2002-2003 PROJECTS
Paul
Taylor Dance Company (September - October)
Project Contact: Kim Engel, The Egg
As part of the agreement for the Paul Taylor Dance Company's October 4, 2002
performance at The Egg, Taylor 2 was in residence at the performing arts center
for the three-week period of September 16 - October 4. During that time, the
company conducted on-site activities (i.e. master classes, performances, movement
workshops, lecture/demonstrations, etc.) at area schools, colleges and community
centers.
Dual
School Mirror Residency Project (October - November)
Project Contact: Kim Engel, The Egg
A residency program was mirrored in the Menands School and Tamarac Elementary
for three months. The November 21 performance of From the mind/of a single,
long vine/one hundred opening lives by the Ellen Sinopoli Dance Company
(ESDC) at The Egg was the basis for this residency. A collaborative creation
of choreographer Ellen Sinopoli and wood craftsman Jim Lewis, the performance
featured a welcome and introduction by Ellen Sinopoli, brief notes and slide
show by Jim Lewis, excerpts from the work and a question & answer period.
Additional activities in the project included demonstrations by Jim Lewis, art
and music projects with the schools' teachers and multiple movement workshops
with ESDC.
Watervliet
High School Project (October-November)
Project Contact: Kim Engel, The Egg
Students attended the Chen & Dancers performance of Bamboo Oracle
at The Egg on October 25. Prior to the performance, teaching artists from ESDC
visited the students for a pre-performance movement workshop to prepare them
for the show. As well, the students attended the November 21 performance of
ESDC's From the mind/of a single long vine/one hundred opening lives,
a collaboration between choreographer Ellen Sinopoli and wood sculptor Jim Lewis.
This performance was also preceded by movement workshops conducted by company
members in the school. The students' experience was followed up in their English
class through critical evaluations and poetry writing.
Sara
Pearson/Patrick Widrig and Company Residency (January-February)
Project Contact: Toni Smith
This grant supported an administrative consultant fee to Toni Smith to facilitate
building an itinerary for a three-week residency for Sara Pearson/Patrik Widrig
and Company. The company was in residence at the Emma Willard School, where
they set a work on the Emma Willard Dance Company. Pearson/Widrig presented
two performances at the Skidmore College Dance Theater and guested in classes
at EWS and Skidmore. They also visited public schools to perform and teach.
Dr.
Schaffer and Mr. Stern: Two Guys Dancing About Math (April )
Project Contact: Sue Lauther
This project served more than 600 school children from two counties (Rensselaer
and Albany), that had not been targeted previously for integration of dance
into their curriculum. These students saw and interacted with professionals
in a very specific field of Math and Dance via a dance/math concert and hands-o
n workshops.
Duanesburg
8th Grade Riverdance Project (May)
Project Contact: Christine Sheehan, Proctor's Theater
Proctor's Theatre and Capital Region BOCES provided a dance project for the
Duanesburg School District's eighth grade class. The May 8 performance of Riverdance
at Proctor's Theatre was the basis for the residency. Preparation by the Physical
Education teacher combined with workshops with professional Irish Dance Instructor
Michael Farrell preceded the show in order to deepen student understanding of
the Irish Dance art form.
Zoller
Elementary Arts Exposure Program (April)
Project Contact: Kim Engel, The Egg
This program was designed to give the entire school an experience in art, dance
and music that went beyond what is currently available within the classroom
setting. K-2 students took part in a movement workshop that was conducted by
two teaching artists from the Ellen Sinopoli Dance Company (ESDC) accompanied
by a percussionist. Following this experience, the students attended a performance
of The Nightingale, a dance/theatre presentation of the Kennedy Center Imagination
Celebration on Tour program. Grades 3-5 students took part in a combined music/movement
workshop taught by choreographer Ellen Sinopoli and musician/composer Brian
Melick. These students then attended a performance by ESDC which featured new
dance with live music specially commissioned by The Egg to celebrate its 25th
anniversary.
Project
Dance! (2002-03 season)
Project Contact: Kim Engel, The Egg
Project Dance! is aimed at developing new, more culturally diverse audiences
for contemporary dance. Encouraging participants to explore how different cultures
influence our everyday lives, the program also serves as a forum for audiences
to discover how artists with multiethnic backgrounds interpret the clashing
and melding of cultures to define a new world culture through the performing
arts. Planning for this season included activities involving current and new
organizational participants together with Chen & Dancers, Souloworks/Andrea
Woods & Dancers, Ronald K. Brown/Evidence and Ballet Hispanico.