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Dance and Music on a Collision Course
“Like a matchmaker for the arts…Ellen Sinopoli has a knack for bringing talented people together…” ~ Times Union
This quote from the Albany Times Union signifies the essence of this full-evening performance. Dancers and musicians make for a remarkable concert in a program of selected repertory performed with all-live music. Following is a sample of repertory selections that may be included.
Compas – A dance delightfully filled with the singular energy and dynamic of the “compas” (groove) for Flamenco Tango, Siguiriya and Bulerias. Maria Zemantauski’s stunning musical composition is fused with an array of jazz and funk that takes the dancers and audience on a most enticing ride.
Jammin’ – Sinopoli makes a sizzling connection with jazz and cabaret singer Laurel Masse and swing dancer Adrian Warnock-Graham.
Winged – Commissioned by The Egg for its 25 th anniversary, this dance features vocalist Siobhan Quinn and is inspired by the imagery of birds – free and soaring as well as still and flightless, bound to the earth
Falling – Commissioned by The Egg for its 25 th anniversary, this dance features music composed and performed by percussionist Brian Melick and guitarist Maria Zemantauski.
Coming & Going – Dancing to music by “Junkman” Don Knaack, the entire company blasts it way onto the stage with high-flying energy, and fearless athleticism.
Regalis - A lush ensemble work set to a cello score by Gideon Freudmann. Truly, music in motion.
Ream - Drawn to the twists, turns, suspensions and rhythms of Maria Zemantauski’s classical guitar, Sinopoli conjured images of reams of paper being released from high above. As she watched the fascinating journey of descent, her solo work for a female dancer gracefully drifted into being.
Becoming– Based on a Rainer Maria Rilke poem,the dance for a solo female pulsates with longing, questioning and beauty to Hilary Tann’s commissioned music for solo bassoon that brings a captivating combination of tonalities that are tied to her Welsh roots and to her time spent in Japan.
Musician Bios
Gideon Freudmann (cellist) is a nationally touring cellist, composer and songwriter who melds jazz, classical, rock, folk, funk and blues into a new form he calls "CelloBop." He has recorded eight CDs; played on dozens of other folk, jazz and rock CDs and has had work commissioned for film, theatre and dance. Freudmann also performs live musical accompaniment for silent films. He teaches string improvisation workshops and offers residency programs at secondary schools and universities. His music is featured on NPR and on Good Morning America.
www.cellobop.com
Krassimir J. Ivanov (bassoonist is principal bassoonist for the Catskill Symphony Orchestra and is on the faculty of The College of Saint Rose, Colgate University, and New York Summer Music Festival. A native of Bulgaria, he made his debut as a soloist with Pleven Philharmonic. While at the prestigious Bulgarian Music Conservatory in Sofia, he won the principal bassoon position with the Bulgarian Radio orchestra “Sinfonieta” - one of the top three orchestras in the country. He has also held the position of principal bassoon in the Orquestra Sinfonica de Ribeirao Preto, Brazil and has performed the works of Michael Daugherty and Ann Kearns. A prominent soloist, recitalist and chamber musician, Ivanov has performed in Bulgaria, Italy, France, Brazil, Mexico and USA. He holds a Master of Music Degree from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, and Artist Diploma in Bassoon Performance from Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, PA.
Donald Knaack (aka The Junkman) composes for and performs exclusively on junk and recycled materials. Recent performances have include the Vans Warped Tour (with Eminem, Ice T and Blink 182), the 2003 Sundance Film Festival, World Environment Day at the United Nations, Late Night with Conan O'Brien and CBS Sunday Morning. He was commissioned by The Kennedy Center and the American Dance Festival to create the musical score for “Surfer on the River Styx”, the critically acclaimed work of choreographer Twyla Tharp.
www.junkmusic.org
Laurel Massé (vocalist) first came to public attention in 1972 as a co-founder of the Grammy award-winning vocal group Manhattan Transfer. During her seven years with the group, she toured nationally and internationally, recorded five albums and was featured on many television variety shows and specials. She has released five solo CDs and has performed at such prestigious venues as Carnegie Hall, London Palladium, Salle Pleyel de Paris, Hollywood Bowl, The Smithsonian Institution; jazz festivals in Montreal, Chicago, Syracuse, Detroit and Saratoga Springs; NYC’s Birdland and the Blue Note, LA’s Roxy Nightclub and The Cinegrill, Chicago’s Green Mill, and Las Vegas’ Harrah’s, Caesar’s Palace, MGM Grand, and the Hilton and in Lake Tahoe.
www.laurelmasse.com
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Brian Melick (percussionist)
is active as a performer, recording artist and educator. He has been performing since the age of thirteen and is featured on over 200 commercial recordings including his solo release entitled PERCUSSIVE VOICES, which debut at #23 on the world music charts. He has two Sound Libraries: Perpetual Motion & The Art of Udu released by Gene Michael Productions. They continue to be used on the Discover and the Learning Channel and have been placed with all the major networks as well as motion picture organizations. Brian has two educational bodies of work: The “How To” of Udu and Making Percussion Instruments Out of Found Objects. Most recently Brian has created a 15 week course curriculum offered through Community Learning entitles Playing with Percussion which is being sold throughout North America. His educational offerings run the gamut—from toddler-age children to senior citizens, from day camps, schools, universities, community-based programs to working with professional music therapists and educators. Siobhan Quinn (vocalist) - By the time Stevie Ray Vaughan pulled the nineteen year old Siobhan up on stage to dance with him on "Look at Little Sister," she was already a music veteran. She had sung traditional Irish, English and American folk, art songs and medieval madrigals in five languages as well as opera and rock & roll for years. In her performances, she combines a strong blend of contemporary & traditional folk and acoustic rhythm & blues. Her inaugural recording Two Rivers, released in 1999 with occasional music partner Ben Murray, received rave reviews. Siobhan performed with Murray for ten years, building a national touring schedule as well as national and international radio airplay. |
Maria Zemantauski (guitarist)
is one of the world’s few heralded female flamenco guitarists, and one of even fewer female flamenco composers. She has performed in Spain, Italy and across the continental United States to great acclaim. Her albums, Mrs. Laughinghouse (1997), Seeing Red (2000) and Under the Lemon Tree (2005), have received stellar reviews from Flamenco Connection, Dirty Linen and music critics around the world. Voted the "Best Acoustic Guitarist" in the Capital Region, Metroland Newsweekly states, "she is unmatched for both chops and the power to telegraph emotion that all art aspires to." With a Masters Degree in Cultural Anthropology, she is highly regarded for combining both performance and sociocultural analysis. She is a frequent guest lecturer at colleges and universities nationwide, including the University of San Francisco, University of California at Santa Cruz, Eastman School of Music, Ithaca College School of Music, St. Lawrence University, California State University at San Marcos and The University of Kentucky at Lexington. She is also one of the featured performers in the award-winning documentary, "Radical Harmonies," an historical perspective of Women’s Music Festivals. As the Coordinator of Cultural Affairs at Hudson Valley Community College, she is committed to promoting the arts as a vital educational component and an integral part of society. Ms. Zemantauski is represented by The Central New York Showcase Entertainment Agency. For booking and more information visit www.thecnyshowcase.com or call Bill Dustin, President and Owner, at 315.427.3199.
www.mariazemantauski.com
A slew of the region’s most talented musicians lifted the dance concert to empyrean heights. ~ Metroland
