Celebrating its 35th anniversary season, Carolyn Dorfman Dance invites audiences to be “part of the movement” as the company returns to the Bickford Theatre at the Morris Museum for an exciting evening of repertory.
WHEN: Thursday, November 16, 2017, at 7:30 p.m.
WHERE: The Bickford Theatre, 6 Normandy Hgts. Rd., Morristown. The Morris Museum is accessible by 287, Route 24 West, Route 78, the Lincoln and Holland Tunnels, and New Jersey Transit.
TICKETS: $30 when purchased in advance or by members, and $35 when purchased at the door, $15 tickets are available for students (18 & under or a valid college ID) and are on sale at http://www.morrismuseum.org/la-carte-series/
The bold and dramatic company will perform Dorfman’s charming Dance/Stories, lively Sextet and lead dancer Ae-Soon Kim’s sinuous Unfolding.
Featuring a live performance by storyteller and librettist Charlotte Blake Alston, Dance/Stories brings together folk tales and stories from around the world using music and movement, while highlighting the power of the spoken word. Sextet is an exploration of the power and energy of six dancers—who with their quick darting actions and suspended moments follow an accumulation form starting with a duet, then a trio that goes into a quartet finally leading to a sextet. Both works are set to commissioned music by jazz composer, and long-time collaborator of Ms. Dorfman’s, Horacee Arnold.
Unfolding is Ms. Kim’s first choreographic work for Carolyn Dorfman Dance. It premiered last April at the company’s 2017 Gala Benefit Performance at NJPAC, exploring Kim’s cultural roots and life journey through three continents: Asia, North America and Europe. It highlights the interplay of East-West influences in the people, places and things that compose a soul. Unfolding has a commissioned score by musician/composers Rabbi Greg Wall and Shai Barchar. At the premiere, Youlmae Kim, of iKADA Contemporary Dance Company, performed live drumming on the traditional Janggo Korean drum.
“Returning to the Morris Museum’s Bickford Theatre during our 35th Anniversary season is returning to a location where we have a long history,” says Artistic Director Carolyn Dorfman. The Arts Council of the Morris area (now Morris Arts) first presented Carolyn Dorfman Dance in 1982, and the company’s first gala was held at the Morris Museum in 1987. For Dorfman, “the Bickford Theater is a lovely space for audiences to see this work in an intimate, up close and personal manner.”
THE PROGRAM:
- Unfolding (2017)
Choreography: Ae-Soon Kim
Composer: Greg Wall and Shai Barchar
Lighting: Scott Nelson
Korean Drummer: Youlmae Kim
Costume: Anna-Alisa Belous
Integrating East-West influences, musician/composer Rabbi Greg Wall, a long-time musical collaborator of Carolyn Dorfman’s, created a commissioned score that incorporates live Korean drumming by accomplished iKADA Contemporary Dance Company’s Korean Drummer, Youlmae Kim, and other electronic elements to explore Ms. Kim’s roots and her life’s journey on three continents: Asia, Europe and America.
Unfolding is made possible, in part, with generous support from The Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation, Andres Miranda and Betsy and Drew Vaden. Lynne and Elliot Glantz, Preview Textile Group, provided the beautiful ombré silk for this production.
- Dance/Stories (1996)
Choreography: Carolyn Dorfman
Music: Horacee Arnold
Stories Written, Adapted and Performed: Charlotte Blake Alston
Lighting: Scott Nelson inspired by original sculptures by Christine Martens
Costume: Russell Aubrey
Dance/Stories, an enchanting interdisciplinary collaboration featuring a selection of folk tales and stories from around the world, artistically explores the integration of narrative, music and movement to illuminate the common themes of humanity. Through image and metaphor, the dancers weave the threads that create a tapestry that bathes the senses and the soul.
Original sponsors of this work include AT&T, Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, Eleanor B. Reiner Foundation, The Prudential Foundation, Wordsmith Communications Group, Inc. and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State via General Operating Support and a 1995 Choreography Fellowship. Additional producers include: Clara and William Gallick, Michael and Joel Lerner, Kathi R. Levin, Eileen and Alex Macaione, Irwin Math, Patricia N. Nanon, James and Janis Quinn, John and Michele Scioscia, Clifford J. Schob M.D., Professor Marguerite Briston Tiffany, and Gayle S. Weiss.
- Sextet (1994)
Choreography: Carolyn Dorfman
Music: Horacee Arnold
Lighting: Scott Nelson
Costume: Russell Aubrey and Traci DiGesu
With images of quick darting actions and suspended moments at its core, Sextet challenges the dynamic and technical range of the dancers. With commissioned music by jazz composer, Horacee Arnold, this sextet is an exploration of the energy, rhythm and power of six dancers. Following an accumulation form, the dance progresses from duet to trio, quartet, quintet, and finally the full ensemble.
Sextet was created with support from the AT&T and Geraldine R. Dodge Foundations and Choreography Fellowships from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts.
Carolyn Dorfman Dance connects life and dance in bold, athletic and dramatic works by Carolyn Dorfman and nationally renowned choreographers. The company’s eleven multi-ethnic and stunning dancers present high-energy and technically demanding dance that unleashes the powerful storytelling and imagery of its visionary creator. This distinctive combination takes audiences on intellectual and emotional journeys that ultimately illuminate and celebrate the human experience. The highly acclaimed ensemble is known for emotional resonance and artistic excellence in both performance and its interactions with audiences, students and community. For 35 years, Carolyn Dorfman Dance has appeared at major theaters, dance festivals, universities, schools, museums and galleries regionally, nationally and internationally.
