Santa Fe Arts Journal

Creative Coverage of Santa Fe's Arts Communities

Dancing in the Streets Jacob Jonas The Company brings youthful energy to the Lensic stage

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Twenty-five year old Jacob Jonas has transformed himself from a teenage street performer to the founder and choreographer of his own dance company.

Jacob Jonas The Company, which performs at the Lensic Performing Arts Center on May 3, brings its unique style of movement fusing breakdancing, acrobatics, modern dance and contemporary ballet to the works “In a Room,” “One Pair Off” and “Obstacles,” which are on the program.

“What’s so great about my company is that I have artists with really different backgrounds,” says Jonas, who has sought out dancers with experience in parkour and acrobatics as well as ones who are conservatory-trained in ballet and modern dance. “I tell my stories using their experiences in dance.” [Read More…]

Dancing the Night Away New Mexico Dance Coalition presents its annual Choreographer's Showcase

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New Mexico Dance Coalition, a non-profit organization with the mission of developing and promoting dance within New Mexico, presents its 31st annual Choreographer’s Showcase at the Railyard Performance Center on April 27 and 28.

“There will be solos and group pieces,” explains the show’s producer Jasmine Quinsier, a dancer who has performed in past showcase events. 

“Most of the works are new and have been created especially for this show,” she adds. “They represent a variety of movement styles. Each dance is fully costumed and features professional lighting and sound.” [Read More…]

The Diversity of Contemporary Dance Parsons Dance showcases works by its esteemed, award-winning founder

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David Parsons’s versatility as a choreographer is on display during Parsons Dance’s performance on April 6, which is presented at the Lensic Performing Arts Center by Performance Santa Fe.

The eclectic program, which features works created by Parsons from 1982 through 2017, shows the wide range of movements that has been exciting Parsons for more than 30 years.

“Caught,” a solo piece that was choreographed and danced by Parsons in 1982, has had a long and illustrious life. Dancers from Alvin Ailey to Mikhail Baryshnikov have presented this incredibly demanding work. [Read More…]

Youthful Spirit Ailey II presents contemporary and classic dances

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Often called the younger version of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Ailey II embodies the spirit and energy of its youthful dancers and shares the visions of some of today’s emerging choreographers.

Aspen Santa Fe Ballet presents Ailey II at the Lensic Performing Arts Center on February 13 in a program of several contemporary dances and one masterpiece by Alvin Ailey, who founded his company in the late 1950s in New York City with a group of African-American modern dancers.

Troy Powell, a former member of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and Ailey II’s current artistic director, is delighted to showcase “Revelations,” which was choreographed by Ailey in 1960, “Breaking Point” by choreographer Renee I. McDonald and Jae Man Joo’s piece “Circular” during the Santa Fe performance. [Read More…]

The Journey of the Feminine Experience Through the Seasons Circus Luminous looks at the feminine through the lens of the natural world

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Feminine experiences through the four seasons is the theme of Wise Fool New Mexico’s Circus Luminous 2017 show that has been conceptualized and directed by performing artist and choreographer Deirdre Morris. “She Shines Brightly” is presented at the Lensic Performing Arts Center during the Thanksgiving weekend.

“It’s a sweet show that follows the cycles of life through natural imagery,” explains Morris, a member of Wise Fool New Mexico who earned her master’s degree in Interdisciplinary Dramatic Arts at the University of California, Davis. “Among the subjects addressed are motherhood, careers and relationships. The show soars with fun and joy, finds grace in aging and wisdom and balances vulnerability with intuition.”

Wise Fool New Mexico, a local nonprofit that has been building grassroots circuses and giant puppet processions in the Santa Fe area for 19 years, has presented a new Circus Luminous show annually at the Lensic since 2003. [Read More…]