you arrived on; a UMS staff mem-

ber or AAPS Transportation Staff person will

put you on the first available bus.

LOST STUDENTS A small army of volun-

teers staff Youth Performances and will be

ready to help or direct lost and wandering

students.

LOST ITEMS If someone in your group loses

an item at the performance, contact the UMS

Youth Education Program (umsyouth@umich.

edu) to attempt to help recover the item.

AAPS

SENDING FEEDBACK We LOVE feedback

from students, so after the performance please

send us any letters, artwork, or academic

papers that your students create in response

to the performance: UMS Youth Education

Program, 881 N. University Ave., Ann Arbor,

MI 48109-1011.

NO FOOD No Food or drink is allowed in

the theater.

PATIENCE Thank you in advance for your

patience; in 20 minutes we aim to get 1,300

people from buses into seats and will work as

efficiently as possible to make that happen.

ACCESSIBILITY The following services are

available to audience members:

• Wheelchair, companion, or other special

seating

• Courtesy wheelchairs

• Hearing Impaired Support Systems

PARKING There is handicapped parking very

close to the Power Center on Fletcher Street

and in the parking structure behind the Power

Center on Palmer Drive. The first three levels of

the Palmer Drive structure have 5 parking spots

on each level next to each elevator. There are a

total of 15 parking spaces in the garage.

WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBILITY The Power

Center is wheelchair accessible and has 12 seats

for audience members with special needs.

BATHROOMS ADA compliant toilets are

available in the green room (east corner) of the

Power Center for both men and women.

ENTRY The front doors are not powered,

however, there will be an usher at that door

opening it for all patrons.

8 UMS 09-10

POWER

HILL

DR

OP

-OF

F Z

ON

E

PARK

PALMER DRIVE

E. HURON ST

E. LIBERTY ST

WILLIAM ST N. UNIVERSITY AVENUE

WA

SH

TE

NA

W A

VE

NU

E

FL

ET

CH

ER

ST

TH

AY

ER

ST

ST

AT

E S

T

CH

UR

CH

ST

MA

LL

PA

RK

ING

&

RACKHAM

Circle this block until

a spot is free in the

drop-off zone.

M A P + D I R E C T I O N SThis map, with driving directions to the Power Center, will

be mailed to all attending educators three weeks before the performance.

VENUE

9UMS 09-10

T H E P O W E R C E N T E R

VENUE

THE POWER CENTER for the Performing

Arts grew out of a realization that the

University of Michigan had no adequate

proscenium-stage theater for the per-

forming arts. Hill Auditorium was too

massive and technically limited for most

productions and the Lydia Mendelssohn

Theatre was too small. The Power Center

was built to supply this missing link in

design and seating capacity.

In 1963, Eugene and Sadye Power,

together with their son Philip, wished to

make a major gift to the University. The

Powers were immediately interested in

supporting the University’s desire to build

University of Michigan, Power Center

a new theater, realizing that state and

federal governments were unlikely to

provide financial support for the con-

struction of a theater.

Opening in 1971, the Power Center

achieved the seemingly contradictory

combination of providing a soaring

interior space with a unique level of

intimacy. Architectural features include

two large spiral staircases leading from

the orchestra level to the balcony and

the well known mirrored glass panels

on the exterior. The lobby of the Power

Center presently features two hand-wo-

ven tapestries: Modern Tapestry by Roy

Lichtenstein and Volutes (Arabesque) by

Pablo Picasso.

The Power Center seats approximately

1,300 people.

POWER CENTER

121 Fletcher St

Ann Arbor, MI 48109

Emergency Contact

Number:

(734) 764-2538(Call this number to reach a UMS staff person or

audience member at the performance.)

10 UMS 09-10

HUBBARD STREET DANCE CHICAGO (HSDC)

11UMS 09-10

THE MISSION OF THE MAIN COMPANY

of Hubbard Street Dance Chicago is

“to be America’s leading contemporary

dance company, presenting eclectic,

innovative and razor-sharp repertoire;

promoting appreciation for contemporary

dance; and contributing to the evolution

of the art form.”

As a repertory company, HSDC does not

have just one resident choreographer

whose artistic style and dance vocabulary

shape the company. Rather, HSDC is driv-

en by the creation of new choreography

by many different dance-makers, often

of national and international repute. This

signature characteristic of a contempo-

rary dance company is a distinguishing

factor in HSDC not being labeled as a

modern dance company.

Ambiguity surrounds the phrase “modern

dance company” (with a basis in modern

and contemporary being synonyms in the

dictionary). One standard connotation of

“modern dance companies” is that they

are ensembles founded and flourishing

in the late 19th to late 20th centuries:

companies that, if still in existence today,

continue to promote and create within the

framework of their founding choreogra-

pher’s movement legacy.

HSDC pursues what’s current in art-

making, using an array of contemporary

choreographers to set work on them that

engages and challenges audiences world-

wide, that keeps the company’s aesthetic

fresh, and that generally moves dance

forward as an art form. These qualities

solidly classify HSDC as a contemporary

group and the ensemble’s visit to Ann

Arbor provides a special opportunity for

UMS Youth Performance audience mem-

bers to see work difficult to experience

without, for instance, going to a dance

festival that presents the dance compa-

nies of different choreographers.

What follows are the five works in

HSDC’s repertoire that they will perform

during their run of 4 shows in Ann Arbor

from April 22-24. The choreographers on

this list are some of the company’s most

frequent collaborators and are from all

over the world:

C O N T E M P O R A RY V. M O D E R N

UMS ARTISTIC STATEMENT

27’ 52” (2010)

Choreography by Jirí Kylián [Netherlands]

Music by Dirk Haubrich

Tabula Rasa (2005)

Choreography by Ohad Naharin [Israel]

Music by Arvo Pärt

Walking Mad (2008)

Choreography by Johan Inger [Sweden]

Music by Maurice Ravel

At’em (Atem) Adam (2010)

Choreography by Terence Marling [USA]

Bitter Suite (2009)

Choreography by Jorma Elo [Finland]

Music by Felix Mendelssohn and

Claudio Monteverdi

12 UMS 09-10

L O U C O N T E + H I S R E P E R T O RY C O M PA N Y

ABOUT

AFTER A PERFORMING CAREER includ-

ing Broadway musicals, in 1974 Conte

established the Lou Conte Dance Studio

in Chicago. In 1977, he founded what

is now Hubbard Street Dance Chicago

with four dancers performing at senior

citizens homes in Chicago. Originally

the company’s sole choreographer, he

developed relationships with emerging

and world-renowned choreographers

as the company began to grow, adding

their work to the company’s repertoire.

These relationships transformed HSDC

into the internationally acclaimed reper-

tory company it is today (for dancers,

these opportunities to collaborate with

a wide variety of artists are one of the

signature joys of performing with HSDC).

In the 1980s, Conte commissioned

several works by Lynne Taylor-Corbett,

Margo Sappington, and Daniel Ezralow.

He continued to build HSDC’s repertoire

by forging a key partnership with Twyla

Tharp in the 1990s, acquiring seven of

her works, including an original work for

the company. Conte further expanded

the company’s repertoire to include the

work of Dutch choreographer Jirí Kylián,

Spanish choreographer Nacho Duato,

and Israeli choreographer Ohad Naharin.

These long-term relationships with chore-

ographers, along with Conte’s participa-

tion in selecting Jim Vincent as the com-

pany’s new Artistic Director, have paved

the way for HSDC’s future. Throughout

Conte’s 23 years as the company’s Artistic

Director, he received numerous awards,

including the Chicago Dance Coalition’s

inaugural Ruth Page Artistic Achievement

Award in 1986, the Sidney R. Yates Arts

Advocacy Award in 1995, and the Chi-

cagoan of the Year award from Chicago

magazine in 1999. In 2002, he was one

of six individuals named Laureates of The

Lincoln Academy of Illinois, the highest

honor the state bestows upon Illinois

residents. He has been credited by many

for helping raise Chicago’s international

cultural profile and for creating a climate

for dance in the city, where the art form

now thrives.

13UMS 09-10

LOU CONTE DANCE STUDIO

C O M PA N Y H I S T O RY: T I M E L I N E

ABOUT

1 9 7 4

The Lou Conte Dance Studio opens in Chicago,

where young aspiring dancers were able to take

tap lessons with Mr. Conte.

1 9 7 7

Hubbard Street Dance Chicago (HSDC) is

created under the direction of Lou Conte.

This marks the beginning of collabora-

tions between HSDC dancers and nationally

recognized choreographers. While many peer

contemporary dance companies are single

choreographer organizations, HSDC has al-

ways been a repertory company, representing

numerous choreographers and styles.

1 9 9 0

HSDC launches education and community

programs in order to offer movement-based

arts experiences to students, teachers, and the

general public.

1 9 9 8

Hubbard Street 2 is created to give younger

dancers an opportunity refine dance skills and

gain professional experience.

2 0 0 0

Jim Vincent replaces Lou Conte, who retires

as Artistic Director after 36 years with HSDC.

Under Vincent’s tenure as Artistic Director, Hub-

bard Street creates new and exciting partner-

ships with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra,

the Art Institute of Chicago, the Illinois Institute

of Technology School of Architecture, and the

Rush University Medical Center, offering HSDC’s

Dance for Parkinson’s program.

2 0 0 8

HSDC begins performing at the Harris Theater

in Millennium Park, furthering its role as a

cultural destination in Chicago.

2 0 1 0

Hubbard Street announces its third Artistic

Director: Glenn Edgerton.

Internet Resource

Hubbard Street Dance Chicago

http://hubbardstreetdance.com/home.asp

For more information on Hubbard Street Dance Chi-

cago check out their website, which includes current

repertoire, company information, reviews, and other

resources.

14 UMS 09-10

15UMS 09-10

U M S + H S D C

ABOUT

HUBBARD STREET DANCE CHICAGO and the University Musical Society have a long history together. Their collaboration began

back in 1988 when founder Lou Conte brought his established dance company to Michigan for a set of two performances. Before

this season’s presentation of HSDC, they last visited Ann Arbor back in 2007, performing their signature brand of original and new-

ly created works: two even represented collaborations with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (From All Sides and Strokes Through

The Tail). These works were well received. In total, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago has been presented by UMS eleven times.

PAST UMS/HSDC COLLABORATION

Upper Left February 2007 UMS Youth Performance by HSDC. Former Artistic Director Jim Vincent welcomes the full audience from the stage.Lower Left HSDC master class with University of Michigan students in February 2007. Upper Right HSDC master class with University of Michigan during their September 2002 Ann Arbor residency.Lower Right Dance Gallery Studio partnered with UMS to host a master class open to the public (any interested dancer) led by HSDC in 2002.

16 UMS 09-10

HUBBARD STREET DANCE CHICAGO has been presented by UMS eleven times. Pulled from the UMS archives, the image on the

far right is a page from the program book when HSDC first visited in 1988. The other two images are of postcards distributed to

patrons that describe the performances (the upper piece is from 2007 and the lower is from 2001).

17UMS 09-10

T H E A RT- M A K E R S

18 UMS 09-10

D A N C E R S

PEOPLE

C H R I S T I A N B R O O M H A L L Columbus, Ohio

Broomhall received classical training from Ballet Met Columbus under the direction of David Nixon and Yoko Ichino.

From 1999 to 2001 he danced professionally with the Ballet Met Columbus. He then performed with the Northern Ballet

Theatre until 2005, when he returned to dance with Ballet Met Columbus until 2008. Broomhall joined HSDC in August

of 2008.

J A C Q U E L I N E B U R N E T T Pocatel lo, Idaho

Jacqueline received her classical ballet training in Pocatello, Idaho from Romanian Ballet Master Marius Zirra, with ad-

ditional summer training at Ballet Idaho, Brindusa-Moore Ballet Academy, Universal (Kirov) Ballet Academy, The Juilliard

School and the San Francisco Conservatory of Dance. She received a B.F.A. in Dance Performance from The Ailey School/

Fordham University joint program in New York City in May 2009, graduating magna cum laude and with departmental

honors. Jacqueline joined HSDC as a Center Apprentice in January, 2008, while concurrently completing her B.F.A. degree,

and became a member of the main company in August, 2009.

A L E J A N D R O C E R R U D O Madrid, Spain

Originally from Madrid, Spain, Alejandro Cerrudo received his training at the Real Conservatorio Professional de Danza de

Madrid and in 1998 joined the Victor Ullate Company where he danced for one year. From 1999 to 2002, Cerrudo danced

with the Stuttgart Ballet and in 2002 he joined Nederlands Dans Theater (NDT) II under the direction of Gerald Tibbs. Cerru-

do danced with NDT II for three years before becoming a HSDC member in August 2005. In 2008, he was named an HSDC

choreographic fellow and created three works for the company. Cerrudo is the first ever HSDC resident choreographer.

M E R E D I T H D I N C O L O Indianapolis, Ind.

Dincolo began dancing at age seven in Indianapolis before moving to Michigan to study under Iacob Lascu. She gradu-

ated from University of Notre Dame in 1993 and moved to Chicago to pursue dance. In 1996, after completing numer-

ous independent projects, Dincolo joined HSDC where she spent four years under the direction of Lou Conte. In 2000,

she joined Lyon Opera Ballet and performed works by Forsythe, Duato, Marin, Jasperse, Saarinen, Boivin, and Prejlocaj.

Dincolo joined Nationaltheater Mannheim in 2003 before her return to HSDC in November 2004.

19UMS 09-10

B R I A N E N O S Cotati , Cal if .

Enos began his dance training at age 14 and has studied with the Houston Ballet Academy, Maria Vegh, the Santa Rosa

Junior College and Sara Stuber. At age 18, he joined the Houston Ballet where he performed works by Trey McIntyre, Da-

vid Parsons, Lila York, Ben Stevenson, Dominic Walsh, Priscilla Nathan-Murphy, James Kudelka, and Fredrick Ashton. Enos

performed with the Houston Ballet for two years before joining HSDC in July 2002. He was commissioned to create work

for Houston Ballet in fall 2005, departing HSDC in August and rejoining the company in January 2006.

K E L L I E E P P E R H E I M E R Los Osos, Cal if .

Epperheimer began her dance training in 1988 with the Academy of Dance and Civic Ballet of San Luis Obispo. She has

participated in summer programs with the Joffrey Ballet and The Juilliard School. In 2002, she had the opportunity to tour

Russia with the Deyo Dancers. Epperheimer joined Hubbard Street 2 in January 2005 before becoming an apprentice with

the main company in December 2006.

L A U R A H A L M Balt imore, Md.

Halm began her dance training at age four and has studied at Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, Boston Ballet School, San

Francisco Ballet School, and the Baltimore School for the Arts. She received her B.F.A. in dance from The Juilliard School

in May 2002 where she performed works by José Limón, Ohad Naharin, and Robert Battle. She also had the privilege of

performing with El Ballet Moderno y Folklorico de Guatemala as a guest artist before joining Hubbard Street 2 in January

2004. Halm became an apprentice with HSDC in August 2006.

J A S O N H O RT I N Olympia, Wash.

Hortin graduated from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas with a B.F.A. in dance under the direction of Louis Kavouras

and has danced with Moving People Dance Theatre, the Erick Hawkins Dance Company, and River North Dance Chicago.

Hortin joined HSDC as a Hubbard Street Dance Center Apprentice in August 2007 and was promoted into the main

company in July 2008.

A N A L O P E Z A Coruña, Spain

Lopez began her formal training at Conservatorio de Danza Disputacion de A Coruña. Upon graduating Isaac Diaz Pardo

high school, she continued her training at Centro Internacional de Danza Carmen Roche. Lopez danced with Joven Ballet

Carmen Roche, Compañía Nacional de Danza 2, and Ballet Theater Munich before joining HSDC in January 2008.

20 UMS 09-10

PA B L O P I A N T I N O Mendoza, Argentina

Piantino began dancing at the age of 14. His training includes private seminars with Hector Zaraspe and studies at both

the Colón Theatre School and The Juilliard School where he received his B.F.A. Having danced with both the Colón The-

atre Ballet Company and The Juilliard School Dance Ensemble, Piantino joined the San Francisco Ballet in 1999 and then

became an HSDC company member in August of 2005.

J E S S I C A T O N G Binghamton, N.Y.

Tong received a full scholarship to the Ballet Department at the University of Utah and became a member of Utah Ballet as a

junior in high school. She attended summer programs at American Ballet Theatre, San Francisco Ballet, Kaatsbaan, and Lou

Conte Dance Studio, among others. Jessica danced with BalletMet in Columbus, Ohio; Eliot Feld’s Ballet Tech in NYC; and

Hubbard Street 2 before joining the main company as an apprentice in January 2007.

A L E J A N D R O P I R I S - N I Ñ O Madrid, Spain

Niño began his ballet studies at the age of ten when he joined the Victor Ullate School of Dance on scholarship, later

becoming a company member in 1995. While with the Victor Ullate Company, Alejandro performed all over Europe as

well as at many major events in Spain. In 1999, Piris-Niño moved to New York to dance with ABT II and was promoted to

American Ballet Theatre’s main company in 2000. Piris-Niño joined HSDC in August of 2008. He would like to thank his

brothers and sisters for being unconditionally helpful and supportive.

P E N N Y S A U N D E R S West Palm Beach, Fla.

Saunders received her formal dance training at, and graduated from, The Harid Conservatory in Boca Raton. She also

participated in summer programs with the School of American Ballet and Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet. While further-

ing her training under Elisabeth Carroll, she joined The American Repertory Ballet in New Jersey. Saunders has also danced

with Ballet Arizona, toured extensively with MOMIX, and was a member of Cedar Lake Ensemble in New York before

joining HSDC in November 2004.

K E V I N S H A N N O N Balt imore, Md.

Shannon began his formal dancing under the guidance of Lester Holmes. He graduated from The Baltimore School for

the Arts, receiving additional summer training at the School of American Ballet, Miami City Ballet, Paul Taylor, and David

Parsons. He received his B.F.A. in 2007 from The Juilliard School, where he performed works by Susan Marshall, Mark

Morris, William Forsythe, and Jirí Kylián. He has toured nationally with The Juilliard School Ensemble and performed in the

nationally-broadcast special “Live From Lincoln Center, The Juilliard School: Celebrating 100 Years.” He is a co-founder of

BØRDERLINE DANCE CIRCLE—a troupe under the choreographic direction of Michelle Mola—for which he danced profes-

sionally and developed concepts since 2005. Shannon joined HSDC in November 2007.

21UMS 09-10

B E N J A M I N WA R D E L L Memphis, Tenn.

Wardell began dancing at age ten. After completing his training at Classical Ballet Memphis School, under the tutelage of

Pat Gillespie, he danced with Cincinnati Ballet for five seasons, achieving the rank of soloist. In 2006, Ben moved to San

Francisco to join Alonzo King’s Lines Ballet, where he was given the opportunity to explore mind-opening philosophies

and physicalities of movement while traveling extensively through the United States and Europe. In addition to being a

dancer, Ben is a photographer and writer. He joined HSDC in January 2008.

R O B Y N M I N E K O W I L L I A M S Lombard, I l l .

Williams began dancing at age five under the direction of Yvonne Brown Collodi with whom she toured Germany,

Switzerland, and Austria. She continued studying dance at the Lou Conte Dance Studio where she was on full scholar-

ship from 1993 to 1995. Williams danced with River North Chicago Dance Company for four years before becoming an

apprentice with HSDC in June 2000 and a full company member in September 2001.

22 UMS 09-10

G E T T I N G T O K N O W Y O U : D A N C E R I N T E R V I E W S

PEOPLE

All dancers don’t come from the same background. Pablo and Meredith are two dancers with Hubbard Street, and while Pablo is a great example of someone who has always planned on becoming a dancer, Meredith shows

that it is also possible to make the decision later in life.

PABLO PIANTINO

MEREDITH DINCOLO

How long have you been dancing?

How long do you practice every day?

What made you want to be a dancer?

I started about 20 years ago.

Professionally about 17 years.

From 10am – 6pm Monday through

Friday. Regularly weekends would be

rest.

My parents were dancers, and that’s

pretty much it. They were a huge

inspiration.

I started when I was about seven,

in the typical way of a child trying

out things. I danced seriously in high

school, but instead majored in English

and French while at Notre Dame. But

I decided halfway through college

that I wanted to dance, so when I

was 21 I moved to Chicago and have

been dancing in some capacity ever

since. I’m 38 now, so that was a long

time ago.

A basic rehearsal day is 10am – 6pm.

It’s different when we’re in the theater:

then we start later and end later.

I had tried a few things, such as

gymnastics, and it was something

that I enjoyed and was good at

growing up. I think that when I took

the break from it in college, I really

missed that kind of physical expres-

sion and creative outlet. The other

things that I was getting into were

not nearly as freely creative. That’s

what I really enjoy about it now.

I think the physical nature of our

work is such that you can always

get something out of it, and it can

be really cathartic because of the

pure physicality of it, even if you’re

not feeling expressive. We’re a little

spoiled in that what we’re doing is

what we love to do, and it’s some-

thing that we would choose to do

anyway. And when it’s not some-

thing that you want to do it can feel

like work, but it is still satisfying.

MEREDITH DINCOLO

What kinds of things do you do in a

school for dance?

Did you ever have trouble with nerves

or stage fright? If so, how did you deal

with it?

How do you stay motivated? What do

you do when you don’t feel inspired to

work hard?

I went to regular high school and

then went to Juilliard. We had two

classes a day, usually modern and

ballet. We also had to study things

like music history, anatomy, and other

classes. We also did acting classes or

other types of dance, and at the end

of the day we’d have a rehearsal for

pieces. There were concerts three or

four times a year.

There’s always some nervousness, but

not stage fright. Maybe when I was

16 or 17, things would go wrong and

I’d kind of freak out, but you just learn

to keep going. The idea is that you’ve

practiced the moves enough that your

body can keep going even when things

happen. It’s mostly only afterward that I

worry, but during I don’t get nervous.

I just try to stay positive. My parents

and my teachers have been great

mentors to me. Every day I try to enjoy

myself and remind myself that I’m

lucky to live what I love.

I didn’t actually go to school for

dance, but I can tell you more about

our daily schedule here. If we have

someone who has been invited in,

sometimes we devote the entire day

to their creation. We may spend

an entire day working on the same

thing, which can be really helpful to

make progress. Otherwise, we often

alternate repertoire throughout the

day and break up our day into dif-

ferent rehearsal periods. We don’t

always have set partnerships, so

there is a lot of discussion between

dancers trying to solve problems. It’s

a pretty collaborative effort. Even in

a creation, sometimes you need to

wait for direction, but also sometimes

they allow you to work things out

differently from how they originally

proposed. In this company there’s a

lot of involvement with the dancers.

I usually get a nervous excitement,

but it doesn’t inhibit the steps.

I’ve had moments right before the

curtain goes up where I’ll forget the

piece, but once it begins it all comes

back to you. You’ve just rehearsed it

so much that you can do it on auto-

pilot if you have to. Personally, I like

that energy.

PABLO PIANTINO

MEREDITH DINCOLO

What do you like about working with

the HSDC? What do you think makes it

a unique company?

Do you get to interact much with non-

dancers on the HSDC staff?

The repertoire that Hubbard has is

definitely an attractive thing. It’s one

of the few American companies with

a strong European repertoire. It’s a bit

like a family. It’s not that huge and

we tour a lot, so we’re recognized

all over the company and the world.

Plus, Chicago is a pretty cool town.

Right now it’s appealing because the

new director is an awesome human

being, plus the dancers that we work

with are really amazing.

Not too much because they’re always

busy and we’re always busy, but here

and there we do get together when

we have things like donor parties and

receptions. They always come to our

shows though, so they know who we

are and what we do, but unfortunately

we often, as dancers, get so caught up

in our routine that at the end of the

day we just want to go home and rest.

But, we all know each other and are

still all friendly with each other.

I’ve been here for a while, and the

fact that it’s a repertory company

means that things are always chang-

ing. It’s not like a Broadway show

where the program is the same every

night. People are constantly chang-

ing, and also I think the nature of

our group not being a huge com-

pany means that you have a strong

relationship with your colleagues and

we’re always in different situations

of mixing up partnerships in the

group. You can’t get stuck in a rou-

tine, and we have a real versatility.

Everyone is here together except for

when we’re on tour. We have very

different schedules, but we do get

to interact when we’re organizing

things through the Education or

Programming departments. We’ll

work together when meeting donors

or new members.

PABLO PIANTINO

MEREDITH DINCOLO

24 UMS 09-10

25UMS 09-10

J A S O N D . PA L M Q U I S T Executive Director

Palmquist joined Hubbard Street Dance Chicago in May 2007, after serving the arts community in Washington

D.C. for nearly fifteen years. Palmquist began his career at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts,

most recently serving as Vice President of Dance Administration. During his tenure, he oversaw multiple world-

premiere engagements of commissioned works in dance, the formation and growth of the Suzanne Farrell Ballet,

and the inception in 1997 of the Millennium Stage—an award-winning, free daily performance series that has to

date served over three million patrons. Deeply enriching the Kennedy Center’s artistic programming, he successful-

ly presented engagements with many of the world’s most important dance companies including the Royal Ballet,

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, the Kirov Ballet, Paul Taylor Dance Company, American Ballet Theatre, and

New York City Ballet. Palmquist also managed television initiatives of the Kennedy Center including the creation of

the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor and a prime-time special on NBC memorializing the first anniversary of

the September 11 attacks. In 2004, he accepted the position of executive director of the Washington Ballet. Under

his leadership, the company presented full performance seasons annually at the Kennedy Center and the Warner

Theater, as well as nurtured its world-renowned school and extensive education and outreach programs. Raised in

Iowa, Palmquist is a graduate of the University of Northern Iowa.

A R T I S T I C S TA F F

PEOPLE

It takes more than just dancers to run a dance company.These are some of the behind-the-scenes members of Hubbard Street.

G L E N N E D G E RT O N Artist ic Director

Edgerton joined HSDC after an international career as a dancer and director. He began his dancing career at The Jof-

frey Ballet where, mentored by Robert Joffrey, he performed leading roles in the company’s contemporary and classical

repertoire for 11 years. In 1989, Edgerton joined the acclaimed Nederlands Dans Theater, and after dancing for five years

retired from performing to become artistic director of the main company, leading NDT1 for a decade and presenting the

works of Jirí Kylián, Hans van Manen, William Forsythe, Ohad Naharin, Mats Ek, Nacho Duato, Jorma Elo, Johan Inger,

Paul Lightfoot, and Sol Leon, among others. From 2006 to 2008, he directed The Colburn Dance Institute at The Colburn

School of Performing Arts in Los Angeles. In 2007, Edgerton initiated a series of collaborations between The Colburn

School and Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. Glenn joined HSDC’s artistic leadership team full-time as associate artistic

director in 2008 and now, as artistic director of Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, will guide the company forward, building

on more than three decades of artistic leadership from both Lou Conte and Jim Vincent, whose extraordinary work has

established the company as a leader in dance performance, education and appreciation.

26 UMS 09-10

TA RY N K A S C H O C K R U S S E L L Director, HS2 and Artist ic Associate

Kaschock Russell was born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. She joined the Joffrey Ballet in 1995 and spent seven years per-

forming and touring extensively with the company. During that time, she expanded her artistry by dancing the principal

roles in classic works by Agnes DeMille, George Balanchine, Martha Graham, and John Cranko. She was also the first

woman outside of David Parsons company to dance his signature solo Caught. Kaschock joined Hubbard Street Dance

Chicago in 2002 and the following January was named one of Dance Magazine’s “25 to Watch.” Her repertoire, while

dancing with HSDC, included master works by Jirí Kylián, Nacho Duato, William Forsythe and Ohad Naharin. Kaschock

also found much growth and inspiration participating in numerous original creations while a member of the company.

In 2007, Kaschock became a member of HSDC’s artistic staff and began teaching company class, conducting rehearsals

and re-setting choreography. Recently named the Director of Hubbard Street 2, she also now coordinates HSDC’s National

Choreographic Competition, as well as nurtures the growth of promising young artists.

T E R E N C E M A R L I N G Rehearsal Director and Artist ic Associate

From Chicago, Marling began his ballet training in 1982 at the Ruth Page School of Dance under the direction of Larry

Long. In 1994, he joined the Pittsburgh Ballet Theater directed by Patricia Wilde, performing works by George Bal-

anchine, Glen Tetley, Paul Taylor, Ji rí Kylián, Ohad Naharin, Kevin O’Day, and Dwight Rhoden as well as many full length

classical ballets. In 2003 Marling was invited to join the Nationaltheater Mannheim in Germany under the direction of

Kevin O’Day where he participated in the creation of many new works. Marling joined HSDC in April of 2006 and danced

with the company until December of 2009. At HSDC Marling participated in the creation of new works with Jorma Elo,

Toru Shimazaki, Jim Vincent, Lucas Crandall, and Alejandro Cerrudo, and danced works by Susan Marshall, Nacho Duato,

Ohad Naharin, Margarite Donlon, Ji rí Kylián, and others. Marling began as artistic associate and rehearsal director for

HSDC in January of 2010.

C L A I R E B ATA I L L E Director, Lou Conte Dance Studio

Bataille was a founding member of HSDC and, during her 15 years at HSDC, she served as an artistic assistant, ballet

mistress, and choreographed five works for the company. Claire oversees the nationally recognized LCDS Scholarship

Program and manages day-to-day operations of the Lou Conte Dance Studio, which offers over 60 classes per week in

several dance disciplines.

27UMS 09-10

R E P E RT O I R E

28 UMS 09-10

AT ’ E M ( AT E M ) A D A M

REPERTOIRE

CHOREOGRAPHER Terence Marling (see

his bio on page 26)

MUSIC Gerald Marks’ “All of Me” per-

formed by Billie Holiday, George Gersh-

win’s “But Not For Me” performed by

Ella Fitzgerald and music by Edgar Meyer,

Moondog and Luciano Berio

LENGTH 20 minutes

PREMIERE March 18, 2010

TITLE The title takes inspiration from the

colloquial expression “Up and at ‘em;”

“atem,” the German word for “breath;”

and the biblical story of Adam.

MARLING “I usually don’t turn on the

music for the piece of choreography right

away. We started by working with a per-

petually changing soundtrack. We made

phrases of movement together until we

had a language to work from. Then we

took that language and applied it to the

actual music for the piece. The dancers

have made (and will continue to make)

many of the musical and movement

decisions in the piece. I want the dancers

to have the freedom to make choices

about their movement and delivery on

stage to keep the piece solidly in the

present. The artists in this company are

some of the best in the world. It is both

an honor and a joy to share a studio

with them, back to the mirror or sweat-

ing on the dance floor.”

CASTING

Jacqueline Burnett

Robyn Mineko Williams

Jessica Tong

Kellie Epperheimer

Laura Halm

Pablo Piantino

Brian Enos

Christian Broomhall

Jason Hortin

Kevin Shannon

29UMS 09-10

B I T T E R S U I T E

CHOREOGRAPHER Jorma Elo

BIO In just a few short years, Finnish-

born Jorma Elo has become one of the

most sought-after choreographers in the

United States and Europe. Elo trained

with the Finnish National Ballet School

and the Kirov Ballet School in Leningrad.

Prior to joining Netherlands Dans Theater

in 1990, he danced with Finnish National

Ballet from 1978 through 1984, and with

Cullberg Ballet from 1984 to 1990. Elo,

who was named resident choreographer

of Boston Ballet in 2005, was singled

out as a “talent to follow” by Anna

Kisselgoff in her 2004 Year in Review for

The New York Times; it was an astute

observation. He has since created numer-

ous works in the U.S. and internationally,

including works for the New York City

Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Boston

Ballet, Royal Danish Ballet, Finnish Na-

tional Ballet, Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, and

From All Sides for Hubbard Street Dance

Chicago. The 2005 Helsinki International

Ballet Competition awarded Elo a cho-

reographic prize and he was the recipient

of the Prince Charitable Trust Prize and

the Choo-San Goh Choreographic Award

in 2006.

MUSIC Felix Mendelssohn and

Claudio Monteverdi

PREMIERE October 1, 2009

LENGTH 26 minutes

REPERTOIRE In Bitter Suite, Jorma Elo

has created a wonderfully tender and

spirited work with the special stamp of his

Scandinavian sense of humor. The piece

is built on imagery, at its base, and blends

humanity with fierce ballet technique.

CASTING

Robyn Mineko Williams

Ana Lopez

Meredith Dincolo

Jessica Tong

Benjamin Wardell

Alejandro Cerrudo

Pablo Piantino

Christian Broomhall

REPERTOIRE

30 UMS 09-10

R E H E A R S A L S

ABOUT

Jorma Elo (far right) working with HSDC dancers for his world premiere, Bitter Suite. With Ana Lopez, Robyn Mineko Williams, Alejandro Cerrudo, Terence Marling. Photo by Cheryl Mann.

I think there is no company like HSDC

in the whole United States—the creativity, the freedom in

exploring different dance styles.

Both the way the dancers excel at different types of

choreography and the creativity level that HSDC

is privileged to enjoy are really unique and produce a special

atmosphere when one has the chance to work with them.

— Jorma Elo, from Footnotes September 2009

31UMS 09-10

A B O U T D A N C E

32 UMS 09-10

M O D E R N + C O N T E M P O R A RY D A N C E : K E Y P L AY E R S

HISTORY

*NOTE: Hubbard Street Dance Chicago is a contemporary dance company; however, modern dance influenced the movement styles and dance-making of many,

if not most American and European artists in the 20th and 21st centuries.

MODERN DANCE DEVELOPED in the U.S. and Europe in the 20th century as a reaction against the rigidity of classical ballet. Whereas

classical ballet restricted expression because choreography had to adhere to a specific form, modern dance focused more on expression. It

is difficult to capture the developments of modern dance without seeing actual pieces, but one way to trace its history is to trace through

a few of its key movements and choreographers. The stories of these choreographers show how they pushed the limits of the question of

what is dance, and illustrate the fact that it is okay to have many different points of view on the subject of dance. Keep in mind that this

only represents a small fraction of the numerous choreographers involved in modern and contemporary dance.

THE FOUNDERS The founders of modern dance were all influenced by the idea that dance did not just have to be a momentary

diversion of entertainment, and that it could move audiences in a deep and serious way. In the beginning, they often compromised

their artistic beliefs to gain a following; the later founders rebelled much more strongly against their traditional ballet roots.

LOIE FULLER (1862 – 1928)

Loie Fuller was a self-taught dancer,

noted for improvisatory performances in

which she would manipulate a filmy silk

dress into shapes through her dance. Her

lighting techniques and her airy sculp-

tural style of dance were also viewed as

innovative.

ISADORA DUNCAN(1877 – 1927)

Heavily inspired by Loie Fuller, Isadora

Duncan choreographed dance that grew

out of her personal responses to great

music. She also loved the civilizations of

ancient Greece and often danced in a tu-

nic. Duncan founded schools in Germany,

France, and Russia.

MAUDE ALLEN (1873 – 1956)

Just like Isadora Duncan, many of Maude

Allen’s works were the result of her

appreciation of music. The two actually

engaged in brief conflict during which

Duncan accused Allen of imitating her

art, but the problems were resolved

quickly. Allen liked to call her style “dra-

matic dancing.”

33UMS 09-10

TED SHAWN (1891 – 1972)

Although the modern dance movement

was initially female-dominated, the

introduction of Ted Shawn began to close

the gender divide. He was a husband and

dance partner to Ruth St. Denis, another

largely influential contributor of the time.

The two created the Denishawn Compa-

ny in Los Angeles, which trained many of

the later generation of modern dancers.

MARTHA GRAHAM (1894 – 1991)

To this day, Martha Graham remains one

of the most well-known modern danc-

ers. Her theory of dance technique was

that all motion stemmed from the pelvis,

an idea that has resulted in a system of

teaching that is still used today. Graham

mostly choreographed dances with music

that was specially commissioned.

JOSÉ LIMÓN (1908 – 1972)

An impressive dancer with an extensive

legacy, José Limón’s dance company was

the first to successfully survive after its

creator’s death. His dance possessed a

unique lyricism due to a technique of

fall and recovery, in which one gives in

to gravity and then rebounds off the

ground. This technique is often taught

as a counterbalance to Martha Graham’s

pelvis technique.

POST-WWII DEVELOPMENTS The choreographers of the 1940’s and 1950’s respected the struggles faced by the founding gener-

ation of modern dance, but also wanted to branch out into their own creative paths. These dancers acknowledged the usefulness

of ballet and began to incorporate it back into their choreography. This meant that much of their dances were more lyrical than the

previous modern dances.

NEW FREEDOM In the 1950’s and 1960’s choreographers began to rebel against the previous traditions of modern dance; a more

appropriate label for this work is contemporary dance. These dancers promoted the idea that any movement could be considered

dance if used by a choreographer. Many did not use music, elaborate costumes, and makeup. They also sought out alternative

performance venues outside of the traditional stage.

Internet Resource The Guardian’s Step-By-Step Guides to Dance: http.guardian.co.uk/stage/dance+series/stepbyspepguidetodance

These guides break down the works of current choreographers in a humorous and accessible format. They cover biographies, elements of style, and quotes. Many well

known choreographers are included, such as George Balanchine and Merce Cunningham.

34 UMS 09-10

ALVIN AILEY (1931 – 1989)

Showcasing his versatility of style, Alvin

Ailey choreographed for Broadway

in addition to his work in both ballet

and modern dance, the last two of

which he tried to find a middle ground

between. Since, at the time there was

no modern dance repertory company,

he instituted a revival program within

his company to showcase the roots of

modern dance.

MERCE CUNNINGHAM (1919 – 2009)

As one of the first to challenge the

founding principles of modern dance,

Merce Cunningham initially worked with

the Martha Graham dance company, only

the second male to do so. He formed his

own company after leaving Graham and

increasingly used an approach which fo-

cused on pure movement without a story,

character, or dramatic mood. He also

frequently used chance determination, in

which parts of choreography would be

determined by random methods, such as

a coin toss.

TWYLA THARP(1941 – )

The choreography of Twyla Tharp has

had strong, rhythmical use of the lower-

half of the body, while the upper-half

possesses a throwaway and rambling

look. She is classicist in structure, yet

her dance utilizes the body language of

a graceful athlete. Tharp has choreo-

graphed for numerous styles of music

ranging from jazz to popular to classical.

Twyla Tharp leads a UMS Lecture Demonstration in April 2002.

35UMS 09-10

H O W T O WAT C H D A N C E : B E F O R E , D U R I N G , A F T E R

ENGAGE

There are many different ways to watch a dance performance. Here are some things to think about before, during, and after the show.

BEFORE: ASSESS PRIOR KNOWLEDGE

You have probably have experienced dance in your everyday life, as dance exists in many forms beyond the formal stage. Before

attending the performance, answer these questions to explore your feelings about dance.

What is dance? •

Have you ever attended a performance before? If so, what type of performance and what was your experience? If not, •

what do you think this performance will be like?

What do you think are the differences between going to sports events and attending the theatre; or listening to the •

radio and going to concerts? What do they think the differences will be between going to a dance performance and

attending a play?

Discuss the various jobs associated with creating the dance performance: wardrobe supervisor, dancer, artistic director, •

lighting designer, etc. If you could work in a dance company, what would you do?

Where have you seen or experienced dance (for example, at school dances, in their neighborhoods, MTV, movies, etc.)?•

36 UMS 09-10

DURING: SUGGESTIONS FOR WATCHING

You don’t have to have any special training or previous experience to watch dance. You will be taking in information with all your

senses – your eyes, your ears, even your muscles. You may be fascinated with the physical activity you see, the music, the production

elements (lighting, costumes, props), or with a “story” the dancers tell you.

Every piece of choreography has a reason for being. Dances may be celebrations, tell stories, define moods, interpret poems, express

emotions, carve designs, or visualize music. As you watch a dance, a story may occur to you because of a past experience. However,

not all dances relate to stories. The sequences do not have to make literal sense. Allow images and personal feelings to come to the

surface of your consciousness. Open your mind to the moment; you are as much a part of the performance as the dancers.

You may want to ask yourself some questions as you watch:

What are the sensory properties in the dance? What do you see? What do you hear? What are the dancers actually doing?•

What are the technical properties in the dance? What kind of space is being used? What are the shapes and designs being •

made? What kinds of energy, dynamics or emotional qualities are being used?

What are the emotional properties in the dance? How does the movement make you feel?•

AFTER: SHARING YOUR INTERPRETATION

After the performance, feel free to discuss your thoughts with others, but do not be disturbed if you find that others have a differ-

ent reaction than yours. Think these questions to organize your personal images and thoughts.

Was it fun to watch? •

Did the dance remind you of experiences in your own life? •

Did the choreography inspire you to express yourself – write a poem, draw a picture or make up your own dance? •

37UMS 09-10

M O V E M E N T

ABOUT

DEFINITION

Dance is made up of different types of movement.Here are some options to explore as you think about dance.

SUSTAINED

PERCUSSIVE

SWINGING

SUSPEND

COLLAPSE

EXPLODE

TYPE

An even release of energy that stays constant, either fast or slow but not both.

Usually sustained movement feels best when it uses a large range of space and a

slow time. But changing any one element changes the quality, so experimenting

is fun. Try doing a very fast and strong sustained movement.

Sudden short bursts of energy that start and stop quickly.

A drop of energy into gravity that sustains and follows through.

This is the movement at the end of a swing, before gravity takes over. It is a

euphoric quality.

A sudden and complete release of energy, like fainting. You can have partial col-

lapse of the body like head, shoulders, arms, etc. Try collapsing in slow motion.

Now collapse quickly. What changes did you notice? What stayed the same?

The opposite of collapse. To explode, gather all your energy then let it burst

forth in one huge sudden action with the whole body. Now experiment with

smaller explosive movements – can you explode just your finger or your leg?

38 UMS 09-10

SPACE

TIME

ENERGY

E L E M E N T S

ABOUT

One way to analyze dance is to break it down into its key elements, which can easily be remembered with the acronym BEST: Body, Energy, Space, and Time.

Here are aspects of each element to consider when watching or thinking about a dance performance.

PARTS

SHAPES

FORCE

DIRECTION

SIZE

DESTINATION

PATHWAYS

RHYTHM

SPEED

ACCENT

DURATION

PHRASES

FOCUS

WEIGHT

STRENGTH

FLOW

ACTIONS

LOCOMOTOR

head, neck, torso (hips, abdomen, shoulders, back), arms and elbows, hands and wrists, fingers, legs, knees and feet (ankles and toes)

curved, twisted, angular, small/large, flat/rounded

smooth or sharp

LEVEL low, middle, high

forward, backward, up, down, sideways

large or small

where we move

patterns we make with the body on the floor and in the air

pulse, beat

time or tempo

light or strong emphasis

length

dance sentences, patterns and combinations

where you look

heavy or light

tight or relaxed

sudden or sustained, bound or free

non-locomotor: stretch, bend, twist, rise, fall, circle, shake, suspend, sway, swing, collapse

walk, run, leap, hop, jump, gallop, skip, slide

BODY

39UMS 09-10

R E S O U R C E S

40 UMS 09-10

LANGUAGE

V O C A B U L A RYThe following words appear throughout the guide.

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR The person who

makes the artistic choices and decisions

for a company, such as deciding which

dancers to hire, which choreographers to

use, and which dances from the reper-

toire (collection of dances) to perform on

each program.

AUDIENCE People who have gathered

together to hear or watch something.

They may gather formally in a hall de-

signed to host professional performances

or they may gather in a classroom to

observe each other’s work.

CHOREOGRAPHY The process of creat-

ing a dance. The word “choreography”

originates from the Greek word choros

(meaning “to dance”) and graphos

(meaning “to write”).

CHOREOGRAPHER The person who cre-

ates, arranges, and/or directs the move-

ments of the dancers.

GENERAL SPACE The area of space

through which a dancer travels or takes

his personal space; it may include a

dance studio, a stage, a classroom, or the

gymnasium; pathways and directions are

defined in this space.

GESTURE A movement of the body or

part of the body that a dancer makes in

order to express an idea or an emotion;

everyday gestures include a hand shake,

a wave, or a fist; abstract gestures in

dance are those movements given special

emotional or content meaning by a

choreographer.

IMPROVISATION Movement that is cre-

ated spontaneously.

ISOLATION Movements restricted to one

area of the body such as the shoulders,

rib cage or hips; isolations are particularly

prominent in jazz dance.

LEVELS The height of the dancer in rela-

tion to the floor: high, medium, or low.

When a dancer is at a low level, a part

of his torso is touching the floor; when

a dancer is at a middle level, his feet are

flat on the floor; and when a dancer is at

a high level, he is in the air or on his toes.

LIGHTING DESIGNER The person who

decides which lights will help create the

desired mood of the dance. Mood is

created through the use of light, shadow,

and color.

LOCOMOTOR Movement that occurs

in general space when a dancer moves

place to place; basic locomotor move-

ments are walk, run, skip, jump, hop,

leap, slide, and gallop. Low level locomo-

tor movements may be rolling, crawling

or creeping.

MODERN BALLET A choreography that

maintains elements of traditional ballet

but that was created during the 20th cen-

tury; many modern ballets are abstract

and nonliteral.

MODERN DANCE A performance move-

ment form that evolved at the beginning

of the 20th century.

NON-LOCOMOTOR Movement that

occurs in a person’s space with one

body part anchored to one spot and is

organized around the spine or axis of the

body. Basic non-locomotor movements

are bending, stretching, twisting, rising,

falling, opening, closing, swinging, and

shaking.

PERSONAL SPACE The kinesphere that

one occupies that is defined by the reach

space around the body; it includes all

levels, planes, and directions both near

and far from the body’s center.

41UMS 09-10

PRODUCTION MANAGER This person

has a variety of responsibilities including

overseeing set and costume construc-

tion and lighting and sound set-up and

operation before each performance. The

production manager coordinates and

supervises all aspects of touring, includ-

ing transporting the equipment and

planning with each theater manager the

lighting and special needs required for

each dance.

REPERTOIRE Pronounced, “REP-eh-

twar”; this is a word of French origin

that means the dance pieces a company

performs.

REPERTORY Pronounced “REP-eh-tor-

ee”; this is the American English version

of “repertoire” and means the same

thing (see above). However, use of the

word repertory in this phrase, “Hubbard

Street is a repertory company” implies

a company that performs the works of

many different choreographers.

SOUND ENGINEER This person is

responsible for music and/or its amplifica-

tion during the performance.

STAGEHANDS The crew who sets the

scenery on stage or “flies it in” using a

pulley system. The crew also helps dress,

launder and iron costumes, and run the

light board (a computer with all of the

different lighting “looks” or cues in it).

STAGE MANAGER The person who con-

ducts the flow of each performance: she

supervises the lighting and sound and

calls the dancers to their places before

the curtain rises.

WARDROBE SUPERVISOR The person

who maintains the costumes and shoes,

making sure they are always in good

condition and that the dancers can move

comfortably while wearing them. He

also oversees the construction of new

costumes for the dancers.

42 UMS 09-10

L E S S O N P L A N S

EXPLORE

Artsedge.org and PBS.org offer a wide range of arts-infused lesson plans and materials for educators to use. Below are a few that relate to this Youth Performance.

THE INNOVATIVE VOICE

(based on Martha Graham)

http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/con-

tent/3778/

This lesson helps students build a frame

of reference that will enable them to bet-

ter understand the innovative structures

and provocative themes of key Martha

Graham choreographies. It also illustrates

specific ways that Graham’s work was

a “new voice” that expressed dramatic

20th century cultural change.

SYSTEMS OF THE BODY:

CHOREOGRAPHY AND MOVEMENT

http://artsedge.kenedy-center.org/con-

tent/2012/

In this lesson, students will create move-

ment patterns that express information

about the basic systems, organs, and

processes of the human body. They will

work in pairs and in groups to make

movement choices that communicate

scientific concepts in creative movement,

and make inquiries, through research

and movement experimentation, into the

ways in which the body’s systems work

and how those systems interact.

MERCE CUNNINGHAM:

A LIFETIME OF DANCE

http://www.pbs.org/teachers/connect/

resources/1257/preview

As Merce Cunningham describes it,

he doesn’t choreograph dance pieces

based upon an idea or story, but begins

simply with an exploration of movements

observed or experienced in life. In this

lesson plan, students get a chance to

observe movement by creating a “move-

ment journal”, and then they experiment

with what they have observed to create a

unique “movement vocabulary.”

DANCING THROUGH POETRY

http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/con-

tent/3534/

In this lesson students will look at poetry

as a way to express the art of dance

metaphorically. Students will read two

different poems about break dancing in

which one will show dance visually in the

way the words are placed on paper and

the other using its content to represent

dance.

ELEMENTS OF DANCE

http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/con-

tent/2338/

How many ways can a person move?

Students will explore and discover the

elements of dance by demonstrating vari-

ous simple movements. This exercise will

help the teacher assess the students’ level

of experience and ability with respect to

dance. Students will create simple dances

in small groups and perform them for the

class. Students will manipulate task cards

to comprehend the elements of dance

and then they will be tested on their

knowledge.

43UMS 09-10

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Anderson, Jack. Ballet & Modern Dance: A Concise History. New Jersey: Princeton Book Company, 1986.

Cheney, Gay. Basic Concepts in Modern Dance: A Creative Approach. New Jersey: Princeton Book Company, 1989.

McDonagh, Don. The Complete Guide to Modern Dance. New York: Doubleday & Company, 1976.

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS

Page Credit

1 27’ 52” with Benjamin Wardell. Photo by Todd Rosenberg.

3 Bitter Suite with Terence Marling and Robyn Mineko Williams. Photo by Todd Rosenberg.

5 Bitter Suite with Jessica Tong, Robyn Mineko Williams, Alejandro Cerrudo, and Ana Lopez. Photo by Todd Rosenberg.

10 Off Screen with Ana Lopez and Benjamin Wardell. Photo by Todd Rosenberg.

11 Walking Mad with Jason Hortin. Photo by Todd Rosenberg.

12 Lou Conte, Founder of HSDC Photo by Cheryl Mann.

13 (Top) Hip-Hop. Photo by Cheryl Mann.

13 (Lower Left) Modern

13 (Upper Right) Ballet. Photo by Todd Rosenberg.

13 (Lower Right) Jazz 1

17 Gnawa. Photo by Todd Rosenberg

18 Christian Broomhall. Photo by Cheryl Mann.

18 Jacqueline Burnett. Photo by Cheryl Mann.

18 Alejandro Cerrudo. Photo by Cheryl Mann.

18/22 Meredith Dincolo. Photo by Cheryl Mann.

19 Brian Enos. Photo by Cheryl Mann.

19 Kellie Epperheimer. Photo by Cheryl Mann.

19 Laura Halm. Photo by Cheryl Mann.

19 Jason Hortin. Photo by Cheryl Mann.

19 Ana Lopez. Photo by Cheryl Mann.

20/22 Pablo Piantino. Photo by Cheryl Mann.

20 Alejandro Piris- Niño. Photo by Cheryl Mann.

20 Penny Saunders. Photo by Cheryl Mann.

20 Kevin Shannon. Photo by Cheryl Mann.

SOURCES

44 UMS 09-10

20 Jessica Tong. Photo by Cheryl Mann.

21 Benjamin Wardell. Photo by Cheryl Mann.

21 Robyn Mineko Williams. Photo by Cheryl Mann.

25 Glenn Edgerton, Artistic Director, HSCD. Photo by Karen Knauer.

25 Jason D. Palmquist, Executive Director. Photo by Cheryl Mann.

26 Taryn Kaschock Russell, Director, HS2 and Artistic Associate. Photo by Cheryl Mann.

26 Terence Marling, Rehearsal Director and Artistic Associate. Photo by Cheryl Mann.

26 Claire Bataille. Director, Lou Conte Studio. Photo by Cheryl Mann.

27 (Right) Tabula Rasa with Kevin Shannong, Robyn Mineko Williams and Benjamin Wardell. Photo by Cheryl Mann.

28 At ‘em (Atem) Adam with Kellie Epperheimer and Jason Hortin. Photo by Todd Rosenberg.

29 Bitter Suite with Terence Marling and Robyn Mineko Williams. Photo by Todd Rosenberg.

30 Jorma Elo (far right) working with HSDC dancers for his world premiere, Bitter Suite. With Ana Lopez, Robyn Mineko Williams, Alejandro Cerrudo, Terence Marling. Photo by Cheryl Mann.

31 Gnawa with Pablo Piantino. Photo by Todd Rosenberg.

38 Walking Madwith Walking Mad with Meredith Dincolo. Photo by Todd Rosenberg.

45UMS 09-10

LOCAL

University Musical Society881 N University Avenue

Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1011

(734) 615-0122

umsyouth@umich.edu

www.ums.org

Swing City Dance Studio1960 S Industrial E & F

Ann Arbor, MI 48104

(734) 668-7782

www.swingcitydance.com

University of Michigan

Department of Dance3501 Dance Building

Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2217

(734) 763-5460

www.music.umich.edu/departments/

dance

Michigan Dance CouncilP.O. Box 381103

Clinton Twp., MI 48038

www.michigandance.org

Wayne State University

Dance Department4841 Cass Avenue

Detroit, MI 48202

313.577.4273

www.dance.wayne.edu

NON-LOCAL

American Dance Festival715 Broad Street

Durham, NC 27705

(919) 684-6402

www.americandancefestival.org

Jacob’s PillowP.O. Box 287

Lee, MA 01238

413.243.0745

www.jacobspillow.org

The Joyce Theater175 Eighth Avenue

New York, NY 10011

212.242.0800

www.joyce.org

New York City Center130 West 56th Street

New York, NY 10019

212.247.0430

www.nycitycenter.org/

Danspace Project131 East 10th Street

New York, NY 10003

212.674.8112

www.danspaceproject.org/

Dance/USA1111 16th Street NW, Suite 300

Washington, DC 20036

(202) 833-1717

www.danceusa.org

O R G A N I Z AT I O N S

EXPLORE

UMS 09|10 DANCE SEASON

The Suzanne Farrell BalletThe John F. Kennedy Center for the

Performing Arts 2700 F Street, NW

Washington, DC 20566

(202) 416-8044

www.kennedy-center.org/programs/bal let/farrell

Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company27 W 120th Street, #1 New York, NY 10027 (212) 426-6655

www.billtjones.org

Hubbard Street Dance Chicago1147 W Jackson Boulevard

Chicago, IL 60607

(312) 850-9744

www.hubbardstreetdance.com

46 UMS 09-10

S U G G E S T E D R E A D I N G S

EXPLORE

Below is a list of books related to this performance that the Ann Arbor District Library helped create.

ELEMENTARY + MIDDLE SCHOOL: NON-FICTION

Dance!: No Matter What Kind of Dance You like to do, this Book is for You • by Apryl Lundsten

José!: Born to Dance: The Story of José Limón• by Susanna Reich

Imagine That! It’s Modern Dance, • Sorine by Stephanie Riva

How Can You Dance?• by Rick Walton

Legends of American Dance and Choreography• by Carin T. Ford

Edgar Degas: Paintings that Dance• by Maryann Cocca-Leffler

Martha Graham, a Dancer’s Life• by Russell Freedman

ELEMENTARY + MIDDLE SCHOOL: FICTION

Can you Dance, Dalila?• by Virginia L Kroll

Dancing Shoes• by Noel Streatfeild

Tanya and the Red Shoes• by Patricia Lee Gauch

Ballet Magic• by Nancy Robison

Rosie’s Ballet Slippers• by Susan Hampshire

Presenting Tanya, the Ugly Duckling• by Patricia Lee Gauch

Belinda, the Ballerina• by Amy Young

ADULT BOOKS (WITH TEEN APPEAL): NON-FICTION

The Erick Hawkins Modern Dance Technique• by Renata Celichowska

Ailey Spirit: the Journey of an American Dance Company• by Robert Tracy

African-American Concert Dance: The Harlem Renaissance and Beyond• by John O. Perpener

Appreciating Dance: A Guide to the World’s Liveliest Art• by Harriet R. Lihs

Deep Song: The Dance Story of Martha Graham• by Ernestine Stodelle

Prime Movers: The Makers of Modern Dance in America• by Joseph H. Mazo

Conditioning for Dance• by Eric N. Franklin

47UMS 09-10

A B O U T U M S

48 UMS 09-10

W H AT I S U M S ?

UMS

THE UNIVERSITY MUSICAL SOCIETY (UMS) is committed to connecting audiences with performing artists from around the world

in uncommon and engaging experiences.

One of the oldest performing arts presenters in the country, the University Musical Society is now in its 131st season. With a

program steeped in music, dance, and theater performed at the highest international standards of quality, UMS contributes to a

vibrant cultural community by presenting approximately 60-75 performances and over 100 free educational and community activi-

ties each season.

UMS also commissions new work, sponsors artist residencies, and organizes collaborative projects with local, national, and interna-

tional partners.

UMS EDUCATION &

AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT

DEPARTMENT MAILING ADDRESS

100 Burton Memorial Tower

881 North University Ave

Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1011

STAFF

Kenneth C. FischerUMS President

Claire C. RiceInterim Director

Mary Roeder Residency Coordinator

Omari RushEducation Manager

INTERNS

Emily Barkakati

Mark Johnson

Neal Kelley

Emily Michels

Leonard Navarro

49UMS 09-10

K-12 SCHOOL PARTNERSHIPS

Working directly with schools to

align our programs with classroom

goals and objectives

• 13-year official partnerships with the

Ann Arbor Public Schools and the Washt-

enaw Intermediate School District.

• Superintendent of Ann Arbor Public

Schools is an ex officio member of the

UMS Board of Directors.

• UMS has significant relationships with

Detroit Public Schools’ dance and world

language programs and is developing

relationships with other regional districts.

• UMS is building partnerships with or of-

fering specialized services to the region’s

independent and home schools.

UNIVERSITY EDUCATION PARTNERSHIPS

Affecting educators’ teaching prac-

tices at the developmental stage

• UMS Youth Education is developing

a partnership with the U-M School of

Education, which keeps UMS informed

of current research in educational theory

and practice.

• University professors and staff are

active program advisors and workshop

presenters.

ACCESSIBILITY

Eliminating participation barriers

• UMS subsidizes Youth Performance

tickets to $6/student (average subsidy:

$25/ticket)

• When possible, UMS reimburses bus-

sing costs.

• UMS Youth Education offers person-

alized customer service to teachers in

order to respond to each school’s unique

needs.

• UMS actively seeks out schools with

economic and geographic challenges to

ensure and facilitate participation.

ARTS EDUCATION LEADER

One of the premier arts education

programs in the country

• UMS’s peer arts education programs: Car-

negie Hall, Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center.

• UMS has the largest youth education

program of its type in the four-state region

and has consistent school/teacher participa-

tion throughout southeastern Michigan.

• 20,000 students are engaged each sea-

son by daytime performances, workshops

and in-school visits.

• UMS Youth Education was awarded

“Best Practices” by ArtServe Michigan

and The Dana Foundation (2003).

U M S Y O U T H E D U C AT I O N P R O G R A M1 0 T H I N G S T O K N O W

UMS

QUALITY

Every student deserves access to

“the best” experiences of world arts

and culture

• UMS presents the finest international

performing and cultural artists.

• Performances are often exclusive to

Ann Arbor or touring to a small number

of cities.

• UMS Youth Performances aim to

present to students the same perfor-

mance that the public audiences see (no

watered-down content).

DIVERSITY

Highlighting the cultural, artistic,

and geographic diversity of the world

• Programs represent world cultures and

mirror school/community demographics.

• Students see a variety of art forms:

classical music, dance, theater, jazz,

choral, global arts.

• UMS’s Global Arts program focuses

on 4 distinct regions of the world—

Africa, the Americas, Asia, and the Arab

World—with a annual festival featuring

the arts of one region.

50 UMS 09-10

KENNEDY CENTER PARTNERSHIP

• UMS Youth Education has been a

member of the prestigious Kennedy

Center Partners in Education Program

since 1997.

• Partners in Education is a national con-

sortium of arts organization and public

school partnerships.

• The program networks over 100 na-

tional partner teams and helps UMS stay

on top of best practices in education and

arts nationwide.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

“I find your arts and culture work-

shops to be one of the ‘Seven Won-

ders of Ann Arbor’!”

–AAPS Teacher

• UMS Youth Education provides some

of the region’s most vital and responsive

professional development training.

• Over 300 teachers participate in our

educator workshops each season.

• In most workshops, UMS utilizes and

engages resources of the regional com-

munity: cultural experts and institutions,

performing and teaching artists.

TEACHER ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Meeting the actual needs of today’s

educators in real time

• UMS Youth Education works with a

50-teacher committee that guides pro-

gram decision-making.

• The Committee meets throughout

the season in large and small groups

regarding issues that affect teachers and

their participation: ticket/bussing costs,

programming, future goals, etc.

IN-SCHOOL VISITS & CURRICULUM

DEVELOPMENT

Supporting teachers in the classroom

• UMS Youth Education places interna-

tional artists and local arts educators/

teaching artists in classes to help educa-

tors teach a particular art form or model

new/innovative teaching practices.

• UMS develops nationally-recognized

teacher curriculum materials to help

teachers incorporate upcoming youth

performances immediately in their daily

classroom instruction.

UMS Youth Education Programumsyouth@umich.edu | 734-615-0122

www.ums.org/education

51UMS 09-10

S E N D U S Y O U R F E E D B A C K !UMS wants to know what teachers and students think about this Youth Performance.

We hope you’ll send us your thoughts, drawings, letters, or reviews.

UMS YOUTH EDUCATION PROGRAM

Burton Memorial Tower • 881 N. University Ave. • Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1011

(734) 615-0122 phone • (734) 998-7526 fax • umsyouth@umich.edu

www.ums.org/education