Giselle a Music and Dance production Produced, Directed, Performed and Composed By
Jeanann Dara SeidmAn
THE MISSION
The Time has come for me to present my thesis work and use the skills I have obtained in the past years of Study to create a multimedia and multidisciplinary production. The task I am presented with is to build a show from the ground up. I looked to my choreographer, robert Robinson to create a show of the highest caliber. WE took a classical ballet, Giselle, and adapted the story to be a modern reflection. With an expression of popular aesthetics mixed with high technical training , the vision I have for Giselle will be an new experience for the audience as well as the participating artists. Collaboration between artists is something that I have built as artistic Director of Ditch Productions performance art collective. I looked to the talent around me and am pleased to say we have a collection of 15 personnel and artists coming together to make this production come to life. And with the support of my colleagues at the Whitney museum as well as New York University Giselle is sure to be a success. The rehearsals have begun and the momentum gains as we prepare for The access theater to present GISELLE the second WEEK IN JUNE. I look to my friends and family now to support the completion of this project.
For the FRIENDS $100-$499 $500-$1000
Friends Special Friends
$1000-$2999
Extra Special Friends
$3000-$5000
Friends with Benefits
All benefactors will gain availability to advertise within the performance program as well as the performance announcements. For any of those who wish can sell merchandise at the time of the performance. There will be six performances in a four day span.
THE STORY
Just two nights before his wedding to an oil heiress; Albrecht, a young but promising banker from Connecticut sets out to celebrate his last night of bachelorhood. In a secret upscale brothel, he parties himself nearly unconscious before he meets the capricious and ravishing Giselle. Desiring her with his whole being, he offers his entire fortune to Madam Myrtha in vain. She will not allow her most prized possession out of sight the evening before her premier as a private dancer.
Albrecht is eventually Expelled from the party but waits until sunrise for his new found obsession. He convinces Giselle to accompany him for the day and finally back his apartment before she returns to work. There she finds a box of invitations to his wedding, discovers that he is to be married the next day and swiftly flies into a rage and flees. Although, he should be attending the rehearsal dinner for his impending engagement he follows her to Madam Myrtha's.
There he finds Giselle being dominated by the Madam for the amusement of her wealthy clientele. When he attempts to intervene he finds himself nearly crippled and paralyzed with horror as Myrtha explains that unless Giselle continues to dance until sunrise Albrecht's life is forfeit. Albrecht watches Giselle push her body beyond its limits and rejoices as dawn breaks only to find her Lifeless Body.
BUDGET
Site Room and hall fees Equipment Totals
Estimated $1,300.00 $500.00 $1,800.00
Publicity Graphics work Photocopying/Printing Totals
Estimated $200.00 $500.00 $700.00
Equipment and Textiles Fabrics Set Design Lighting Totals
Estimated $100.00 $500.00 $500.00 $1,100.00
Total Expenses
Performers 5 Dancers@$650 each Choreographer 3 Instrumentalists@400 each Totals
Estimated $3,250.00 $2,000.00 $1,200.00 $6,450.00
Personell Lighting Designer Costume Designer Make-up/Hair Producer Sound Designer Stage Manager Totals
Estimated $500.00 $500.00 $500.00 $1,000.00 $500.00 $1,000.00 $4,000.00
Miscellaneous Transportation Totals
Estimated $500.00 $500.00
$14,550.00
The Leaders
Jeanann Dara Seidman Director, Producer, Composer, Performer Jeanann Dara encompasses the world of performance as a performer, improviser, composer, producer, director, collaborator, and multimedia artist. October 2007 Ms. Dara led her DITCH Productions collective to the Concert artists Guild Finals and then began work in preparation for a small tour of Italy entirely of new works. She made her way from the St. Anthony Basilica in Padova, Italy where she performed a work for electric violin to the music without borders festival in Perugia, Italy where she was commissioned to write a quintet with electronics. Prior to all this performance excitement, May 19th 2007, The Black Sea Symphony in Romania performed her original work for chamber orchestra and solo electric 5-string violin performed live by Ms. Dara, as well as a performance of her multimedia work at the Constanza Art Museum on May 9th. She quickly returned to New York to produce an installation at Studio B in collaboration with The Bicycle Film Festival. In fall 2007 the she produced directed and performed the original production titled “ Purely Tainted” at The Puffin Room (NYC), a program with Israeli composer Ari Ben Shabetai, composer & experimental DJ (NYC), and a performance installation at the Casa Paganini in Genova, Italy. Jeanann also finished a short film for director Jarred King and collaborated with John Cameron Mitchell for his latest feature, “Shortbus”, and worked with Latin composer Angelo Milli for “La Mujer de Mi Hermano”.
Jeanann Dara SeidmaN Ms. Dara’s solo performances include the 2007 Gezzmatazz Festival in Genova, Italy, soloist at the Academia Chigiania Siena, Italy under direction of Yuri Bashmet, and solo performances in Linz Austria under direction of Thomas Riebl. Ms. Dara has also collaborated and worked with some of the most influential jazz players of our time including Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, and Brad Mehldau. Competing and winning numerous competitions including the Preparatory String Institute, Texas Music Festival, and the International viola conference propelled playing at some of the most prestigious halls in the world including the Sydney Opera House (Sydney, Australia), Utah’s Zion National Park (Utah), Stude Hall and Jones Hall (Houston, Texas) Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall, Avery Fischer Hall, (NYC) and The Hollywood Bowl (L.A.). A large part of what makes Jeanann a true artist is her collaboration with other artists of all mediums. She has collaborated with hip-hop, rock, and experimental artists, including Grammy Award Winning Devo Springstein, and Grammy award winning Ed Bilous. Ms. Dara graduated from Juilliard in 2004 with a degree in violin/viola performance under the instruction of Karen Tuttle and Kim Kashkashian, as well as holding the position as Teaching Assistant. She is now working towards her Masters Degree at New York University in multimedia composition where she has received the Jack Kreselman Award for performer/composer from the head of the composition department, Dinu Ghezzo.. Beginning in the fall 2007 at the Whitney Museum of American Art, Ms. Dara helped produce their Friday night performance series as well as being involved with the Performance Biennial, PERFORMA07 led by RoseLee Goldberg.
Robert Robinson Choreographer, Dancer, Director Robert trained at The School of Hartford Ballet while matriculated at The Hartt School from 2000 to 2001. He then went on to study at The Juilliard School from which he graduated in 2005. As a student he had the privilege of performing works by Dwight Rhoden, Lar Lubovitch and Nacho Duato among others. Since just before graduating he has been employed by Pascal Rioult Dance Theatre with whom he has toured internationally and performed in New York in prestigious venues such The Joyce Theater and New York City Center. Robert's choreography has been featured in educational and professional endeavors by students and companies throughout the United States and abroad. His work is strongly rooted in the vocabulary and aesthetics of classical ballet. However, it is also inspired by elements of street dance, martial arts, the modern technique of Martha Graham and the Neo-classicism exemplified by George Balanchine. As an instructor of ballet or modern dance he has served on the faculty of summer dance programs and as a guest teacher for regional companies across the country. Robert is particularly interested in the development of dance for film and the endless opportunity to see and show human gesture in unconventional ways.
CONTACT
Jeanann Dara Seidman DITCH PRODUCTIONS Phone 305-562-1961 Personal E-mail JeanieDara@aol.com Production E-Mail ditchproductionsdoesgissele@gmail.com WEBSITE www.ditchproductions.com