AMANDA SELWYN DANCE THEATRE presents FOOTPRINTS: A Modern Dance Festival Marjorie S. Deane Little Theater, NYC May 19-21, 2016 at 7:30pm

The West Side YMCA Community Arts Department and Amanda Selwyn Dance Theatre present FOOTPRINTS: A Modern Dance Festival, May 19-21, 2016 at 7:30pm, at the Marjorie S. Deane Little Theater.  This second annual dance festival will celebrate innovative works of contemporary dance from diverse new and established voices in NYC dance. 

FOOTPRINTS will feature the following works:Dreaming into Being by Lillian Stamey and 96b; It is You, and You, and You by Jin-Wen Yu; Shaft Medley by Sue Samuels and Jazz Roots Dance Company; Untitled by Alana Marie Urda and Amalgamate Dance Company; EVO by Winnie Berger and Mook Dance Project; and Refuge by Amanda Selwyn Dance Theatre. 

Performances will take place Thursday, May 19, 2016 through Saturday, May 21, 2016 at 7:30pm in the Marjorie S. Deane Little Theater at the West Side YMCA, 5 West 63rd St, NY, 10023. Tickets are priced at $15 for all premium and regular seats,  $10 for Students/Children, and $10 for YMCA NYC Members. To purchase tickets, visit https://web.ovationtix.com/trs/pr/957283.

Performance dates/times:

Thursday, 5/19 at 7:30PM

Friday, 5/20 at 7:30PM

Saturday, 5/21 at 7:30PM

To learn more about the West Side YMCA Community Arts Department, contact Amanda Selwyn, Director of Community Arts, at 212-912-2635, aselwyn@ymcanyc.org, or visit http://www.ymcanyc.org/westside/pages/communityarts. 

About Amanda Selwyn Dance Theatre

Amanda Selwyn Dance Theatre creates original and dynamic dance theatre that raises questions, challenges social norms and values, and magnifies humanity through dance. Productions pivot around core themes and through an interplay between athletic and pedestrian motion, activate emotional expression, character, and narrative in a rich and abstract collage. Presenting dance in an immediate, mature, and inclusive way, we engage audiences from start to finish and beckon a response of thought, feeling, and soul. amandaselwyndance.org

Founded in 2000, Amanda Selwyn Dance Theatre has presented over 30 productions at NYC venues including New York Live Arts, Dance Theatre Workshop, Dance New Amsterdam, Danspace Project, Ailey Citigroup Theater, The Kumble Theater, and John Jay College. We have been presented twice at Jacob's Pillow, Westfest, DUMBO Dance Festival, Dixon Place, Dance Teacher Summit, COOL NY, Movement Research, and Pushing Progress Series. We have toured to festivals, presented open rehearsals, interactive performance events and workshops, and offer arts-in-education programming through Notes in Motion Outreach Dance Theatre to children in the NYC public schools.

"Amanda Selwyn is a master at illustrating the symbiosis of sound and movement, 
the romance of motion and emotion - she had me laughing, crying, cringing and gasping
all in the short 55-minute production." - Inside New York

"Amanda Selwyn's work is masterly and emotionally expressive, 
she is truly gifted in the art of dance making." - NYC Dance Stuff

About the West Side YMCA Community Arts Department

The West Side YMCA Community Arts Program strives to empower, educate, and maximize the potential of youth and adult emerging artists. Our classes are led by experienced instructors who create a stimulating atmosphere with lively activities, discussion and insightful feedback. We strive to create innovative performances, events, and programs that inspire, entertain, and reflect our diverse community.

About the Y

The Y is one of the nation's leading nonprofits strengthening communities through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. Across the U.S., 2,700 Ys engage 22 million men, women and children - regardless of age, income or background - to nurture the potential of children and teens, improve the nation's health and well-being, and provide opportunities to give back and support neighbors. Anchored in more than 10,000 communities, the Y has the long-standing relationships and physical presence not just to promise, but to deliver, lasting personal and social change. ymca.net

DANCE TO UNITE presents 3rd Annual Benefit: One Way or Another Dance to Unite to Perform with Debbie Harry Live Tuesday, May 3, 2016 at 6pm

Dance to Unite presents the 3rd Annual Benefit: One Way or Another on Tuesday, May 3, 2016 at 6pm, featuring live music from Debbie Harry at Avenues: The World School, located in Chelsea at 259 Tenth Avenue, NYC, 10001.  The evening will be a celebration of artistic excellence and cultural diversity to benefit Dance to Unite's expanding free after-school dance and education programs.  This year, Dance to Unite proudly honors Jenny Morgenthau, who recently retired after 32 years as the Executive Director of the Fresh Air Fund.  As part of the celebration, students of Dance to Unite will perform to music icon and Blondie lead singer, Debbie Harry's biggest hits live. Tickets can be reserved by making a $150 minimum donation per person at http://www.dancetounite.org/events/. The attire will be business casual.

““What I like about Dance to Unite is that we showed people that
no matter if we’re different on the outside we’re the same on the inside.””
— - Josh (age 9), program participant of Dance to Unite
““In the society we live in, unfortunately, many young teens do not have a support system. They need a place to go where it is positive and inviting. ... Often these youth are left to fall through the cracks and be forgotten. Dance to Unite will open so many doors for respect, and self-worth and give them the tools to succeed in life no matter what path they take.””
— -Tayna Carmon, a volunteer and parent of program participant

For more information, please visit: www.dancetounite.org

BALLET HISPANICO selected Mexican-American Choreographer MICHELLE MANZANALES for Instituto Coreográfico

Ballet Hispanico, recognized as the nation's leading Latino dance organization since 1970, presented the latest installment of its choreographic institute, Instituto Coreográfíco,with a showing held on Thursday, May 28, 2015 at the company's headquarters at 167 W. 89th Street, NYC. This year's Instituto Coreográfico featured Mexican-American choreographer and Ballet Hispanico Rehearsal Director Michelle Manzanales, who was paired with filmmaker Fernando Venegas Traba and photographer Madeline Campisano. The 2015 installment of the Instituto program was made possible through support from the Ford Foundation, the Rockefeller Brothers Fund and the Mertz Gilmore Foundation.

The groundbreaking Instituto Coreográfico provides emerging Latino choreographers, dance filmmakers, and now dance photographers with a professional and supportive environment in which to explore their heritage and develop their craft. Choreographers receive ongoing feedback from a group of notable artistic mentors and advisors, daily archive DVD recordings of the rehearsals, an edited film of the resulting work, an academic advisor, and a showing of their work.  Should an artistically appropriate work emerge from this process, it could enter Ballet Hispanico's permanent repertory. Filmmakers will be paired with a choreographer and will be mentored by filmmaker Nel Shelby.

For more information, visit: www.ballethispanico.org.

New York Theatre Ballet presents Carnival of the Animals - June 6-7

New York Theatre Ballet (NYTB) presents Carnival of the Animals from June 6-7, 2015 as part of the Company's Once Upon A Ballet series for children at Florence Gould Hall, 55 East 59th Street, NYC.  

"In a magical forest, Queen Diana and her shaggy lion rule a charming assortment of animals who live more or less peaceably until a pair of lost children wander in, and then the fun begins!"

Choreography by: Beth Storey Taylor.

The performance will feature live music, with four hands on one piano.

  • Performances: Saturday and Sunday at 11am, 1pm and 3:30pm.  
  • Tickets: $35 for children, $40 for adults.
  • Single tickets: Available through ticketmaster.com, and
  • Subscriptions: Can be purchased by submitting an order form to admin@nytb.org. 

For more information, please visit:

http://www.nytb.org/calendar-and-tickets/view/Carnival-of-the-Animals.

Magic of Ballet: with Spring performance from Ballet Academy East

John Jay College of Criminal Justice of The City University of New York, an international leader in educating for justice, offers a rich liberal arts and professional studies curriculum to upwards of 15 000 undergraduate and graduate students from more than 135 nations. The Theater is dedicated to the creation and presentation of performing arts programming of all disciplines with a special focus on how the artistic imagination can shed light on the many perceptions of Justice in our society.

Ballet Academy East presents its Spring Performance from May 15-17, 2015 at the Gerald W. Lynch Theater at John Jay College of Criminal Justice at 524 W. 59th Street, NYC which the myNewYorkeye team had pleasure to attend on May 17th, 2015.

The exciting parents, guests of lovely kids, all gathered in a nice hall to enjoy the event. Kids were very happy, but a little bit nervous while running and getting ready for the big moment which finally started like this:

"All the lights turned completely off and shortly they switched on focusing only on stage which reflected the magical blue and pink tones and beautiful kids standing there. Music and all the moves of dances were so light that one could feel the spring all over. During the first few performances, there were number of very young dancers and I got to know from Julia Dubno - Founder and Director, that the youngest dancers are about 7 years old!

Then ocean started to move the crazy waves and dances were even crazier. As girl’s hair were not folded they felt like a part of storm and created spectacular waves of motion filling the hall with the spring craziness. Performances were mesmerising and very creative with a sweet modern touch. Also the costumes were pretty nice and perfectly matching with the atmosphere their dance created."

Many guests were holding flowers for performers that was such a nice view to see in NYC, as not for all events you get to see so many flowers. We feel very happy for the kids, their teachers and all the guests who had the opportunity to enjoy this wonderful event, including myNewYorkeye.

The School of American Ballet announces the Workshop Performance Benefit 2015

At the Peter Jay Sharp Theater at Lincoln Center on Tuesday, June 2, 2015

The School of American Ballet announces the Workshop Performance Benefit 2015 on Tuesday, June 2, 2015. The evening begins with cocktails at 5:30pm in Juilliard's Morse Hall, followed by the performance at 7pm in the Peter Jay Sharp Theater at Lincoln Center. A seated dinner at 9pm at the Mandarin Oriental will conclude the evening. 

The Workshop Performance Benefit 2015 is The School of American Ballet's most anticipated event of the year. The annual Workshop Performances are SAB's only public performances and a rare opportunity to get a sneak preview of the ballet world's up and coming young stars. A Benefit Dinner follows the Tuesday evening performance at Lincoln Center, and attracts more than 550 arts patrons, corporate VIPs and New York's social elite. 

The School of American Ballet’s 2014 Workshop Performance Benefit Photos by Erin Baiano

This year's event is headed by Chairmen Michele Barakett, Linda Daines, Hillary Lane Hochberg, Nell Kleinschmidt, and Max R. Shulman; and Young Patron Chairman Stephanie Linka.

This year's benefit will celebrate the legendary Rudolf Nureyev and commemorate the 20th Anniversary of the Rudolf Nureyev Dance Scholarship. At the peak of his career, Mr. Nureyev spent many hours in the classroom, polishing his technique alongside SAB's students in Stanley Williams's acclaimed advanced men's class. In 1995, the Rudolf Nureyev Dance Foundation generously presented the School with funding for an annual scholarship to support promising students in honor of Mr. Nureyev's affinity for SAB and Mr. Williams's teaching.

In 1964, Alexandra Danilova, George Balanchine's former classmate at the Imperial Ballet and a leading ballerina of Diaghilev's Ballets Russes and the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo joined SAB's faculty. In 1965, Madame Danilova established SAB's annual year-end Workshop Performances, giving the School's advanced students an opportunity to participate in professionally staged, publicly performed productions of classic ballet works. Since its inception, the Workshop Performances have seen hundreds of SAB's advanced students make their public debut as they prepare to leave SAB and go on to dance on the world's top stages. The New York Times coined Workshop a "spot-them-before-they-are-stars showcase". Scores of notable SAB alumni have performed at Workshop, including Merrill Ashley, Peter Boal, Maria Kowroski, Lourdes Lopez, Sara Mearns, Benjamin Millepied, Ethan Stiefel, and Wendy Whelan.

Young Patron Chairmen Brynn Putnam and Erica Sheftman

The post-performance dinner has evolved through the years, from an intimate gathering hosted by SAB co-founder Lincoln Kirstein at his Gramercy Park townhouse into a festive fundraiser held in the SAB studios. The continued success of the Workshop Performance Benefit has led to the use of another wonderful New York venue.The post-performance dinner will take place in the magnificentballroom at the Mandarin Oriental with the City's iconic skyline as a backdrop.

The 2015 Workshop Performances program will include 19th & 20th Century Masters (Petipa, Bournonville, Balanchine & Robbins); Harlequinade ("Ballabile des Enfants"), Choreography by George Balanchine, Music by Riccardo Drigo; William Tell (pas de deux), Choreography by August Bournonville, Music by Gioachino Rossini; The Sleeping Beauty (pas de deux), Choreography by Peter Martins (after Marius Petipa), Music by Peter Ilyitch Tschaikovsky; Valse-Fantaisie, Choreography by George Balanchine, Music by Mikhail Glinka; Stars and Stripes (3rd Regiment "Thunder and Gladiator"), Choreography by George Balanchine, Music by John Philip Sousa, arranged by Hershy Kay; and Fanfare, Choreography by Jerome Robbins, Music by Benjamin Britten.

The Peter Jay Sharp Theater is located at 155 W. 65th Street (between Amsterdam and Broadway). The Mandarin Oriental is located at 80 Columbus Circle at 60th Street, NYC.

For more information,