CENTERSTAGE DES MOINES CIVIC CENTER
Architecture in Motion™
0712 - 06456
Inspire
Ami M Yaro
Director/Founder
We seek to inspire our students,
BA with Honors in Dance University of Iowa
Believe
help them to believe in themselves
Achieve
and achieve their goals in life as well as dance 3890 NW Urbandale Dr Urbandale, IA 50322 (515) 334-5510 www.iowaballetacademy.com
CEO &
From the President
Architecture in Motion™ SATURDAY, JANUARY 24, 2015
CONTENTS
Dear friends, Welcome to the fifth season of The Dance Series presented by Des Moines Performing Arts. We hope you enjoyed the Paul Taylor Dance Company in November. It was an honor to host the world premiere of Mr. Taylor’s 141st work, Sea Lark.
Thanks to our Donors. . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Diavolo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 About the Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Who’s Who in the Company. . . . . .10 Diavolo’s Board of Directors . . . . . 15 & Supporters Diavolo’s New Piece to . . . . . . . . . 16 Interpret Work Life in a Cubicle Des Moines Performing Arts. . . . . 18 Board of Directors and Staff Guest Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . .19
Tonight, we welcome our second world-class dance company of the season, and the second world premiere. Cubicle – a brand new piece – is an interpretation of a worker’s life. Diavolo, first presented here in 2012, incorporates a fusion of movement vocabularies into its choreography, and plays with the fragility of the human body. Des Moines Performing Arts co-commissioned Cubicle. We hope you enjoy it! The third company in our series, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, was founded in 1994 by Co-Artistic Directors Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson. Based in New York City, the company mixes methods, styles and cultures, and believes that dance should be about removing boundaries, not reinforcing them. Complexions takes the stage on Saturday, April 11th. You are encouraged to stay in the hall after this evening’s presentation for DANCEtalk, an intimate, in-theater conversation with the artistic staff and performers. Finally, we are very grateful to those of you who purchased The Dance Series Season Tickets and Dance Society memberships, as it is your support that makes this programming possible. Thank you!
Jeff Chelesvig President & CEO Des Moines Performing Arts
Stay after the performance for
DANCEtalk!
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Thanks to our Donors! Leadership support for The Dance Series has been provided by:
The National Endowment for the Arts
The Dance Society
Des Moines Performing Arts thanks its Donors who have provided critical philanthropic support for The Dance Series.
$2,500+
Roberta Gilbert and Joseph Barron
$1,000-$2,499
Tom and Michele Brown Jeff Chelesvig Craig and Lucy Davisson Louis and Lois Fingerman Jeff Freude and Laurie Wolf Cecil Goettsch and Jackie Saunders
Kevin and Sheryl Grimm David and Trudy Hurd Dr. Darren Jirsa Bill and Beth Koenig Robert and Liz Lee Randy E. McMullin
$500-$999
Jeffrey and Mary Ellen Anderson Elizabeth Ferreira Jon and Faith Garnaas Steven J. Giannoble David and Mary Giese Larry Gleason Carrie Louise Gosnell Natalie Job Stephan and Thomasine Johnson Duane and Harriet Leitch Greta Muller Levis Richard W. and Kaye Lozier Candy Morgan Debra Moyer
Kay Pauline Myers Nancy O’Connell Debra Phipps Al and Sue Ravenscroft John Ravet Seth Ryan Robb Matt and Kim Schryver Matt and Jennifer Suhr Louis Veneziano Melvin and Kathryn Weatherwax John Wild Valerie Williams Mark and Heidi Zlab
Thank you to our Premier Partners:
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DES MOINES CIVIC CENTER A Des Moines Performing Arts Theater Jeff Chelesvig, President & CEO
Architecture in Motion™ Artistic Director Jacques Heim Executive Director Jennifer Cheng Director of Production/ Stage Manager Renee Larsen Engmyr Technical Director Jonathan Meyer Lighting Director Luc Hediger Transportation/ Technical Assistant Matt Christensen Production Assistant Ezra Masse-Mahar Costume Coordinator Amy Tuley
The Company Ana Carolina Brotons Cal T Chester Leandro Glory Damasco Jr. Ezra Masse-Mahar Chelsea Pierce Jessie Ryan Connor Senning Amy Tuley Rico Velazquez Chisa Yamaguchi Understudies Kellie St. Pierre Christopher Carvalho Set Engineering & Construction Mike McCluskey & Tina Trefethen McCluskey LTD
Director of of Development and Finance Matt Wells Institute Co-Directors Jones Welsh Chisa Yamaguchi Rehearsal Director Shauna Martinez Choreographer Leandro Glory Damasco Jr. Director of Operations Ilona Piotrowska Video Archivist Leandro Damasco Jr.
Representation and Booking David Lieberman Artists’ Representatives PO Box 10368 Newport Beach, CA 92658 Office: 714-979-4700 info@dlartists.com, www.dlartists.com
Niels Gamm, IMG Artists GmbH Director, Dance & Attractions - Europe Theaterstraße 2 | D 30159 Hannover | Germany Office: +49 511 20 300 876 Email: ngamm@imgartists.com
Saturday, January 24, 2015 PRESENTED BY DES MOINES PERFORMING ARTS
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D
iavolo n Program All Choreography by The Company, under the direction of Jacques Heim
Cubicle
World Premiere Set in an abstract corporate America, Cubicle explores the human condition under cramped control and a monotonous reality, exposing an underlying counterbalance between freedom and anarchy in the workplace. Anonymity and confinement set the pace in this corporate sea of grey as we witness a multitude of shifting landscapes as abstract representations of a familiar work environment. Boxing in both their sanity and distinctiveness, we witness the struggle to maintain a sense of individuality on the corporate climb as the performers labor against a homogenized work mentality, finding solidarity only within themselves and each other. Concept & Direction: Jacques Heim Choreographer: Leandro Glory Damasco Jr. Dramaturge and Artistic consultant: Rosanna Gamson Music Composer: Bruno Louchouarn Light Sculpture by: LILIENTHAL|ZAMORA Etta Lilienthal and Ben Zamora Lighting Designer: Evan Merryman Ritter Associate Lighting Designer: Luc Hediger Structure Design: Tina Trefethen and Mike Mcluskey/Mcluskey LTD Original concept design: Thomas Flake Set Construction: Robert Selander Costume Designer: Brandon Grimm Project Manager: Renee Larsen Engmyr Cubicle was also choreographed with the collaboration of the performers. Cubicle was commissioned by the Cheng Family Foundation. Co-commissioned by Ordway Center for the Performing Arts and Des Moines Performing Arts, with additional support provided by Syracuse University. INTERMISSION
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Spoken Word
Written and performed by Steve Connell
Transit Space (2012)
Transit Space explores themes of feeling lost, finding a sense of purpose and coming together. Influenced by the documentary Dogtown and Z-Boys, Transit Space uses skateboard ramps as set pieces to represent an urban environment with ever-shifting physical and emotional spaces. Original Collaborators: Brandon Grimm, Jennifer Huffman, Shauna Martinez, Ashley Nilson, Omar Olivas, Crystal Runk, Anibal Sandoval, Ben Sayles, Chisa Yamaguchi Original Concept and Direction: Jacques Heim Writer: Steve Connell Composer/Sound Designer: Paul James Prendergast Set Design Ramps: Sibyl Wickersheimer Set Design Bridges: Tina Trefethen Set Concept, Engineering, and Construction: Mike McCluskey, McCluskey LTD and Tina Trefethen Lighting Design: John E.D. Bass Physical Interactive Designers: David Beaudry and Valeria Beaudry Voice Artists: Sekou Andrews, Alix Angelis, Vincent Cardinale, Jennifer Christopher, Steve Connell, Mayda del Valle, Lauren Dragan, Justin Huen, Adam Jennings, Tracy Lockwood, Shauna Martinez, Thea Monyee, Omar Olivas, Johannes Williams, Chisa Yamaguchi Skateboarding Consultants: Jesse Martinez and Nathan Pratt of Dogtown and Z-Boys Skateboarding Advisors: Angel Aparicio, Seth Milner, Garrett Surjue Rehearsal Stage Manager: Elizabeth Van Vleck A very special thank you to Corey Madden, Amy Dupain Vashaw, Elisha Clark, Peter Aeschbacher, Marcus Shaffer, Khanjan Mehta and Mark Baker. Transit Space was commissioned by the Center for the Performing Arts at Penn State University and co-commissioned by Glorya Kaufman Presents Dance at the Music Center, Los Angeles.
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Cubicle, photo by Daniel MacSween
Transit Space premiered in 2012 at the Center for the Performing Arts at Penn State University.
A
bout the Company
Diavolo performs a distinct style of Architecture in Motion that uses abstract and recognized structures to explore the relationship between the danger of our environment and the fragility of the human body.
Europe, Asia and Latin America; in over 16 seasons of touring, Diavolo has performed for hundreds of thousands of concertgoers worldwide, as well as millions more on television.
Diavolo is a fusion of many different movement vocabularies such as everyday movement, ballet, contemporary, acrobatics, gymnastics, martial arts and hip-hop. What we do on stage is like a live abstract painting. There is no narrative, but strong themes pervade the work such as human struggle, fear, danger, survival, chaos, order, deconstruction, reconstruction, destiny, destination, faith and love.
During the past 20 years, Diavolo has created dozens of dance works, forming one of the dance field’s most compelling repertoires, from seminal pieces like Trajectoire (1999-2001) to new works like Cubicle (2014-2015).
Founded in 1992 by Jacques Heim, Diavolo has an extensive performance history throughout the U.S.,
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The Los Angeles Philharmonic commissioned Diavolo to create L’Espace du Temps, a trilogy of new dance works, each of which premiered live with the orchestra at the Hollywood Bowl: Foreign Bodies (2007), Fearful Symmetries (2010) and Fluid Infinities
Inspired by the movement of skateboarding, Transit Space (2012) was the first dance work ever created in residency at Glorya Kaufman presents Dance at the Music Center, Los Angeles. Transit Space received its world premiere at Penn State University in the culminating event of Diavolo’s participation in the national Creative Campus initiative. Education and outreach are crucial to our mission. Diavolo brings dance to tens of thousands of community members annually through young
people’s concerts, in-school assemblies, intensive trainings, master classes and residencies nationwide. Diavolo regularly conducts extensive community engagement workshops in schools, hospitals and juvenile detention centers. In Los Angeles, the Diavolo Institute offers dance education and outreach programs that increase active arts participation and community engagement for thousands of Los Angeles youth and families. Diavolo has recently launched an original webisode series about the company’s life both on stage and off—available to watch for free from the Diavolo website. www.diavolo.org
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Photo by Julie Shelton
(2013). The entire trilogy received its premiere as a single concert program at the 2014 Movimentos Festival in Wolfsburg, Germany.
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ho’s Who in the Company
Mr. Heim was born and raised in Paris, France. His earliest experiences with performance came from street performing. He attended Middlebury College (B.F.A. in Theater, Dance, and Film), the University of Surrey in England (Certificate for Analysis and Criticism of Dance) and the California Institute for the Arts (M.F.A., Choreography). In addition to his work with Diavolo, Jacques has worked extensively for other companies in dance, theater, TV and special events worldwide. For Cirque du Soleil, Jacques choreographed KÀ at the MGM Grand, Las Vegas. Jacques worked as consulting choreographer on Ice Age Live!, a “mammoth” arena show which had its world premiere at London’s Wembley Stadium. He was invited to be a Creative Director for the Opening Ceremony of The 16th Asian Games, in Guangzhou, China. In 2005, Jacques was the Artistic Director for the Taurus Stunt Awards and returned in 2007 to stage a movement/stunt piece, “The Car”. With Center Theater Group, Jacques created choreography for The Stones, directed by Corey Madden. On television, his work has appeared on BBC America’s Dancing with the Stars and Bravo’s Step Up and Dance.
JACQUES HEIM (Artistic Director) has been a transformative choreographer for more than 20 years. He founded Diavolo in 1992 and has directed the company’s distinct style of Architecture in Motion ever since. JENNIFER CHENG (Executive Director) was professionally trained in ballet. She received her advanced certification from the Royal Academy of Dance. She also was a recipient of a Ford Foundation scholarship to the School of American Ballet. She received her BA at Pomona College, MBA at UC Irvine and JD at UC Davis. She was a corporate attorney with the Automobile Club of Southern California for more than 20 years. Upon retirement she pursued her passion for dance by establishing the Dance Conservatory of Pasadena, a dance school. She serves as Chair of the Irvine Barclay Theatre Board of Directors. She also sits on the board of directors at Huntington Library and Gardens, Pacific Symphony and Blue 13 Dance Theatre.
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Jacques taught movement and dance for many years at Cal State LA and UCLA. In addition to three United States Artists Fellowship nominations and four Alpert Award nominations, Jacques has received the Martha Hill Choreography Award of the American Dance Festival, the Special Prize of the Jury at the 6th Saitama International Dance Festival, a Brody Arts Fund fellowship and a James Irvine Foundation Fellowship.
SHAUNA MARTINEZ (Rehearsal Director) trained in dance and gymnastics in her hometown of Derby, Kansas. Shauna has been an All-American collegiate cheerleader and an award-winning instructor for the National Cheerleader’s Association. Education: Wichita State University - Dance, B.F.A, with instruction from Nick Johnson. Training also includes the American College Dance Festival where her choreography was chosen to conclude the Gala performances. Shauna is accomplished in ballet, modern, jazz, mime and hip-hop. Dance credits include dre.dance, Joe Torry, Sinbad and setting works on University of Georgia, Brenau University, CalState LA and Wichita State University. She has been with Diavolo for five seasons.
ANA CAROLINA BROTONS (Performer) was born in Miami, FL and started dancing at the age of three. Training: all-star cheerleading with TopGun All-Stars, ballet, modern, jazz, tap, hip-hop and salsa with New Image Dance Company. Education: the University of the Arts - Modern Dance Performance, B.F.A. Ana has performed in music videos such as Taylor Bright and Jill Scott as well as two national tours with the show SuperWHY Live. Through Diavolo, Ana continues to expand her horizons as a dancer, performer and artist. LEANDRO GLORY DAMASCO JR. (Performer/ Choreographer) started his professional career with Nicholas Leichter at the Joyce Theater in New York City. He has performed Leichter’s Killa solo at Sacramento State. Other dance credits include: Randee Pauvfe’s Misgivings. Training includes: apprenticeship with Joe Goode Performance Group; the American College Dance Festival (chosen by Jean Freebury to perform Merce Cunningham’s Inlets 2). Education: Sacramento State- Dance, B.A, with instructors Lorelei Bayne, Melissa Wynn, Lisa Ross, Nolan T’sani, and Deborah Froh Miller. Teaching credits include: CSU Sacramento (adjunct faculty), Marin Academy, ACDFA conferences. In addition to his work with Diavolo, Leandro performs as a soloist and has launched his own company, Project Engine, named for the nickname given to him by Diavolo’s Jacques Heim. CAL T. CHESTER (Performer) is originally from Albuquerque, New Mexico and spent his life growing up in Arkansas. Education: University of Arkansas at Little Rock - Dance, B.F.A. He has toured internationally as a dancer and aerial performer with Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines. Cal performed in and set original choreography that was shown at American College Dance Festival and Regional Dance America. After being captivated by the work of Diavolo for many years, he is overjoyed to live his dream to be part of the touring company. EZRA MASSE-MAHAR (Performer) was trained in acrobatics and ballet at Merritt Dance Center. He was a competitive diver for many years. Education: University of Buffalo - Dance, including tap, jazz, ballet and modern dance. With Diavolo, Ezra has discovered his love of the interaction of movement and architectural structures. CHELSEA PIERCE (Performer) is a native Texan. Education: University of Texas, Austin - Dance Performance, B.F.A. She has been seen on the hit reality series, A Chance to Dance, and has recently performed Ohad Naharin’s Minus 16 as well as William Forsythe’s In the Middle and Somewhat Elevated. Chelsea has also worked with choreographers Alex Ketley and Charlotte Boye-Christensen. Additional dance credits include the Tanzsommer summer dance tour. Chelsea has an incredible love for teaching and inspiring young artists.
JESSIE RYAN (Performer) started dancing and tumbling at a young age in her hometown of Denville, New Jersey. Education: Adelphi University - Dance, B.F.A; University of California, Irvine - Dance, M.F.A. Her past company work includes touring with LM Project, founding member and rehearsal director of Multiplex Dance. Teaching experience includes the Diavolo Institute and Broadway Dance Center in NYC. Her original work has been seen at HATCHed Performance Series and Laguna Dance Festival. Jessie also creates dance films, including documentary shorts with Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Alonzo King LINES Ballet and the Diavolo Institute. CONNOR SENNING (Performer) hails from Midlothian, Virginia. Education: University of the Arts - Modern Dance, B.F.A, with instruction from Donna Faye Burchfield. University Awards - Presidential Talent Scholarship, recognized for Excellence in Modern Performance. University of North Carolina School of the Arts- Modern Dance, Diploma. Dance credits include Brian Sanders’ JUNK (national tours, Philadelphia Fringe Arts Festival), Oliver! (Cameron MacKintosh’s international tour), a Cunningham Residency with Rashaun Mitchell, studies in Forsythe Technologies at the Konservatorium Wien in Vienna and Centre National de la Danse in Paris. He would like to thank his loving family for always standing right behind him in every part of his journey. AMY TULEY (Performer) is originally from Cleburne, TX. Education: University of North Texas - Dance, B.F.A. Her background is tumbling, competitive cheerleading, jazz and modern dance. She was a member of the North Texas Dancers for three years and held a Captain’s position. She has attended numerous dance intensives and has shown original work at the American College Dance Festival. She most recently co-choreographed for Nick Cave’s collaborative performance art project, Heard. RICO VELAZQUEZ (Performer) was born and raised in Chicago, IL. Although he was actively involved in competitive sports such as football, wrestling, and track and field, he developed a taste for performance art while showing off his talents on the dance floor at weddings and birthday parties. Education: Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville - Theater and Dance, B.S, with instruction from Kristin Best Kinscherff. At SIUE, Rico performed works by Jon Lehrer, Michael Mizerany, Paula David, Omar and Jennifer Olivas, Dianna Andrews, Dustin Crumbaugh and Calvin Jarrell. Featured in concert at American College Dance Festival Association’s regional conference. Training includes modern, ballet, jazz, salsa and gymnastics. CHISA YAMAGUCHI (Performer/Institute Co-Director) was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. Education: UCLA - World Arts and Cultures & Asian American Studies, B.A., with training from Maria Gillespie, Shel Wagner, Tamra-Henna, Nyoman Cerita and Germaine Acony. When not working with Diavolo, Chisa teaches recreational gymnastics and dances professionally as an Egyptian Belly dancer. She also travels the world as an international volunteer in countries such as New
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ho’s Who in the Company
Zealand, Fiji, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Egypt and Portugal. Chisa has performed in Diavolo’s education programs since 2007 and joined the touring company in 2009.
Washington Ensemble Theater, Youth Theater Northwest, Tacoma Opera and Bellevue Ballet among others. He lives in Seattle with his young daughter Grace.
STEVE CONNELL (Spoken Word Artist, Writer, Transit Space) As an actor - Film: Another Day in Paradise, The Beat (Sundance), Blues and ShangHai Kiss. TV: DirtySexyMoney and The List (both on ABC). Stage: Danny and The Deep Blue Sea, Robots vs. Fake Robots, Macbeth and Much Ado About Nothing. As playwright/performer, his newest solo work, Against Oblivion, was featured in South Coast Repertory’s Studio Series. With his longtime collaborator Sekou Andrews: no easy choice was featured at the U.S. Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen, CO. He and Sekou also re-imagined the text for three beloved symphonies, including Peter and the Wolf, and performed them with Rachel Worby and the Angeli Orchestra. Steve has been featured on ABC World News, Good Morning America, HBO Def Poetry and has created work for Global Green, TEDMED, Xprize Foundation, NIKE, Sony/Universal, Pioneer Electronics, American Cancer Society, Farmers Insurance, Banana Republic and Amnesty International. Private highlights include performing at Oprah Winfrey’s celebration of Maya Angelou as well as special events for Hillary Clinton and President Obama. He has released Better Bound, a book of poetry, and Intimate Nature of Knife Fights, a spoken word album. www.StevenConnell.com
MCCLUSKEY, LTD. (Set Design, Engineering and Construction) Mike McCluskey started restoring Shelby Cobras in 1969 while attending UCLA for mechanical engineering and never stopped. Best known for its diversity of fabricating services (design, construction, welding, mechanics, finish & paint), McCluskey Ltd. blends the art of handcrafting with modern aerospace technology. Internationally known for restoration/repair of vintage Cobras, exotic concept and racecars, plus historical aircraft and jets, McCluskey also builds props and sets for stage, movies and TV. Mike’s team of highly skilled craftsmen are based in Torrance, CA, serving architectural, automotive, industrial and entertainment clients including Getty, Disney, Shelby, Northrop, Honda and Diavolo.
RENÉE LARSEN ENGMYR (Director of Production) has been in her current position since 2009. Prior to that, she performed in the Diavolo touring company for six seasons. Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, Renée’s training includes jazz, ballet, tap, modern, gymnastics and Tae Kwon Do. Education: University of California Irvine - Dance & Psychology, B.A. She was a founder member of Eveoke Dance Theatre in San Diego. She spent four years performing with Eveoke and working as their Rehearsal Assistant. She currently teaches fitness and Pilates classes in Los Angeles. JONATHAN MEYER (Technical Director) has parents who are artists and teachers, so he has been involved with the arts his entire life. From ages 14 to 26, he was employed as a woodworker. At the Walton Arts Center in Fayetteville, Arkansas, he served as a rigger, fly rail operator and lighting director on concert dance shows, Broadway shows and everything in between. LUC HEDIGER (Lighting Designer/Assistant Lighting Designer, Cubicle) is originally from Switzerland and Austria, and has already lived in more than 10 different countries. Education - Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, Theater, B.F.A. University lighting design credits include: Putting It Together, Chekhov Shorts, Twelfth Night, Rent, Spring Awakening, Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me, American Buffalo, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and References to Salvador Dali Make Me Hot. L.A. Theater credits include Long Beach Playhouse and South Coast Rep. www.luchediger.com EVAN MERRYMAN RITTER (Lighting Designer, Cubicle) hails from San Francisco as a child of the 1980s. Education - CalArts, B.F.A; University of Washington, M.F.A. Awards - Wally Russell technical theater scholarship at Los Angeles Opera. With Diavolo, Evan was lighting director and designer of much of their work between 1998 and 2008. Since then, Evan has created two fully realized works of dance with Diavolo alumna Monica Campbell (Tabula Rasa and The Final Hours) as well as designed for Donald Byrd, KT Niehoff,
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TINA TREFETHEN (Set Design, Engineering and Construction) has mixed interests in art, extreme sports, design and industry that all combine uniquely for Diavolo. Tina has been a world hanggliding champion, actor in TV and commercials, pro-skateboarder, aircraft manufacturer and partner in her brother’s music business. She has evolved into a designer, sculptor, engineer and fabricator of aluminum, steel and composites for a great variety of architectural, aviation, automotive and graphics projects. Clients include Lotus, Getty, Boeing, Disney, BMW, Honda, plus 11 major works for Diavolo. LILIENTHAL|ZAMORA is a collaboration between artists Etta Lilienthal and Ben Zamora. Since 2010, their staggering body of work has brought them international attention and recognition as leaders in the world of contemporary Light Art. What began as a natural extension of their initial creative partnership in performance has grown into a body of work that challenges the relationship of the viewer to their environment and addresses universal themes of birth, death and transcendence. Their installations are boldly immersive and intimate, placing the viewer inside as an active participant while challenging the perceptive limits of positive and negative space. LILIENTHAL|ZAMORA’s projects have been seen at Design Miami, Installation Art gallery Suyama Space, The Frye Art Museum, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, and alongside Kronos Quartet and Degenerate Art Ensemble. Individually, each has an impressive history designing internationally for projects in opera, dance, and theatre with collaborators including Peter Sellars, Bill Viola and Emio Greco|PC. BRUNO LOUCHOUARN (Music Composer, Cubicle) has extensive film, theater and dance credits as a composer, including the futuristic cantina music in Total Recall. Other projects with Jacques Heim include Surf Orpheus, a musical, books and lyrics by Corey Madden (UC San Diego, Getty Villa). Recent projects include A Weekend with Pablo Picasso with Culture Clash’s Herbert Siguenza (San Diego Repertory, Alley Theatre, LATC, Centre Repertory Company, Denver Center Theatre), Motherfu**er with a Hat, Eurydice (South Coast Rep); Agamemnon, with Tyne Daly (Getty Villa); the 12-hour film installation Day For Night, (GLOW 2010, Santa Monica and Transatlantyk International Film Festival, Poland); Little Sisters, choreographed by Rosanna Gamson (REDCAT); Rain After Ash, immersive multimedia work (Pacific Asia Museum, commissioned by AxS Festival, Pasadena); Night Falls, in collaboration with Julie Hébert and Deborah Slater (ODC, San Francisco); A Hammer, a Bell, and a Song to Sing (San Diego Repertory Theatre); Drive-Through, a piano and video commission; Pianospheres (Zipper Hall, Los
Angeles); Café Vida, Cornerstone Theater (LATC); sound art for Suzanne Lacy’s Three Weeks in January (Getty’s Pacific Standard Time, Liverpool Biennial); Voices in the Dust, a chamber opera (Boston Court); and Tales of the Old West, an immersive site specific work (The Autry). brunolouchouarn.com
JOHN E.D. BASS (Lighting Designer, Transit Space) has been lighting theater, music and dance for nearly two decades. Before joining Diavolo in 2007, his last project with Jacques Heim was Territory while studying at UCLA’s School of Theater, Film and Television. Previous national tours designs include The Great Tennessee Monkey Trial for L.A.Theater Works and both Peter Pan and Camelot for McCoy Rigby Entertainment, where he served as associate to Tom Ruzika. Past design highlights include The Soze Project at the Apollo Theater in Harlem and Azure, an underwater fantasy show at the Silverton Las Vegas. Architectural credits include the Eastern Columbia building in Los Angeles and Spring, a Claes Oldenburg sculpture in Seoul, Korea. In addition to lighting
Photo by Julie Shelton
ROSANNA GAMSON (Dramaturge/Artistic Consultant, Cubicle) is a third generation New Yorker. Education - New York University, Dance, B.F.A. and M.F.A. She performed internationally as a member of Andrew DeGroat & Dancers, and in the dances of Yvonne Rainer, workshop performances of Robert Wilson, and in many others’ dance projects. Since moving to Los Angeles, Gamson has created nine evening-length dance theater works as Artistic Director of Rosanna Gamson/World Wide (RGWW). Her most recent project, Layla Means Night (2013), premiered in San Francisco presented by ODC Theater, and was remounted in Los Angeles for Grand Performances in September 2014. She is currently on faculty at CalArts, where she teaches BFA and MFA dance composition in the Sharon Disney Lund School of Dance. Her new work for RGWW, Still, will premiere at REDCAT in 2015/16. Gamson has created bi-national collaborative projects in Lithuania, Poland and Mexico. Her dance theater works have
been presented and commissioned by the REDCAT, Luckman Theater, Skirball Cultural Center, and the J. Paul Getty Center in Los Angeles; Teatro Raul Flores Canelo de CENART, and UNAM, in Mexico City; the Harbourfront Centre in Toronto; the Dance Center of Columbia College, Chicago; and the International Hispanic Theater Festival, in Miami, among many others. RGWW is the recipient of six Lester Horton Dance Awards, including a Special Dance Innovator Award to Gamson for her body of work. rosannagamsonworldwide.org
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ho’s Who in the Company
regional theater around the U.S., John also lights numerous musical acts in Los Angeles as well as working in film and television. DAVID BEAUDRY (Physical Interactive Design, Transit Space) has found himself straddling the worlds of live performance, design and technology for most of his adult life. He holds a Doctorate in Clarinet Performance from UCLA, and as a professional clarinetist he has performed with most of the top groups in Los Angeles, won some awards, and played a bit in the studios. As a sound designer he has worked in over 40 theatrical productions, and is a regular at the Rubicon Theatre in Ventura, California and Falcon Theatre in Los Angeles. His multimedia installation work has led to major shows in the U.S., Germany, and Italy, including the Venice Biennale, as well as Artist Residencies in Canada and Argentina. He has been a member of the faculty at both the Art Center College of Design (Industrial Design) and UCLA (Theatre) where he has developed and taught many courses bridging design, performance, storytelling, and technology. In 2006 David founded Beaudry Interactive, an innovative design company that quickly became known for its work in physical interaction design, middleware technology (the bridge between technology, design and performance), and both a passion and ability for creating experiences where everything is happening in the moment. VALERIA BEAUDRY (Physical Interactive Design, Transit Space) blends art and science in her career and her personal life, and that mix feeds and informs her passion for all things that are elegantly designed, be it fine art, music, architectural structures, interactive systems or theatrical events. Originally educated as a chemist, Valeria has enjoyed an eclectic career since coming to the U.S. from Russia in 1993. She is sought after as a business consultant, having worked with a variety of companies including Ernst & Young, Mattel, W.M.G. and Disney. Soon after the company’s founding, she became a partner at Beaudry Interactive, quickly applying her expert project management and problem-solving skills to technical design and creative principles. In addition to her duties as a partner, she is actively involved with Drisko Studios Architects, known for its expertise in historical preservation in Los Angeles and beyond. PAUL JAMES PRENDERGAST (Composer/Sound Designer, Transit Space) is a multi-disciplinary theater artist, composer, sound designer and music producer who has performed and recorded internationally. His versatility expands across musical genres of jazz, world, avant-garde, electronica, American roots and rock. He works extensively for professional theater and dance companies. Theater credits number well over 100 including productions at the Mark Taper Forum, Guthrie Theater, South Coast Rep, Seattle Rep, Hartford Stage, Geffen Playhouse, Alley Theater, Great Lakes Theater Festival, Long Warf Theater, The Kennedy Center, Moscow Art Theater, Cal Shakes, Idaho Shakes, Edinburgh Festival, Actors Gang, Florida Stage and Atlantic Theater Co. He is a former ensemble member of Cornerstone Theater and has worked in residence at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival for the past six seasons. Dance companies include Diavolo, MOMIX, Parsons Dance, Judith Jamison, Ballet Florida, Demetrius Klein, Teatro Du El and Xing Peds. As a singer/ songwriter, Pauls’ work has been heard in films, on recordings and performed at music venues worldwide. Awards include Ovation, Drama-Logue, Garland, Carbonell, Gregory and a Grammy Nomination. He lives in Joshua Tree, California. ELIZABETH VAN VLECK (Rehearsal Stage Manager, Transit Space) danced professionally in New York for more than 15 years. She was a dancer, teacher and rehearsal director for Shapiro & Smith Dance. Elizabeth was a teaching artist for the New York City
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Ballet Education Department and the National Dance Institute. After receiving her M.F.A. in Arts Administration, Elizabeth was the Operations and Production Manager/Associate Producer of Special Projects for the Sharon Disney Lund School of Dance at CalArts. Elizabeth continues to work in service of dance companies including Diavolo Dance Theater, BODYTRAFFIC, Ate9 Dance Company, Saenz and the Noise, and Pasadena Dance Theatre. She is the Managing Director of the not-for-profit arts service organization, Making Art Happen, whose mission is to empower members of the greater Los Angeles dance community to realize and express their artistic potential. Making Art Happen provides vital infrastructural support in order to advance artistic goals and to achieve long-term success and sustainability. SIBYL WICKERSHEIMER (Set Designer, Transit Space) has design credits spanning a wide range of projects that bring her work to a variety of venues internationally. Her current projects include: What About Dick? written and directed by Eric Idle, Crescent City a new opera with The Industry LA, and Big Haul, a mixed media, four-part installation art series in collaboration with Janne Larsen. Sibyl is also an Assistant Professor in the USC School of Theatre. Regional theatre credits include productions at Lookingglass Theatre, Berkeley Repertory, South Coast Repertory, The Geffen Playhouse, The Kirk Douglas Theatre and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Sibyl has also designed 13 productions at The Actors’ Gang, including 1984 and The Trial of the Catonsville Nine, which have toured to festivals worldwide. MATT WELLS (Director of Development and Finance) In 2012, Matt was honored with a Ralph M. Parsons Foundation Fellowship for nonprofit leadership. Prior to his work at Diavolo, Matt founded the Los Angeles theater company needtheater, where he served as Artistic Director for five years, producing many world premieres. Matt is a board member for the Hollywood Fringe Festival and has been a consultant for the LA Stage Alliance. As an actor, Matt worked with AR Gurney, Sigourney Weaver, Elizabeth Swados, and Josh Fox. Education: Northwestern University - Theater, B.S.; Claremont Graduate University - Arts Management, M.A. ILONA PIOTROWSKA (Director of Operations) has a varied background that includes website design, performing arts administration and production. For American Public Media Group, her online work included Southern California Public Radio (89.3 KPCC) and radio shows such as American RadioWorks, On Being, Marketplace and A Prairie Home Companion. She does not wear clothes with horizontal stripes. JONES WELSH (Institute Co-Director) is a performer, administrator and arts activist. Entering his second year as Institute Director, Jones manages the expansion of Diavolo’s education and outreach programs in Los Angeles and beyond. Jones performed with the Diavolo touring company for five seasons before taking on his previous role as Associate Artistic Director, he collaborated with Jacques Heim and the dancers in addition to working with students and faculty of University residency programs. Outside of Diavolo, Jones founded Not Man Apart - Physical Theatre Ensemble, which produces the L.A. Improv Dance Festival, Somatic Movement Arts Festival, and Shakespeare Santa Monica. As a dancer and choreographer, Jones has worked with many other companies including Nugent Dance, Heidi Duckler Dance Theatre, Invertigo Dance Theatre, Intention Dance Theatre and Rosanna Gamson/ World Wide. Education: University of Washington - Theater and Dance, B.A.; Non-Profit Management, Certificate Program.
D
iavolo Board of Directors & Supporters
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Patricia Kelly, Bill Hranchak, Mark Kleiman, Jennifer Cheng, Jacques Heim, Renata Pompelli, Mary Ellen Stuart To learn more about Diabolo, visit our lobby display and go to diavolo.org for photos, videos, merchandise and interactive informaiton. For regular update, join our (e)mail list, like Diavolo on Facebook and follow @Diavolo_LA on Twitter and Instagram. SUPPORTERS LIST With supporters above $1,000 from September 1, 2013 to September 1, 2014 $100,000 and above W.M. Keck Foundation $50,000 and above Los Angeles County Board ofSupervisors through the Los Angeles County Arts Commission Ralph M. Parsons Foundation $25,000-$49,999 Vladimir and Araxia Buckhantz Foundation Thomas Fuller $10,000-$24,999 Annenberg Foundation City of Los Angeles, Department of Cultural Affairs Dwight Stuart Youth Foundation National Endowment for the Arts Weingart Foundation Selim K. Zilkha $2,500-9,999 David and Kiki Gindler Mark Kleiman and Renata Pompelli MidAtlantic Arts Foundation - USArtists International Mortimer Levitt Foundation RVM Associates Mary Ellen Stuart Temo Arjani LLP Kenneth Wells and Christina Benson
$1,000-$2,499 Norman Beil and Carla Malden Diana Buckhantz Deborah Butterfield and John Buck Richard and Karla Chernick Curtis and Andre Cronthall Rebecca Conway Gerard and Brooke de Gunzburg Jean-Louis de Gunzburg William Kelly Mike and Kari Kerr Lear Family Foundation Henry and Janine Lichstein Gaynell Methvin David and Jill Morse Puffin Foundation Jeffrey Shapiro In-Kind Taproot Foundation Thanks to our donors, including those who wish to remain anonymous. Make a donation at www.diavolo.org
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Diavolo’s New Piece
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to Interpret Work Life in a Cubicle
W
hen Diavolo performs its world premiere of Cubicle tonight at the Des Moines Civic Center, the audience may feel like they are in the middle of an art gallery instead of a dark theater. At least, that is the hope of artistic director and company founder, Jacques Heim. “It will be like they are watching a live abstract painting unfold in front of them,” he said. “Diavolo is a very different way of dancing and gives audiences a visceral experience.”
Cubicle, photos by Daniel MacSween
Since 1992, Heim’s Diavolo has wowed dance crowds with its unique blend of using large structures in tandem with “different movement vocabularies” such as gymnastics, martial arts, ballet and acrobatics. The result is what Diavolo calls “architecture in motion,” a relationship between the human body, the space it inhibits and the strong themes that emerge like fear, love and survival. “We don’t do dance pieces on a bare stage,” said Heim. “As soon as I have a structure – as simple as a chair – suddenly I can see motion, I can see emotion, I can see mood.”
Des Moines Performing Arts: A LEADER IN DANCE Not only is Des Moines Performing Arts presenting Diavolo’s world premiere performance of Cubicle at the Civic Center, the organization is a co-commissioner of the piece! Presenting world premieres and commissioning dances are significant milestones for the organization’s Dance Series, now in its fifth season. “We are always looking for opportunities to expand our programming beyond the stage and that includes getting involved in the creative process,” said Eric Olmscheid, Des Moines Performing Arts Director of Programming and Education. “In five years, we have gone from launching a new series to being more involved in supporting companies as they develop new work. It’s exciting to reflect on how much we’ve grown and how much Des Moines audiences have embraced The Dance Series and what we are offering to the community.” Des Moines Performing Arts presented the world premiere of Sea Lark from the Paul Taylor Dance Company earlier this season and last season, commissioned its first piece, The Vinegar Works: Four Dances of Moral Instruction by the Trey McIntyre Project.
While Heim is the brains behind the overall design and vision of Diavolo’s pieces, choreographer Leandro Damasco creates the visual and physical movement. In Cubicle, Damasco has choreographed specific actions for 40 components on stage – 30 cube boxes that represent a workplace cubicle and the 10 company members who will dance through them. Damasco describes Cubicle as an interpretation of a worker’s life and how they can get sucked in, especially in today’s society that seems to be all about work. “We explore the lifestyle of working in that kind of environment,” said Damasco. “Suppression of cubicle life might be a good thing or a bad thing.” In addition to Cubicle, Diavolo will perform their popular piece Transit Space.
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D
Staff &
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
es Moines Performing Arts Board of Directors OFFICERS Thomas Brown * Chair/Compensation Chair Brown NationaLease
Eric T. Crowell* Audit Chair UnityPoint Health – Des Moines
Mary Kramer * Vice-Chair Ambassador, Ret.
John Craig* Finance Chair Sammons Financial Group
Jon Garnaas Healthy Living Centers of America Travis Gjoraas Deloitte
Thomas E. Press * Treasurer Midland’s Choice
Dr. Andy McGuire* Nom/Gov Chair Meridian Heatlh Plan
Rosemary Parson * Secretary EquiTrust Life Insurance Company
Sheryl Grimm Community Leader
DIRECTORS Tom Ahart Des Moines Public Schools
Laure Guisinger Holmes Murphy & Associates
Robert Brownell Polk County Board of Supervisors
Terry Johnson Wells Fargo Wealth Management
Frank Cownie City of Des Moines
Monica Kirgan Principal Financial Group
Mary Stier * Past Chair The Brilliance Group Karen J. Lynn * Assets Chair Athene USA
ADMINISTRATION Jeff Chelesvig President & CEO Laura Sweet Vice President & COO Heidi Watkins Finance Director/ Controller Bill McElrath Business Director
STAFF
Michael Eberle, DVM Eberle Animal Hospital
Barbara Hanson Accountant
Khom Mao Francisco Mora Irene Perez Hank Teav Dominick Ung
Evonne Kouba Sharon Montgomery Cynde Pool Shirley Ramirez Marion Singleton
DEVELOPMENT MARKETING Todd Fogdall Barb Preuss Director of Development Director of Marketing Tiffany Spinner Annual Fund Manager Brett Smith Research Specialist
Chris Browning Office Manager
Rachel Woodhouse Donor Relations Coordinator
Vicky Barr Executive Assistant
Kelsey Tyler Development Intern
Cindy Hughes Anliker Communications Manager Summer Evans Marketing Manager Matt Spangler Marketing Manager Greg Votava Digital Marketing Manager
BUILDING SERVICES GUEST SERVICES Earl Smith Joel Cox Kevin Maisto Building Services Manager Guest Services Manager Marketing Intern Ly Ung Assistant Building Services Manager Building Services Associates: Danny Glover Francisco Hernandez
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Allie Ross PROGRAMMING & Assistant Guest Services EDUCATION Manager Eric B. Olmscheid Director of Programming House Managers: & Education Kerry George Shirley Kleywegt Karoline Myers Doug Kouba Education Manager
Sarah Bannon Community Programs Coordinator Julie Houghton Programming & Education Coordinator Michelle McDonald School Programs Coordinator Trevor Wiley Education Intern TECHNICAL OPERATIONS Alan Dyer Technical Operations Manager/Head Electrician Nicholas Romano Stage Operations Manager/Head Carpenter Greg Tracy Production Manager/ Head Audio Jamie L. Stepp Production Supervisor
Christine Lauridsen Sand Lauridsen Group Patrick Mack John Deere Financial Robert Mahaffey City of Des Moines Bob O’Hollearn Allied Insurance Katie Stocking Happy Medium Angela Williams The Great Frame Up * Indicates member of the Executive Committee LEGAL COUNSEL Mike Kulik Davis Brown Law Firm
TICKET OFFICE Denise Smithson Green Interim Ticket Office Director Brooke Bridenstine Ticket Office Staff Manager Misty Enderson Ticket Office Database Manager Jeff Waldschmitt Ticket Office Manager Laura Arenson Customer Servcie Team Mamber Candace Bell Customer Service Team Member Margo Jones Customer Service Team Member Chontel Berthelsen Group Sales Coordinator The backstage employees of Des Moines Performing Arts are represented by the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Local 67.
G uest Information ATM An ATM is located in the Ticket Office Lobby. BINOCULARS Binoculars are available for rent at the Nollen and Prairie Meadows Lobby Guest Services Counters for $5.
LISTENING DEVICES Infrared listening devices are available at the Guest Services Counters in the Nollen and Prairie Meadows Lobbies.
STAY CONNECTED!
CAMERAS The use of cameras or any type of recording device in the Main Hall is prohibited at all times.
LOST ITEMS Lost items may be reported or claimed at the Nollen Lobby Guest Services Counter area during an event. After an event, please contact our Ticket Office at (515) 246-2300 or stop by Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Items are kept for 30 days.
JOIN OUR EMAIL CLUB!
CELL PHONES Please turn your cell phone off or set it to the silent mode. Please also refrain from text messaging and using your phone as a light source during the performance.
MEDICAL ASSISTANCE If you have a medical need, please notify the House Staff. Medical services are provided by UnityPoint Health – Des Moines in the Prairie Meadows Lobby.
/DesMoinesPerformingArts
ELEVATORS Elevators to the second level of the lobby are located in the Nollen Lobby and near the Stoner Theater.
SPECIAL SEATING NEEDS Seating is available for all performances for a variety of accessibility requirements (including wheelchair, motorized cart, difficulty with stairs and sight impairment). Please call the Ticket Office at (515) 246-2300.
EMERGENCY EXITING In case of an emergency, please leave through your nearest exit location. LATE SEATING Late seating will be accommodated by House Staff at the earliest appropriate time. Pay attention to lobby chimes, which are sounded five minutes before the show begins, as well as after intermission.
TOBACCO USE The use of tobacco products is not allowed in the Des Moines Civic Center or within 15 feet of any entrance. WHEELCHAIRS Des Moines Performing Arts has wheelchairs available to assist guests with mobility concerns. Guest Services staff may be contacted to assist.
@DSMPerforming DesMoinesPerformingArts.org Des Moines Performing Arts 221 Walnut Des Moines, IA 50309-2104 (515) 246-2300
DES MOINES CIVIC CENTER APRIL 4, 2015
Tickets on Sale at Ticketmaster.com For More Information Visit www.balletdesmoines.org
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