Madison Community Arts Center Presents
Backstage Pass: A Joyous Return to Live Dance Saturday, December 4, 2021 at 7:30 PM Sunday, December 5, 2021 at 3:00 PM
Carolyn Dorfman, Artistic Director Anita Thomas, Executive Director Jacqueline Dumas Albert, Associate Artistic Director The Company Katlyn Baskin (formerly Waldo), Jarred Bosch, Gianna Diaz, Dominique Dobransky, Quinton Guthier, Maiko Harada, Brandon Jones, Kaila Moses, Marsha Guirlande Pierre, Charles Scheland, Martina Viadana, Khalid Dunton (Apprentice), and Leslie Merced (Training Intern) Stephanie Byrnes Harrell, Production Director/Stage Manager
Carolyn Dorfman Dance is dedicated to the safety of our audience, artists, and staff. We ask attendees to stay masked while indoors. This performance will not have an intermission.
Pastorale Pause (Excerpts) “Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair.” - Kahlil Gibran Choreography by Carolyn Dorfman Music by John Whelan* Original Lighting Design by Sean Perry; recreated by Stephanie Byrnes Harrell Original Costume Design by Russell Aubrey; Reimagined by Anna-Alisa Belous Set Design by Carolyn Dorfman; Construction by Acadia Scenic Performance by Katlyn Baskin, Jarred Bosch, Brandon Jones, Kaila Moses, and Martina Viadana Creation Cast: Lindsey Dietz Marchant, Jacquie Dumas Albert, Noel MacDuffie, Wendee Rogerson, Pamela Wagner, and Jon Zimmerman * “Simone” “Crossing the Shannon; Man of the House; The Five (John Whelan) Mile Chase” © 1999 NARADA (John Whelan) ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. © 1999 NARADA Used by permission. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Used by permission The creation of Pastorale Pause was supported in part by a 2004 Choreography Fellowship from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts (NJSCA).
Cat’s Cradle (Excerpts) During the Nazi Regime of World War II, Theresienstadt was a ghetto in Czechoslovakia. Constructed by the Germans as a “model city” for the world to see; music, theater and opera became both a voluntary and involuntary part of its fabric. A city originally meant to house 5,000 people; it became a holding ground for well over 100,000 Jews and others who were ultimately destined for the gas chambers of Auschwitz. What is even more astonishing than the pain they endured is the life and light they embodied and the ability of the human spirit to soar amidst the darkness. It is a story of survival, will and connection. My mother and her two sisters survived the war because they could knit. They shared their stories as they wove their yarn and thus knit our family together…Past, Present and Future. - Carolyn Dorfman Choreography by Carolyn Dorfman Inspired by the musical theater production, Voices From Theresienstadt, by Ellen Foyn Bruun and Bente Kahan Vocals by Bente Kahan Lyrics for all songs were written in Theresienstadt* Original Lighting Design by Sean Perry; recreated by Stephanie Byrnes Harrell Costume Design by Katherine Winter Performance by Katlyn Baskin, Jarred Bosch, Gianna Diaz, Dominique Dobransky, Quinton Guthier, Brandon Jones, Maiko Harada, Kaila Moses, Marsha Guirlande Pierre, Charles Scheland, and Martina Viadana Die Kartoffelschälerin (The Potato Peeler): Katlyn Baskin, Gianna Diaz, Maiko Harada, Kaila Moses, and Marsha Guirlande Pierre 2
Backstage Pass: A Joyous Return to Live Dance Ein Koffer Spricht (A Suitcase Speaks): Dominique Dobransky with Jarred Bosch, Quinton Guthier, Brandon Jones, Marsha Guirlande Pierre, Charles Scheland, and Martina Viadana Die Blaue Stunde Im Kinderkrankenzimmer (Blue Hour in the Children’s Ward): Jarred Bosch, Dominique Dobransky, Maiko Harada, Brandon Jones, Kaila Moses, and Marsha Guirlande Pierre Ich Bitte, Nicht Lachen (I Beg You, Don’t Laugh): Katlyn Baskin with Jarred Bosch, Gianna Diaz, Quinton Guthier, Maiko Harada, Brandon Jones, Kaila Moses, Charles Scheland, and Martina Viadana Text by Leo Strauss; Music by Imre Kalman “Kommt mit nach Varasdin” from the Operetta “Gräfin Mariza” *All text is by Ilse Weber and music is by Bente Kahan, unless otherwise noted. Creation Cast: Kyla Barkin, Joan Chiang Paulin, Jacqueline Dumas Albert, Kate Hirstein, Wendee Rogerson, Aaron Selissen, David Shen, Mark Taylor, Sarah (Wagner) Surber, and Jon Zimmerman Cat’s Cradle was made possible, in part, by a grant from the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State. Special thanks to Terrence Tullgren for his artistic support, inspiration and dear friendship.
PRIMA! (Excerpts) Choreography by Carolyn Dorfman Music by Louis Prima, featuring Gia Maione Prima and Keely Smith* Costume Design by Anna-Alisa Belous Lighting Design by Stephanie Byrnes Harrell Performance by Katlyn Baskin, Jarred Bosch, Gianna Diaz, Dominique Dobransky, Khalid Dunton, Quinton Guthier, Maiko Harada, Brandon Jones, Kaila Moses, Marsha Guirlande Pierre, Charles Scheland, and Martina Viadana I Want You to Be My Baby: Katlyn Baskin, Jarred Bosch, Gianna Diaz, Quinton Guthier, Brandon Jones, Kaila Moses, and Martina Viadana Just a Gigolo: Jarred Bosch, Quinton Guthier and Brandon Jones with Katlyn Baskin, Gianna Diaz, Dominique Dobransky, Maiko Harada, Kaila Moses, Marsha Guirlande Pierre, and Martina Viadana Undecided: Katlyn Baskin, Jarred Bosch, Gianna Diaz, Dominique Dobransky, Quinton Guthier, and Brandon Jones with the Company Creation Cast: Katlyn Baskin, Samantha Altenau, Jarred Bosch, Nina Chong-Jimenez, Caroline Dietz, Lara FriedmanKats, Quinton Guthier, Brandon Jones, and Kaila Moses PRIMA! was commissioned by the Gia Maione Prima Foundation and Ocean County College. It is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts, the Gia Maione Prima Foundation, the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, and the Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation. *Music used with permission: “I Want You to Be My Baby” by Louis Prima & Sam Butera & The Witnesses & Gia Maione (1962) from “Lake Tahoe Prima Style”; “I’m Just a Gigolo/I Ain’t Got Nobody” (1956) by Louis Prima & Keely Smith from “Jump Jive an’ Wail: The Essential Louis Prima”; “Undecided” by Louis Prima & Sam Butera & The Witnesses & Gia Maione (1962) from “Lake Tahoe Prima Style”
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About the Company Artistic/Executive Leadership CAROLYN DORFMAN, choreographer and founding Artistic Director Carolyn Dorfman Dance (CDD) is known as a creator of evocative dances that reflect her concerns about the human condition. She is interested in creating “worlds” into which the audience can enter. Hailed as the consummate storyteller, Dorfman, a child of Holocaust survivors, has also created a celebrated body of work that honors her Jewish legacy, its trials and triumphs, its treasured uniqueness and, most importantly, its universal connections. Her interdisciplinary and intercultural approach on the stage and in the community explores the rich tapestry of human experience, tradition, and stories. Celebrating its 39th season in 2021-2022, Carolyn Dorfman Dance connects life and dance in bold, athletic, and dramatic works by Carolyn Dorfman and nationally renowned choreographers and in collaboration with extraordinary composers, musicians, actors, storytellers, visual artists and costume, set and video designers. The company’s twelve multi-ethnic and stunning dancers tap their unique talents, both in performance and in its interactions with audiences, students and the community, to present high-energy, technically demanding, and highly acclaimed works that take audiences on intellectual and emotional journeys that ultimately illuminate and celebrate the human story. This is contemporary dance that moves you to think, feel, laugh, cry, and engage. Touring nationally and internationally, her company appears at major theaters, festivals, universities, and nontraditional performance venues. At the heart of CDD’s immersive artistic and educational programming is DEPTHDance that Empowers People to be more Human. From Newark to China, New York City to Nepal, Houston to Detroit, Carolyn Dorfman and Company see dance as a powerful and joyous vehicle for human expression, connection, social action, and change. A Michigan native, Dorfman received her BFA in Dance with K-12 teaching certification from the University of Michigan and her MFA from New York University Tisch School for the Arts. A former Assistant Professor of Dance at Centenary College in NJ, Dorfman is a master teacher, mentor, and a guest artist/choreographer/lecturer at major universities, pre-professional, and professional training programs across the U.S. and abroad. Carolyn crossed the country and globe providing professional development and programming at a myriad of universities and pre-professional training programs. In May 2019, Dorfman was visiting lecturer, teaching a two-week course, Intro to ChoreographyConnections and Intersections, for undergraduate supply-chain business majors at RUNIN- Rutgers University Newark Institute at Northeast Normal University in Changchun, China. Honored with many artistic and civic awards, Dorfman has been designated a Distinguished Artist and has received six Choreography Fellowships from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. She received the Prudential Prize for Non-Profit Leadership (the first ever given to an artist) and the Jewish Women in the Arts Award for Dance from the Jewish Community Center of Metropolitan Detroit and the Janice Charach Epstein Gallery. She was named the Industry Partner of the Year from the Union County Vocational Technical School/Academy for the Performing Arts (2012), received the Dance Advocate Award by DanceNJ (2013), was named a “Woman of Excellence” in the Arts and Humanities by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders/The Union County Commission on the Status of Women (2014), and received the Humanitarian of the Year Award from Seton Hall University and The Sister Rose Thering Fund (2015). In November 2017, she was the featured cover story in the Dance Teacher Magazine entitled “Making Dance a Dialogue” and in December 2017 she was featured in “ON THE SCENE with John Bathke” on News 12 New Jersey. Anita Thomas has been Executive Director of Carolyn Dorfman Dance since 2009. Ms. Thomas is one of a handful of People of Color leading a majority arts organization in New Jersey. Since 2016, the company has been recognized by the NJ State Arts Council for its excellence in artistic quality, programming and public service in the arts. She is the former Executive Director of Creative Outlet Dance Theatre of Brooklyn as well as the founding Executive Director of Youth Entertainment Studios (YES), Inc., a national media arts organization focused on at risk youth. She has an extensive and eclectic background in the telecommunications and healthcare industry, embracing community 4
Backstage Pass: A Joyous Return to Live Dance activism, passion for the arts and social issues, global marketing, fundraising and organization development consulting with not-for-profit and small businesses. She has a BS degree in Community Development from Penn State University and a MA degree in Media Studies from the New School for Social Research. The first half of her career was in Business Sales, Consumer Marketing and New Business Development in the AT&T family of companies, concluding her telecom career in Lucent Technologies as a District Manager, Global Marketing Events. In December 2020, Ms. Thomas was appointed to the ArtPride Board of Directors after serving as a volunteer on their Strategic Planning as well as the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion committee. Since 2009, she has served as a founding Steering Committee member of the NJ Main Street Alliance (a coalition of progressive, small NJ businesses originally operating as a project under NJ Citizen Action). In 2018 she was appointed to the NJCA Board of Director and in October 2020, she was the recipient of NJCA’s Community Service award. She is a Lead NJ Fellow from the Class of 2010. She has served on the DanceNJ Board, served as a mentor in DanceUSA’s Leadership program and is a member in the Union Township and Greater Elizabeth Chamber of Commerce. In the Summer 2020, in response to the lack of diversity on dance panels, Anita served as a reviewer for the Dance USA/Dodge Foundation’s grant for New Jersey Freelance Dance Workers and on the Nomination Advisory Committee for the Mid Atlantic Arts Regional Resilience Funds. Jacqueline Dumas Albert (Associate Artistic Director) joined the company in 2002 and became AAD in 2010. In her 20 years with Carolyn Dorfman Dance, she has performed, helped create, and restaged over 28 works by Carolyn Dorfman and guest artists. Jacquie has performed at major theaters nationally and internationally including the Joyce Theater, New Jersey Performing Arts Center, Jacob’s Pillow, the Yard, Walt Disney Concert Hall of Los Angeles, Place des Arts of Quebec, the Wroclaw Opera House of Poland, and the NHK Hall in Tokyo. She has led master classes and teaching residencies and set repertory for Ailey II, Ailey’s BFA and certificate programs, the University of Michigan, Rutgers University, New World School of Arts, Stephens College, Centenary University, Tulane University, Brandeis University, Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School Music & Art and Performing Arts, Arts High School of Newark, Academy for Performing Arts of Union County, New Jersey, and the professional company of DanceNow! Miami. Outside of her work with Carolyn, Jacquie has performed and set work for Sidra Bell Dance NY and nathantrice/RITUALS, adjudicated regional dance competitions and college/high school admissions panels, and danced at Tokyo Disneyland. She graduated summa cum laude from Point Park University with her B.A. in Dance with a Jazz concentration.
Dancers Katlyn Baskin (Rehearsal Director) is from Texas. She trained at Dancer’s Studio in Knoxville, TN under the direction of Irena Linn. There she also became the youngest member of their company The Tennessee Children’s Dance Ensemble, and the Goodwill Ambassadors for TN, led by Dr. Dorothy Floyd. She received her B.A. in Dance from Randolph-Macon Woman’s College. In NYC she has danced for alangoodedance, Nicholas Andre Dance, KDNY and Michael Mao Dance. Katlyn is a PMA nationally certified Pilates instructor. She joined CDD in 2011, was appointed Rehearsal Assistant in 2015 and became Rehearsal Director in 2018. Jarred Bosch, originally from Mississippi, received his BFA from Marymount Manhattan College. Since graduation, he has performed throughout Europe, Canada and the United States. Most notably he has performed with the NikolaisLouis Foundation at the Yang Li Ping International Dance Festival in Beijing, China. Bosch has taught for various studios, universities and intensives including Peridance Capezio Center, the Destro Experience, and Physique 57. In addition to receiving various grants and accolades, Bosch’s choreography has also been presented at the Young Choreographers Festival and the Bryant Park Contemporary Dance Series. Jarred joined Carolyn Dorfman Dance in 2018. Gianna Maxine Diaz, from North Bergen, NJ, is a Latinx artist, who graduated with her B.F.A in Performing Arts at Montclair State University. Diaz had the privilege to perform various works by legendary choreographers such as Martha Graham, Bill T. Jones, Ohad Naharin, and Abby Zbikowski. While studying, she began her professional career instructing and choreographing various works for competitions and film. Diaz is also the Artistic Director of Eastside Dance Project (North Plainfield, NJ). Throughout her journey, Diaz is eager to experience what the dance industry has 5
to offer. This is Gianna’s first season with Carolyn Dorfman Dance. Dominique Dobransky, from Leominster, Massachusetts, graduated Summa Cum Laude from The Ailey/Fordham BFA Program with degrees in Dance and Creative Writing. She has performed with Didy Veldman’s London-based Humanoove, NYC-based Abarukas, LaneCoArts, and Inclined Dance Project, and recently with a Nikos Lagousakos production in Mumbai, India. Dominique trained with the Jacob’s Pillow Contemporary Program, BODYTRAFFIC, Alexandra Damiani, GALLIM, DASH Ensemble, and VIM VIGOR. She is a certified Horton Technique teacher and freelance choreographer. Dominique is bilingual, with dual citizenship in the USA and Belgium. She is passionate about cultural exchange, writing, travel, teaching, and storytelling. This is Dominique’s first season with Carolyn Dorfman Dance. Quinton Guthier is originally from Madison, Wisconsin. He attended Interlochen Arts Academy Boarding High School in northern Michigan and graduated with honors. Mr. Guthier then attended Fordham University and the Alvin Ailey School in NYC where he received his BFA, cum laude, in Dance. After graduating, Mr. Guthier danced with Carolyn Dorfman Dance for four seasons before joining the Paul Taylor 2 company. He returned to CDD and is in his sixth season. Mr. Guthier is also a certified Pilates instructor, teaches throughout NYC and has had his own choreographic work presented at the Dance Gallery Festival. Maiko Harada, a native of Japan, holds a BFA in Dance Education from Ochanomizu National University of Japan, and studied Ballet, Modern, Contemporary, along with Stage Composition. Falling in love with the diversity of dance, she relocated to NYC shortly after her graduation. Starting as a Latin Ballroom dancer, she was reintroduced and trained in Ballet and Theatre Jazz as part of the International Student Independent Program at Steps On Broadway. She has worked with General Mischief Dance Theatre, and with wellknown choreographers such as Karen Gayle, Richard Pierlon, Lonne Moretton and Marijke Eliasburg. This is Maiko’s first season with Carolyn Dorfman Dance. Brandon Joshua Jones in from New Brunswick, NJ, and has been a student of dance for 3 decades. Trained in various dance styles, he competed for 10 years regionally, nationally and also performed in theatres and arenas in NJ, NY, CA and HI by age 20. Brandon earned an artistic scholarship to the Conservatory of Performing Arts at Point Park University for a B.A. in Dance, jazz concentration. There he danced works by Attack Theatre, Giordano Dance Chicago, Dances Patrelle and more. Professionally, Brandon toured the globe with recording artist Crystal Waters, collaborated with dance artists and theatre groups in NYC, and joined Carolyn Dorfman Dance in 2011. Kaila Moses is from Garnet Valley, Pennsylvania, and began her dance training at Kicks Academy of Dance under the direction of Kristin and John Davis. After high school, she attended Fordham University and The Ailey School. In 2015, she graduated with honors and received her BFA in dance. During that time she performed works by notable artists such as William Forsythe, Martha Graham, Jessica Lang, Ray Mercer, and Nicholas Villeneuve among others. Kaila has danced with the Steps Repertory Ensemble, Elisa Monte Dance, and toured with Jessica Taylor’s DamageDance in Denver, CO. She joined Carolyn Dorfman Dance in 2018. Marsha Guirlande Pierre is from the Bronx, New York, and is a Haitian-American performing artist. In 2019, she graduated from Montclair State University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance Performance. Throughout college, Ms. Pierre performed works by Camille A. Brown, Bill T. Jones, and Alwin Nikolais. She joined Limón Dance Company as an apprentice during their 2019-2020 season. Ms. Pierre is a member of ARTS by the People, a non-profit organization where she coordinated educational art programs for groups ranging from after school programs to senior living activities. Ms. Pierre is pleased and excited to be in her first season with Carolyn Dorfman Dance. Charles Scheland grew up in Germany, Austria, and the Washington DC area and graduated summa cum laude from Fordham University in the Ailey/Fordham BFA in Dance program receiving departmental honors in both majors of Dance and Economics. An alumnus of Jacob’s Pillow’s Contemporary Program, he has previously danced for RIOULT Dance NY and Michael Mao Dance and been a guest artist with Buglisi Dance Theater, New England Dance Theater, and Alison Cook-Beatty Dance. This is Charles’ first season with Carolyn Dorfman Dance. 6
Backstage Pass: A Joyous Return to Live Dance Martina Viadana was born in Milano, Italy and moved to the USA at age five. She began her training at the Lake Placid School of Ballet before moving to NYC and attending The Ailey School as a Junior Division student. In 2016 she graduated from the Professional Performing Arts School and John Jay College of Criminal Justice receiving her degree in Political Science. In 2020, she graduated from the Ailey School under the Scholarship program. She has studied abroad at the London Contemporary Dance School. Martina has worked with choreographers such as Hope Boykin, Mathew Rushing, Brice Mousset, Earl Mosley and Jessica Castro. This is Martina’s first season with Carolyn Dorfman Dance. Khalid Dunton (Apprentice) was born and raised in Washington, DC/MD. He began his training at Ngoma Dance theatre at 18 before receiving a BFA in Dance and a minor in Business from Montclair State University. He has had the privilege of performing works by Martha Graham, Bill T. Jones, and Maxine Steinman, among others. He was a backup dancer for gospel artists such as Tye Tribbett, Mary Mary, and more. Khalid has performed in venues like the Joyce Theater, Alexander Kasser Theater, Bryant Park, and New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC). This is his first season with Carolyn Dorfman Dance. Leslie Merced (Training Intern) was raised in Plainfield, New Jersey. She graduated from the Union County Academy for Performing Arts (APA) in Scotch Plains, NJ, in 2016. Leslie graduated magna cum laude from the Conservatory of Dance at Purchase College, SUNY with a minor in Psychology. While there, she was also a nominee for the Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence, Class of 2020. Leslie has trained with Carolyn Dorfman Dance both as an APA student and as an NJ SummerDance Scholarship recipient. Leslie is currently a freelance dance artist in the NJ/NYC area and is a training intern for the 2020-2021 season.
Production Staff Stephanie Byrnes Harrell is currently working as the Production and Company Manager for Carolyn Dorfman Dance and Kinetic Light. She has production managed with Dance Heginbotham, CUNY Dance Initiative, Treehouse Shakers, Alice Sheppard’s Kinetic Light, Carolyn Dorfman Dance and Princeton University’s Program in Dance. She was the Production Stage Manager for A Little Potato and Hard to Peel, and The Boy Who Would Be Captain Hook, both by David Harrell; Gallim Dance; Words on Dance; and Young Jean Lee’s Theater Company’s Straight White Men. Other programs Stephanie has stage managed for include the Limón Dance Company, Young Arts at BAC, Young Arts Presidential Scholars Program, the Live Ideas Festival at New York Live Arts, and Uptown Nights at Harlem Stage. This is Stephanie’s 4th season with the company.
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ABOUT CAROLYN DORFMAN DANCE Staff Carolyn Dorfman, Artistic Director Anita Thomas, Executive Director Jacqueline Dumas Albert, Associate Artistic Director Anna Shaffner, Communications/Development Manager Selena Alvarez, Digital Marketing Assistant Katlyn Baskin (formerly Waldo), Rehearsal Director Stephanie Byrnes Harrell, Company Manager and Production Director Flora Attardi, Financial Administrator Dancers Katlyn Baskin, Jarred Bosch, Gianna Diaz, Dominique Dobransky, Quinton Guthier, Maiko Harada, Brandon Jones, Kaila Moses, Marsha Guirlande Pierre, Charles Scheland, and Martina Viadana Khalid Dunton, Apprentice Leslie Merced, Training Intern Board of Trustees Don Jay Smith, Chair Joan Chiang Paulin, President Leah Kronthal, Vice President Martha Mensch, Treasurer Fran Sullivan, Secretary Jacqueline Dumas Albert, Russell Aubrey, Carolyn Dorfman, Arlene Gonnella, Averie P. Good, Keyana Jones, Joanne Leone, Louie Marin-Howard, Anita Thomas, and Dawn Schultz For More Information on Carolyn Dorfman Dance Carolyn Dorfman Dance 2780 Morris Ave, Suite 2C, Union, NJ 07083 908.687.8855, www.carolyndorfman.dance, info@carolyndorfman.dance
Carolyn Dorfman Dance is supported in part by the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation; New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State; New Jersey Arts and Culture Recovery Fund; Henry S. and Mala Dorfman Foundation; the Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation; Gregory S. Gallick M.D. and Staff; Jeff and Leah Kronthal/Kronthal Family Foundation; Dr. Ann Stock and Arshad Zakaria/Zakaria Family Foundation; The Hyde and Watson Foundation; and E.J. Grassmann Trust; among other generous foundations, corporations, and individual donors committed to Carolyn Dorfman Dance’s artistry and programming. Carolyn Dorfman Dance is proud to be part of the Morris County Arts & Culture Collaborative