In The Spotlight

THE SCHIFF DANCE COLLECTIVE The weekend of June 23rd and 24th, The Schiff Dance Collective (TSDC) joined seven other Colorado dance companies in The Newman Center for the Performing Art’s Byron Theatre for the inaugural Presenting Denver Dance Festival. TSDC, led by Artistic and Executive Director Jenny Schiff, presented the world premiere of The Ghost of My Ancestors, a work

MORAPORVIDA CONTEMPORARY DANCE Jacob Mora, Artistic Director of Moraporvida Contemporary Dance, knows Denver’s dance scene from the inside out. As a dancer and/or instructor with organizations such as Cleo Parker Robinson, Hannah Kahn Dance, Santee Smith Group, and Sweatshop Dance, he helps make more space for the dance community. He views his participation in the Presenting Denver Dance Festival as

THE INNER HUMAN Principal dancer, resident guest artist, choreographer, athlete: Gregory Gonzales has worn many hats, all of which revolve around movement. For the 2018 Presenting Denver Dance Festival, Gonzales directs four dancers — including himself — in a moving new piece that functions as an exploration of the evolution of darkness into light. Working with music from Derrick Hamley,

Personal. Intimate. Connected. Chadash Contemporary Dance Movement is bringing the internal external in their new piece, Reaching for Hope, A Mountain of We, for the Presenting Denver Dance Festival. The choreographic concept was conceived by Artistic Director Kelly Archer and Artist-in-Residence Judi Daniels. Daniels is battling Stage IV cancer, which has made her keenly aware of the importance of relationships.

  Kristen Demaree’s new piece, Spider Dance, hacks ballet tradition, modern gesture, folk music, and ballerina-power to give audiences a fresh taste of ballet. As both choreographer and composer, Demaree makes Spider Dance a modern take on the Tarantella, one of the world’s oldest and best-known folk dances. The ritual of the Tarantella starts with a poisonous bite, convention dictating

CHOREOGRAPHING COMMUNITY Helanius J. Wilkins’s humbling and inspirational character gently permeated the room during the Presenting Denver Dance Festival Master Class and Preview Performance series on March 17, 2018.  His master class began by creating a community space with dancers in a circle speaking and changing space with one another, which then grew into an exploration of movement. This passion

VETERAN OF MOVEMENT “The Hannah Kahn Dance Company has been sharing its passion for dance with the Denver community since 1988.” This statement says so much about the rich history and commitment this modern dance company brings to the Denver dance scene and how significant its contributions are. Hannah Kahn is the company’s founder, artistic director, and choreographer. When asked

In his new work To The Table, a duet with Saidiya Imari, dancer and choreographer Edgar L. Page uses a massive table as a tangible metaphor for the foundation that supports a relationship’s weight, balance, and changes in dynamic. To up the ante, he gives each character a ‘home base,’ their own chair that only they can occupy. Through collision,

DANCE: THE REVOLUTION Dance company founder and director Pi (a.k.a. Allegra) DuVal utilizes dance to better herself and her community, promoting kindness and solidarity as she teaches, choreographs, performs and works for social justice. Although her path has not been easy, the Colorado native strives to be a support and foundation for others facing difficulties, especially for women and girls.

INSPIRING ARTISTRY THROUGH DANCE Marie-Jose Payannet watches students rehearse a piece in her Louisville-based studio, Danse Etoile, on a rainy afternoon. Set to modernistic music with a pulsating bass beat, the dancers circle one another, flapping arms with a sharp head-bobbing movement.  “They are ravens,” she explains, not taking her eyes from the couple. “Stretch the fingers! Sharper movement!” she

COMMUNITY-CENTERED DANCE MARVEN Within five minutes of our meeting at a coffee shop in Old Town Littleton, Joe DeMers was demonstrating his dance moves. This enthusiasm carried over into the rest of the interview. Our compelling conversation covered several topics, including how his non-traditional entry to dance developed into his current role as Director of Dance at South High School

WILD HEART CHARTS ITS OWN COURSE Kat Gurley, Artistic Director at Wild Heart Dance, is here to create work that moves people. Originally from Boston, Massachusetts, Kat moved to Colorado to study dance at the University of Colorado and earn her BFA. She went back to the East Coast following graduation, but returned to the Front Range five years ago.

BRAZILIAN DANCE: THE GIFT FROM TRADITIONS “My expertise as a dancer and teacher includes my culture. When I started learning and searching for the roots, the origins, the meanings… I also found myself in a way.” — Luciana Da Silva Brazilian Luciana Da Silva’s life work is the dance of her home country. In Colorado (and recently across Europe) she

ART ACROSS BORDERS During a time when partisanship, widening divides, and uncertainty cloud our worldview, art remains the key to connection. Embodying this is dancer Francisco Estévez of the Colorado Ballet. Francisco has journeyed from his birthplace of Quito, Ecuador to Denver, Colorado, with many stops in between, carrying with him a passion for ballet and a developing eye for

“If you want to study the dance, study the people, and if you want to study the people, study the dance.” — Wisdom taught by Baba Dr. Charles “Chuck” Davis (Founder and Artistic Director of African American Dance Ensemble) to Baba Stafford C. Berry Jr. (Assistant Professor of Dance and Black Studies at Denison University) and handed down to Samantha

OUTSIDER ART CLOWN TRIUMPS Children and laughter spilled into the aisles of the Pine Street Church throughout movement artist Peter Davison’s Objectivity Dance Theater’s performance during the 2016 Boulder International Fringe Festival. A ball became many balls that leapt from hand to hand as jackets and hats slipped on and off. A ladder balanced and bowed as the person on

  Union Station’s Mercantile was hopping the Friday before Easter. The drink and pastry Chase Evered ordered at the beginning of our interview took nearly its hour-long duration to arrive. Despite the hectic scene and the barista’s lack of urgency, Evered remained calm. “I’m a patient man,” he said with the deliberateness of a monk. Patience may not be what

SO MUCH GRACE Come dance with me Over murder and pain Come and set you free Over heartache and shame Come dance with me Over heartache and rage Come set us free Over panic and strange From “Man on Fire” by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros These words ring inside the gymnasium of the Denver Women’s Correctional Facility, a

DENVER’S DEDICATED SWING DANCER! After just five minutes of talking with Kenny Nelson, it becomes incredibly clear that he is one of those energetic people who love taking a big bite out of life. He grew up as part of a home-schooling community dedicated to the arts, music, and performance, and came of age just when the swing revival reached

JESSICA RIGGS: CREATING, DANCING, CARING & GIVING As the founder, director, and primary choreographer of Life/Art Dance Ensemble, a recent recipient (2014) of a Master of Science in Human Nutrition, and a registered dietitian nutritionist working for King Soopers and The Little Clinic, Jessica Riggs knows what it’s like to wear more than one hat. And even though it may

RIDING THE EDGE WITH MARY WOHL HAAN   Calling choreographers! Creative whirlwind (dancer, choreographer, human) Mary Wohl Haan seeks similarly spontaneous artists with whom to collaborate. Bring your wild ideas and careful plans to an exploration of the edges of expectation as we become more, together.   Mary Wohl Haan’s focus on movement and expression for all is the basis

“My advice to others aspiring to make it in the arts is to stick with it. If this is truly your life’s passion, the rewards are endless. Your professional journey might be bumpy and frustrating but it is totally worth it. Truly having a passion for your craft makes it seem less like work. This is my purpose in life.”

IF IT AIN’T BROKE: BRIAN YOUNG’S BACK TO BASICS VISION It’s controversial, for sure, to name a dance studio after a factory that violates labor laws. But the name of Brian Young’s pre-professional school, Sweatshop, speaks to Brian’s dedication to, philosophy about and passion for dance that’s earning the school national recognition. Growing up in Pueblo, Brian tagged along to

DEVOTED TO DANCE EDUCATION Sandra Minton’s dance education career began in high school in the basement-cum-studio her father built where she taught the neighborhood kids ballet and tap, earning money that would partly fund her undergraduate degree from UCLA. Since then, she’s been hooked on the combination of dance and education – or perhaps more accurately the connection between body and

AN EDUCATION: TEA WITH MS. JAYNE PERSCH “Dance is the noblest of arts.  It blends music, color, tone, textures, and nuances.  It is mathematical, historical, structural, conversive; speaks of relationships and contrasts, explores opposites, contains histories of cultures and relationships of peoples.  I believe that all people dance!   express themselves personally and culturally.  They socialize, connect, blur differences,

WE ARE ALL IN CONSTANT MOTION Chicago has been living in Boulder for the last four years.  Having worked with the Chicago Moving Company and having served as its Co-Artistic Director, Cindy Brandle knows good dance. She also knows what it is like to live in a city where there are a lot of private foundations who fund dance.  Boulder has proven

DESIGNING WOMAN: RACHAEL KRAS, WONDERBOUND COSTUME DESIGNER Marie Antoinette is known for several things –gravity-defying powdered coiffures, lavish tastes, a falsely ascribed quote – the least of which being seen as an actual person. Rachael Kras, resident costume designer for Wonderbound, says that when Garrett Ammon, the company’s Artistic Director, approached her with his idea to examine the French queen through a

ARTIVIST – A PERSON WHO CHANGES THE WORLD BY PENETRATING THE COLLECTIVE CONSCIOUSNESS   Art is why I get up in the morning but my definition ends there and it doesn’t seem fair that I’m living for something I can’t even define there you are right there in the meantime –Ani DiFranco In its 12th year, Art as Action pushes boundaries.

THERE’S BLOOD AND EVERYTHING Hired straight from a video audition, Dana Benton has been a Colorado Ballet staple for 14 seasons. Originally from Canada, Dana decided at the age of 8, ballet was her life’s passion. At age 9, she was accepted to the National Ballet School in Toronto and trained for eight years. Talk about dedication! Considered an atypical ballerina due

WHATEVER HAPPENS IN THIS SPACE FEELS LIKE MAGIC When someone loves her job, you can feel it. When the energy is palpable in a space and magic happens, there is a shared sense. The magnitude of potential available within the walls of Wonderbound simply astounds. So, why not start a conversation? I want people to talk about art. – Sarah Tallman,

“BETWEEN WHAT IS AND CAN BE” Kim Olson/SWEET EDGE seeks to create urgent, authentic impact. Working as a puppet master, she directs her technically proficient dancers in discovering new frontiers of movement. Her dancers must trust in their training and work fearlessly in uncharted territory. Her style is modern release technique with an emphasis to deconstruct and search for the underpinnings

GET LOUD Don’t expect to see the same show twice. The upcoming collaboration between Louder Than Words Dancetheatre (LTW), Playground Ensemble and Jeff Nycht at the Newman Center’s Elizabeth Eriksen Byron Theater in-the-round will not only have 21dancers but also live musicians working with pre-recorded and real-time created music during the 3-act performance. The juxtaposition of humans moving and creating will define your BREATH. With over a year and

Tucked in the Golden Triangle between an automotive/mechanic store and residential homes, on March 13, 2014, Hannah Kahn welcomed Presenting Denver’s Executive Director, Meredith Hutson and me to her studio to watch her and her dancers practice and then granted us the opportunity of an interview. Born in Ithaca, New York, Hannah moved to Denver in the 80’s. A successful NYC choreographer,

LINZEE KLINKENBERG Artistic Director of New Breed Dance Company Professional Dancer / Small Business Owner / Full-time Mother Hometown:  Boulder, Colorado Current City:  Boulder, Colorado Education:  Bachelor of Fine Arts Dance, Cornish College of the Arts Profession:  Professional Dancer, Small Business Owner, Full-time Mother Company Name:  New Breed Dance Company Website:  www.newbreeddance.com Spouse:  Thomas Klinkenberg Children:  Jude, Clive, Miles, &

PATRICK MUELLER Choreographer/Venue Executive Director/Dancer/Teacher/Lighting Designer/…/… Hometown:  Lakewood, CO Current City:  Denver, CO Education:  BA from Pomona College / MFA from Hollins Univ. & ADF Profession:  Choreographer, Venue Executive Director, Dancer, Teacher, Lighting Designer… Company:  Control Group Productions / work|space Denver Website:   http://www.controlgroupproductions.org Spouse:  Kristine Whittle Children:  In utero!!!!! (just 1) Patrick Mueller is a Denver-based performance artist and the

Name: Angie Simmons Hometown: Centralia, Illinois Current City: Denver, Colorado Education: MFA in Dance Choreography, University of Colorado, BS in Dance Education from Illinois State University, 1000 Hour Certification in Massage Therapy from Boulder College of Massage Therapy Profession: Artistic Director, Choreographer, Massage Therapist, Educator Company: Evolving Doors Dance Website:  www.evolvingdoorsdance.org Spouse: Amy Shelley, drummer and sound design artist Angie