Stevens Point, WI
oint
ance
nsemble
Annual Report January 2008 - January 2009
Bringing the
Art of Dance to Education
2
A pre-professional community dance company in Stevens Point, WI
Point Dance Ensemble Mission Statement PDE promotes the art of dance in central Wisconsin as a pre-professional dance company for dancers ages 11-18. PDE is not affiliated with any studios and all area dancers are invited to audition. PDE exposes company members to various aspects of dance, including performance, rehearsal, production, choreography and instruction in partnership with local artists. PDE serves the community by offering collaborative performances and workshops with area schools and other community groups.
Vision Statement The vision of Point Dance Ensemble (PDE) is to become recognized as a leading -professional dance company in Central Wisconsin. To achieve this vision PDE will:
pre
Increase involvement with area studios through outreach opportunities. Increase collaborative opportunities through relationships with area artists, nonprofit and arts organizations. Increase the visibility of PDE by offering performances at community events.
Point Dance Ensemble -10th Year Thank you for choosing to learn more about Point Dance Ensemble. We are proud to be celebrating our 10th Anniversary this season. 2009-2010 will be full of wonderful opportunities for our dancers to give the community the art of dance and movement. Point Dance Ensemble (PDE) promotes the art of dance in central Wisconsin as a pre professional dance company for dancers ages 11-18. PDE is not affiliated with any studio and all area dancers are invited to audition. PDE exposes company members to various aspects of dance including performance, rehearsal, production, choreography, and instruction, in partnership with local artists. PDE further serves the community by offering collaborative performances and workshops with area schools and other community groups. We encourage you to contact us at your earliest convenience with questions, clarifications, or if we can be of any other service. Once again, thank you for choosing to learn more about Point Dance Ensemble. We are proud of what we do.
3
Greetings from the Chairman of the Board I am pleased to say that last season has been an extraordinary period of optimism and growth for Point Dance Ensemble. I have no doubt that the momentum will grow as we celebrate our 10 th year of promoting the art of dance in the Central Wisconsin area. Our accomplishments from the season include completing and implementing a strategic plan, updating the bylaws and better defining the role of the board. We added the position of assistant artistic director and hired Charys Hess for the junior company. We also became an Umbrella organization sponsoring the Artist in Residence (AIR) project; a local organization of professional area artists and producing group of Dance for Cancer. We continued to expose company members to various aspects of dance including: performance, rehearsal, production, choreography, instruction and service to the community by offering collaborative performances and workshops with area schools and other community groups. This included dancing for the sixth time at the Prepare Ye Concert, an ecumenical advent celebration benefiting the Interfaith Volunteer Caregivers of Portage County. We performed at the Central Wisconsin Childrenâ€&#x;s Museum and explained the art of storytelling through dance. In March we premiered The Pied Piper of Hamelin, with an original musical score by Aaron Marx, sets, puppets, and masks by Pam Corcaran, and choreography by Pamela Luedtke at the @1800 Theatre. Eighteen fourth graders from Madison Elementary School in Stevens Point played the dual roles of children and rats of Hamelin. We then performed at their school and also at Jefferson School of the Arts getting their students to be a part of the production. We ended the seasonâ€&#x;s performances by celebrating National Arts Month by participating in Arts Walk in Downtown Stevens Point. To expand our season, we held late spring auditions and a summer intensive that included repertoire pieces for the two companies to use for the 2009-2010 season. Looking ahead, we will continue to perform for and with the community, including collaborating with Central Wisconsin Symphony Orchestra and the University of Wisconsin- Stevens Point Dance Department under the direction of James Moore to perform the Nutcracker Ballet. In March 2010, PDE will celebrate alumni performances and feature works by local area choreographers, including the ballet "Babar the Friendly Elephant" with live music by Thomas and Jenny Yang, @1800 Theater. We are proud and excited by the progress Point Dance Ensemble has made in the past ten years and look forward to another ten years of growth as we continue to have our dancers give the community the art of dance and movement. It has been a privilege for me to serve for the third year as Chairman of Point Dance Ensemble, and I look forward to joining you at the March performance.
Sincerely,
Jenny Graboski PDE Chairman
4
A Thanks To All Our 2008-2009 Donors Grand Jete
Pointe
(over $126)
($26-$50)
Cahoon Family
The Niehaus Family
The Byers Family
Bill & Beryl Cahoon
Katherine Byers-Federspiel Charitable Trust
The Blair Family Sue Meginnis
Master Class
Dave & Jan Grabski Ann Gore
($101-$125)
Alice & Paul Mutschlecner Danelle & David Ley
Dan & Cathy Derezinski Mary Minch/Scott Cherney
Encore
Anonymous
($76-$100)
Jimâ€&#x;s Barbershop
Sabine & Brian Hale
Joseph Bolwerk
Okray Family Farms
Harpsong Studio
Donald & Cecilia A. Caton
Dental Health Center
Stephen Faber, D.D.S.
Patrick & Catherine Martin
Alice Faust
Mike & Ella Mannebach
Barre ($0-$25) Donna Tierney Mary Tierney-Ley
Jim & Brenda Graboski
Christi Johnston
The Negaard Family
Sondra & Jerry Hammon
Dale & Phyllis Royer
Scott & Carla Glinski
Patrick Taylor
Diane Engelhardt
Pfizer Foundation
Ken & Denise Becker
Craig & Lisa Jamison
Central Orthopedic Specialists, S.C.
Ruth Naumann
Mike & Verna Prior Mike & Jocelyn Reid Anonymous Barbara Amo Richard & Kathy Loveless
5
Ted & Paulette Bessen
Elaine Hale
Auntie Ann
Happy Feet Shoes & Pedorthics
Anonymous
Oakwood Center
Irv & Bernie Derezinski
Cindy Monien
Point Dance Ensemble 2008-2009 Season: September 2008: PDE holds auditions for company members for the 2008-2009 season. November 2008: PDE performs in Prepare Ye, an annual fundraising performance for the Interfaith Caregivers of Portage County. Company members rehearse and perform under the direction of Susan Gingrasso. February 2009: PDEâ€&#x;s production of Pied Piper of Hamelin is an arts integration program in collaboration with Madison Elementary School. PDE and students from Madison perform at the Childrenâ€&#x;s Museum as part of the Healthy Family Nights. March 2009:
Point Dance Ensemble held its Tenth Annual Spring Performance on March 6 and 7, 2009 @1800 Theatre. PDE and 4th grade students from Madison Elementary perform for elementary students as well as the general public
April 2009:
Point Dance Ensemble director, Pamela Luedtke, and guest artist, Pam Corcoran, instruct three weeks of an after school program with students at Jefferson Elementary School. Students then performed with PDE company members in Pied Piper of Hamelin .
May 2009:
Auditions for the 2009-2010 season takes place. PDE expands company by offering a Junior company and a Senior company for the 2009-2010 performance season.
July 2009:
Company members of PDE participate in a summer intensive. Members learned choreography for the 2009-2010 season.
March 2009
6
4th grade Madison Elementary students perform as rats.
Aaron Marx — Composer
Pam Corcoran — Set and Puppet Designer
7
Alumni of
Point Dance Ensemble Melinda Myers grew up in Stevens Point, Wisconsin where she trained in dance from a young age at Turning Point Dance Academy. She graduated from New York University with a BFA in dance in 2005. She joined the Trisha Brown Dance Company in April 2006 and has been touring internationally for the last 4 years. Myers thanks Marilou Myers, Pam Luedtke, Nerissa Nelson, Joan Karlen, Pam Pietro, Gus Solomons Jr., Kay Cummings, Brook Notary and Diane Madden for their wonderful influences and support over the years. She is currently living in Brooklyn where she investigates her own creative endeavors involving theater, music and dance.
L indsey K rygowski is currently a
sophomore attending University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee pursuing a BFA in dance with a focus on modern dance. As a freshman she danced at Arizona State University. She recently performed in the “New Dancemakers” studentchoreographed performance at UWM and was recently casted for a part in a piece choreographed by the “Point Dance Ensemble prepared me to Murray Louis and Alwin Nikolais Company from New not only become a strong dancer but a York. In addition to dance she is working on a second strong performer, choreographer and major in pre-physical therapy at UWM. artist. PDE gave me the opportunity to work in a professional environment and exposed me to many different styles of dance and I am proud to say that I had the benefit of working with such amazing and talented instructors and peers.” —Lindsey Krygowski
C hristine S anderson graduated from SPASH in 2009 and is
now attending Oberlin College in Oberlin, Ohio. Christine is pursuing a double degree working towards a Bachelor of Music from the Conservatory of Music with a major in vocal performance/opera and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the College of Arts and Sciences with a major in Romance Languages. Christine was a member of Point Dance Ensemble for 7 years and began taking dance classes at the “PDE has helped me grow age of 3. She has trained in ballet, pointe, jazz, modern, and tap. as a dancer, artist and performer. Even though I am pursuing a degree in vocal performance, my background in dance continuously proves itself invaluable to my success. From stage presence, posture, and discipline to the ability to see movement once, and be able to replicate it, PDE has given me an advantageous step up. Not only do I get to sing in Opera choruses, I also get to dance in the front! Thank you so much for everything you have taught me!” —Christine Sanderson 8
J uliannE ngum was a member of PDE for three years.
Her performances included "Babar the Elephant", "Rodeo", and the UW-Stevens Point production of "The Nutcracker" in 2003. Juliann attended UW-Milwaukee and graduated in 2008, with honors, earning a BFA degree while also during this time, attended two American College Festival conferences on scholarship. While in Milwaukee, she was also cast in numerous faculty and student works, including “West Side Story”, and “Chicago”, while also studying under numerous companies, including the Milwaukee Ballet Company, Danceworks, Your Mother Dances, and Wildspace Dance Company. Juliann‟s talents were further recognized when she was cast to perform in New York contemporary choreographer Ron K. Brown‟s premiere piece, and in Laura Dean‟s recovered production of „Skylight”. Juliann is currently a faculty member at Turning Point Dance Academy in Stevens Point, Academie De La Danse in Wisconsin Rapids, and teaches for the UW-Stevens Point Arts and Culture Outreach Program.
B rigitte K oepke began her formal training in 2004 at SUNY-Purchase, majoring in dance and she received her BFA in the spring of 2008 from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. She has spent several summers at Bates Dance Festival in Maine both as a participant and as a counselor at the Young Dancers Workshop Bates Dance Festival. During the winter of 2008, she spent a month in northern Thailand
teaching dance for a non-profit children's
“The time I spent in PDE was so organization. Brigitte performed with TU Dance, a Twin valuable. It was a community that Cities based modern dance company, from the spring of fostered incredible talent and sup- 2008 through the summer of 2009. She recently completed port for each individual…and I felt her 200-hour Yoga Teacher Certification through CorePower honored to be dancing with a Yoga, and has since been teaching in the Cities at a variety of group that valued different levels studios. Meant to move, she can be found riding around on her of abilities and was committed to pink bicycle, serving coffee in the early mornings, and dancing creating a space for all its dancers on many Minneapolis stages. to move, create, and share. PDE offered me and my peers a place to grow…and sharing our art with people who may not normally see dance, taking dance into public schools, and working with interdisciplinary arts are all ideas I strive to keep in my life. —Brigitte Koepke
J ill G raboski
was involved with Point Dance Ensemble for five out of the ten years. She recently graduated from high school and is now in her first year of college at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. Along with the hopes of becoming a dance minor, she is currently getting involved with their dance company.
“PDE truly inspired me and has helped me become who I am today. Dance has always been a part of my life and it always will be! With the help of Point Dance Ensemble I have become a better dancer and I have learned to love it more than I could have possibly imagined. I encourage all young dancers to never give up their dream!” —Jill Graboski 9
T ristan Koeptke grew up in Stevens Point, where he developed a passion for performing and creating. He was a member of Point Dance Ensemble from 2004 through 2007, and since moving to Minneapolis in 2007 has performed works of Trisha Brown, Jose Limon, Louis Falco, Morgan Thorson, Karen Sherman, Colleen Thomas, and Carl Flink. His own work has been shown in Minneapolis at such venues as Patrick's Cabaret and in Bryant Lake Bowl's 9 x 22 series. He is currently the Dance Programming Intern at the Southern Theater, and will graduate from the University of Minnesota with a BA in Dance in May 2010 before flying around the world to discover what's next.
S tephanie S hirek is from Milladore, WI and began dancing for her dad's polka band. Stephanie graduated from the University of Minnesota with a B.A. in Dance and is currently attending Centerpoint Massage and Shiatsu School in Minneapolis, MN. As a dance student she has performed works by Trisha Brown (Set/Reset & Planes), Karen Sherman & Morgan Thorson (Double Rainbow) and Joe Chvala (Berserks). Since her graduation Stephanie has performed at the UCLA Dance Under Construction with Jessica Briggs Dance, co-created A Movement Collective, performed in New York with Time Track Productions (Paula Mann) and is currently working on a solo series to be performed in Minneapolis.
Alumni of
Point Dance Ensemble Danielle Abbott Charys Hess Lydia Anderson Hannah Hurst Jessica Arnold Alyssa Jamison Ainsley Berry Maria Jamison Emily Bolwerk Jenna Jelinski Matt Byers Luke Johanson Emma Byers Mandi Karr Nicole Cherney Sarah Kemmeter Cassaundra Cherney Brigitte Koepke Indi Derezinski Tristan Koepke Elise Dillon Leaha Korger Juliann Engum Lindsey Krygowski Kristin Flugaur Emily Langhorst Jill Graboski Rebecca Lewandowski Samantha Gryniewski Rachel Ley Saskia Hale Emily Luedtke 10
Joanie Mansavage Rachel Maxfield Katie Minch Kira Minehart Zoe Minehart Megan Mutschlecner Melinda Myers Alexandra Nosrati Samantha Ostrowski Samantha Ostrowski Charys Poffinbarger Nina Pohl Colleen Reid Jessica Richter Mackenzie Rogers Cassie Rohde
Courtney Ross Christine Sanderson Eric Schneider Stephanie Shirek Samantha Stanley Christie Steffy Tessa Trzebiatowski Naomi Weaver Stephanie Will Stephanie Winske Emily Wisniewski Amanda Woodward Maggie Zepp
2008-2009 Sets crafted, constructed, and designed by P.J. Jacobs Junior High arts students for City Lights
Collaboration with Wisconsin Symphony Orchestra, where the Stevens Point School District of 4th graders attended Snow Queen
Collaboration with Reading First on presenting Alice in Wonderland as a featured book with school performances Stacy Burke, Professor of Oboe at University of Stevens Point, commissioned for original composition
Point Dance Ensemble performing at Culture Festival
PDE worked with Music/Theatre Director and students from Spash High School in the musical, Cats
Students from Spash Choir Ensemble singing and depicting Gospel melodies accompanied by Point Dance Ensemble
Jefferson Elementary 4th graders exploring African Dance as part of the production, Jungle Drums
Interfaith Portage County Caregivers Annual Fundraiser, Prepare Ye 11
12
Income
13
Expenses
Board Of Directors 2009-2010 Jenny Graboski—Chairperson Susan Schlicht—Vice Chair/Secretary Nancy Ross—Treasurer Bob LeGault—Web Master Amy Beversdorf—Member at Large Irene Nelson—Member at Large Roger Nelson—Member at Large Pamela Luedtke—Artistic Director Charys Hess—Co-Artistic Director Melissa Sabel—Administrative Assistant
Point Dance Ensemble‟s Artistic Directors P amela L uedtke is the founder and artistic director of Point Dance
Ensemble (PDE) which was established in January 2000 as a 503(c) nonprofit dance company for young dancers, 11-18 years of age. Pamela‟s repertory with PDE includes “Babar, The Elephant 200”, “The Circus”, “Coppelia”, “Rodeo” and “ Alice in Wonderland” choreographed to the original commissioned music score by Stacey Berk Professor of Oboe at UW-Stevens Point. Pamela also instructs dance throughout Central Wisconsin and is currently an Associate Lecturer instructing ballet and modern with the dance department at UWSP. Her work “Mad Rush” 2007 was performed as part of the faculty presentation Danstage. She is also part of a collaborative project at UW-Stevens Point working with Kristin Thielking (Sculpture Professor UWSP) and Robert Rosen (Professor of Percussion UWSP), creating an interdisciplinary class as an opportunity for students to explore various mediums of art through a collaborative process leading up a performance opportunity of Dancesculpercussion (2002) (2008). Pamela is also a certified in Educational Kinesiology (Brain Gym©) as an instructor and a consultant for schools in Wisconsin to assist in curriculum integration of neuro-muscular movement. She has presented numerous Brain Gym© introductory workshops for educators in the Central Wisconsin area school districts; consulting teachers and staff in integrating Brain Gym© into their classrooms.
C harys M. H ess (Co-Artistic Director of PDE) is a Stevens Point
local and has been dancing in the area since the age of two. Charys danced with the Point Dance Ensemble for two years as a senior company member, also performing in Afterimages and Danstage shows, and graduated from University of Wisconsin Stevens Point with a BFA in Dance. Charys performed “Other Stories”, set by a few Susan Marshall company members, and in 2008 Charys' piece “In Thin Air” was adjudicated at the American College Dance Festival Association. She has taught and worked with UWSP's Musical Theater class and has set liturgical work at Trinity Lutheran Church in Stevens Point. She produced a camera dance video in 2008 and is working on a second, and currently, Charys is teaching for Jodi Flatoff at Forthcoming Danspace. 14
15
oint
ance
nsemble
Calendar of Events 2009-2010 November 2009 7th-
Excerpts of the classic holiday ballet The Nutcracker, Portage County Public Library, Downtown Stevens Point, 4:00-4:30 p.m.
20th-
Annual Holiday Parade, Downtown Stevens Point
December 5th & 6th-
The Nutcracker, choreographed by James Moore and performed with the Central Wisconsin Symphony Orchestra. Sat. at 7:30 p.m. and Sun. 4:00 p.m. and at 6:00 p.m., Theater @1800
March 2010 13th & 14th-
Annual Spring Performance, featuring works by area choreographers including the ballet „Babar the Friendly Elephantâ€&#x; with live music by Thomas and Jenny Yang, @1800 Theater, 7:30 p.m.
May 7th-
PDE Auditions Junior Company (ages 11-13) from 4:30-6:00pm Senior Company (ages 14-18) from 6:00-7:30pm
Company Members for 2009-2010 Season
Junior Company
Senior Company
Sydney Morgan Stana Luedtke Saskia Hale Rachel Ley Courtney Lila Katelyn Altmann Natalie Leek
Alyssa Jamison Maria Jamison Courtney Ross Jessica Arnold Emily Bolwerk Taylor Patterson Indi Derezinski Hanna Zakrzewski Hannah Marcus Megan Mutschlecner Alexandra Nosrati To find out more:
715.592.4140 www.pointdance.org 16