Livestream of Contemporary Dance Wyoming: Rooms, a work in progress

Livestream of Contemporary Dance Wyoming: Rooms, a work in progress

Tune in to this page on Thursday, June 11 at 5 pm, for a live performance from The Center stage. You can also view the stream at facebook/TheCenterJH.

Contemporary Dance Wyoming (CDW), our professional company in residence at Dancers' Workshop under the direction of artistic Director Babs Case, began rehearsals on this years' new work in early January 2020. Ironically, or not, we explore a range of emotions experienced based on ideas of isolation, absence, ephemeral relationships and the personal space of memory a room can hold.

Special thanks to all the dancers for their endless movement, invention and contribution to the creative process especially during these unprecedented times. Approx. 30 minutes in length.

CONTEMPORARY DANCE WYOMING (CDW)

BABS CASE, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Babs Case is the Artistic Director of Dancers’ Workshop and Contemporary Dance Wyoming. She has performed, choreographed and taught modern dance throughout the U.S., Europe, Asia, Canada and South America. She attributes her multidisciplinary approach to dance to her professional affiliations with the Harry Partch Foundation and Company, Richard Landry of the Philip Glass Ensemble, Lincoln Center Institute and Obie Award-winning actor Bob Berky. She was the founding director of the Center for the Arts in Stuart, Florida for twelve years. Babs is a past beneficiary of National Endowment for the Arts funding and a two-time recipient of both the Florida and Wyoming Fellowship Awards for Choreography. She is also a past awardee of an Indo-American Research Fulbright fellowship to study dance, theatre and visual arts in India. As an educator, Babs has taught at universities throughout the U.S. and offers multidisciplinary residencies in schools and workshops for at-risk youth. In 1999, she moved to Wyoming and formed the state’s first modern dance company, Contemporary Dance Wyoming, which performs formal concerts for the community and lecture demonstrations in schools. Most recently, Babs’ contributions to the arts were recognized by receiving the Cultural Council of Jackson Hole Award for Creativity and the Wyoming Governor’s Arts Award.

BOB BERKY, REHEARSAL DIRECTOR

Bob Berky, OBIE AWARD winning theatre clown and playwright, has performed in theatres and major festivals throughout the world. He received a Fringe First Award at the Edinburgh Festival for his solo show "FOOLSFIRE" and is a recipient of the Kennedy Center's New American Plays Award for his play, "Cooking the World". Mr. Berky has taught at many universities and theaters throughout the US and abroad. In 2010/11, he taught Clowning and Physical Theatre in the Graduate Theatre Program at Brown University/Trinity Rep Company and performed Reverend Parris in the Trinity Rep production of “The Crucible”. He was Artistic Director of OffSquare Theatre in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, for seven years and continues to do projects there, most recently a production of “Cooking The World”. Bob directed movement and clowning for Joseph Papp's New York Shakespeare Festival production of "Twelfth Night" at the Delacorte Theatre(1980’s). Mr. Berky, trained as a French hornist at the Eastman School of Music, has performed as a clown/musician with symphony orchestras in the United States and Canada (sans French Horn). These programs include original work and his own version of "Peter and the Wolf". In addition to six plays, Bob has adapted five books of “Hank The Cowdog” stories for the stage in live radio play format. He also, with collaborator Eric Bass, created a version of Richard the Third entitled Richard 3.5, written for two actors and eleven puppets. In 2015, he began working with Global Arts Corp, founded by Michael Lessac, creating, as part of the writing/directing team, “SEE YOU YESTERDAY”, a work with 19 Cambodian circus performers, exploring the relationship of the Cambodian genocide of the 1970’s to young Cambodians of the present. This piece was presented in Phnom Penh in 2016, at the Reconciliation Festival in Rwanda in the summer of 2016, throughout Cambodia in 2018, and at Arts Emerson in Boston in May of 2019. Currently Mr. Berky is working on a new solo show entitled “The Ship Aflame”, a novel entitled “Mr. Wiggly’s Final World Tour”, and the next project with Global Arts Corps.

COMPANY MEMBERS

MICHAELA ELLINGSON (Dancer)

Michaela Ellingson is a Jackson Hole native and trained at Dancers’ Workshop. She attended the Conservatory of Dance at SUNY Purchase in New York and performed work by Doug Varone, Mark Morris and Netta Yerushalmy. Michaela joined the EDge Postgraduate Company at London Contemporary Dance School (LCDS), culminating in a 2015 European tour with works by Robert Clark and Itamar Serussi. She completed her Masters at LCDS with the creation of her own solo “Circuit”. Michaela has worked with London-based companies Bittersuite, Flavour and Some, and MCDC. Michaela is also certified in Pilates and is thrilled to teach Pilates equipment and mat classes at Dancers' Workshop. This is her fourth season with CDW, and she is grateful for the opportunity to perform on her home turf.

KATE KOSHAREK (Dancer)

Kate Kosharek has been performing, choreographing and teaching at Dancers’ Workshop since 2006. She holds a BFA in Dance from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and was a member of Wild Space Dance Company from 2002-2006. Kate has performed in works by Heidi Latsky, Zvi Gotheiner, Susan Marshall, Elisa Monte and Bella Lewitsky. In 2008, she co-founded Hole Dance Films and has produced dance films that have played in festivals across the U.S. and Europe. Kate has been awarded grants through the Wyoming Arts Council and the Cultural Council of Jackson Hole. She is a certified Pilates and MELT® instructor, specializing in group and private training. Kate and her husband Todd are proud to be raising their two young boys immersed in the art and beauty of Jackson, Wyoming. This is Kate’s eleventh season dancing with CDW.

MEGAN STEWART (Dancer)

Megan Stewart is a native of Jackson Hole and an alum of Dancers' Workshop's Junior Repertory Company. She graduated from Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle in 2011 and received a BFA in Dance with an emphasis in teaching. After graduating, Megan’s love of dance, movement and teaching took her to Brooklyn. While living in New York, she received her certification in Pilates, and furthered her movement education exploring Gyrotonics, Kinesiology, Anatomy Trains, and other movement forms. Megan taught private and group Pilates as well as dance in NYC, while continuing to pursue dance. She choreographed and performed in her own work and dance films during her time in Brooklyn. Megan moved back to her lovely hometown after being offered the wonderful opportunity to teach back at DW and feels lucky to help her students achieve their personal dance goals. This is her 3rd time performing with CDW.

LUKE ZENDER (Dancer)

Luke Dakota Zender started Dancing as a young adult at the age of 18. Since then Luke Dakota has self-curated an eclectic dance education giving him a versatile understanding of what it means to be a mover, performer and an overall aware human being. A Wyoming and Jackson native Luke Dakota is constantly inspired by the landscapes and skies of our western world. Luke Dakota has Been with CDW for a total of 6 seasons, and his time with the company has been invaluable both as a dancer and artist. Through CDW Luke Dakota has had the opportunity to work with Babs Case, Francesca Romo, Gina Patterson, David Dorfman, Bill T. Jones, Troy Ogilvie and Dan Walczak. Outside of CDW Luke has had the privilege of working and or studying with Debbie Allen, Peridance Capezio Center, Alysa Pires, Alice Klock, North West Dance Project, Body Traffic, Anouk Van Dijk, Heidi Duckler Dance Theater, Invertigo Dance theater, and more!

SARAH KONRAD (Dancer)

Sarah is a native of Jackson and has been involved with Dancers’ Workshop since the young age of 5, where her love of movement was discovered in the basement studios of the Pink Garter Plaza. That love of movement eventually led her to receive her B.F.A. in Modern Dance from the University of Utah in 2007. While in attendance she had the great honor of working with many distinguished artists/choreographers including David Dorfman, Kaye Richards, Deborah Hay, Sara Rudner, Tandy Beal, Trisha Brown, Doug Varone, among others. She is also a certified Pilates instructor and is currently on the teaching staff at DW. Sarah has danced with CDW for 3 seasons and is grateful to be living in her hometown with her family.