*Gavotte

Music: J.S. Bach’s Cello suite in D major

Choreography: Carol Cheung Ocjewa

Performer: Janelle Gilchrist

*Sarabande

Music: J.S. Bach’s Cello Suite in D major

Choreography: Kathy Hassinger

Performer: Avery Saulnier De Reyes

*Louis Horst, Martha Graham’s musical director taught a dance composition course using pre-classic musical forms in the 1920’s.  As he said, “I thought I’d begin with the old forms, because they were dances.” The Gavotte and Sarabande are pre-classic musical/dance forms. (Louis Horst, Janet Mansfield Soares, Duke University Press, Durham and London 1992).

Parsons Etude (1999) - based on dances by David Parsons

Choreography: David Parsons

Coaching: Brian McGinnis (teacher at Boston Conservatory, and member of Parsons Dance for five years).

Music: Tony Powell

Dancer:  Odessa Rain Anderson

This performance reflects Dance Currents’ adaptation and interpretation of Parsons Etude.

David Parsons danced with Paul Taylor for 8 years, and Paul Taylor danced with Martha Graham for 7 years.  Robert Battle who is now head of the Ailey company danced with David Parsons for seven years.

*Rainbow Etude (1996) - based on “Rainbow Round my Shoulder” (1959)

Choreography: Donald McKayle

Music: Traditional, arranged by Donald McKayle and Alan Terriciano, performed by the Spirit Chorale of Los Angeles.

Dancer: Alex Jimenez

This performance reflects Dance Currents’ adaptation and interpretation of Rainbow Etude.

*Limón Etude (2001-2002)

-based on dances by Jose’ Limón

Choreographer:  Carla Maxwell

Music:  Franz Schubert, Gretchen am Spinnrade, Singer:  Elly Ameling

Dancer:  Li-Ann Lim

This performance reflects Dance Currents’ adaptation and interpretation of Limón Etude.

*Donald McKayle was a scholarship student at The New Dance Group in the 1950’s. Composition classes at the New Dance Group required students to create pieces of social import, acessible to the public and of artistic merit.  José Limón presented dances in The New Dance Group concerts as well as Donald McKayle.

Rewilding (2021)

Choreographer:  Kathy Hassinger

Music:  Amy Hassinger and Joy Yang.  Recorded by Dan Davis

Dancers:  Odessa Anderson, Janelle Gilchrist, Alex Jimenez

Kathy Hassinger’s major modern teachers were Ethel Butler (Graham Technique), Nancy Comstock (Limon company member), Dorothy Hershkowitz (Cunningham technique), Amy Zell Elsworth, Marcus Schulkind and Margot Parsons.

Dancer Biographies

Odessa Rain Anderson attended Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Arts and recently graduated with a BFA in dance from Boston Conservatory.  She received a Yearly Merit Scholarship from the Conservatory.  Odessa spent her summers at the Joffrey School of Ballet and the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet.  While at Boston Conservatory she performed in the works of Otis Salid, Jon Ole Olstad, Brian McGinnis, Gregory Dawson, Yury Yanowsky, and Stephanie Martinez.  Odessa also choreographed several her own works.  Since graduating, she has been dancing with Tilted, Paradise Moves and Dance Currents Inc.   She is currently enrolled in a ballet syllabus certification program with the Royal Academy of Dance and is teaching at Miss Maria’s School of Dance in Watertown.  

Avery Saulnier de Reyes is a freelance dancer and guest artist with City Ballet of Boston.  She recently produced her first live program with the Choreographers Collaborative and has begun to explore work on film, performing with Columbia Pictures, ArtsEmerson and in Cambridge Symphony Orchestra’s Nutcracker and The Sleeping Beauty.  Avery received her classical training at Boston Ballet, American Ballet Theater, Lexington School of Ballet and Integrarte.  She is immensely grateful for the love and support of family friends, teachers, directors and colleagues and the unending patience, knowledge, and kindness of mentors Carlos Molina, Érica Cornejo, Gino di Marco, Adriana Suárez, Donna Silva and Linda diBona.

Janelle Gilchrist. Janelle received her early training at the Harriet Hoctor Ballet School, Jose Mateo Ballet Theatre, and Boston Ballet School.  She has danced professionally with the Hartford Ballet, New Jersey Ballet and BalletRox, Boston. In addition, Janelle has performed with Legends in Concert, Celebrity Cruises, Anna Myer, David Parker, and Island Moving Company. As a member of the screen actors guild, Janelle has held small roles in several major movie productions, including 27 Dresses (20th Century Fox, 2008) and What’s your Number (Contrafilms, 2011).  Janelle has served as choreographer and casting director of two flash mob performances for Media Direct Productions, in Boston and Las Vegas. Janelle has worked as company manager for Balletrox and coordinated the BalletRox dance programs in Boston Public Schools. She taught Tony Williams Urban Nutcrackerto students in Riga, Latvia.  Janelle has received a MA from Mount Holyoke college and taught at the Boston Arts Academy for several years.  Currently, Janelle is dancing with Erica Schwartz and Dance Currents Inc., and teaching at Jose Mateo Ballet Theatre, the Boston Conservatory, Tony Williams Dance Center and Step by Step in Waltham, MA. Janelle leads her own troupe called: Janelle Gilchrist Dance Troupe (www.janellegilchrist.com).

Li-Ann Lim began her dance training at the Lexington School of Ballet in Lexington, MA and continued her dance studies at the Joffrey Ballet School. She has performed with Chen and Dancers (NYC), Rosanna Gamson/Worldwide (LA), and more recently, Dance Currents Inc., Lorraine Chapman the Company (Boston) and North Atlantic Dance Theatre (Boston) Ms. Lim has served on the faculty of University of California, Irvine, Fullerton College, and Scripps College, teaching ballet, modern, and choreography. She holds a BA in Anthropology from Columbia University and an MFA in Dance from the University of California, Irvine.  She was the main dancer and a speaker in the new movie by Dance Currents, To Feel the Earth and Touch the Sky, Living the Legacy of American Modern Dance.

Alexander Jimenez:  Alexander Jimenez is a Boston native and started his formal dance training at Jeannette Neill's Dance Studio. He attended the Marymount Manhattan Dance Department in New York City where he had the honor to study with Denise Vale, former principal dancer, and current rehearsal director of the Graham Company.  Alex received a scholarship from Alexandra Wells, Ballet mistress at Julliard, to attend Springboard Montreal where he worked with choreographer Helen Blackburn of Cas Public on a new work presented at La Place de Arts. More recently, Integrarte has been vital for Alex, offering him a place to be both involved in dance and administration. Alex is certified in the GYROKINESIS® movement method, which stretches and strengthens the body through circular, fluid, and rhythmic patterns.  He has been dancing with Dance Currents since 2019 and is proud to part of this evening’s work with his colleagues.

Kathy Hassinger:  Artistic Director of Dance Currents Inc., Kathy taught “Perspectives in World Dance” at Emerson College for eight years.   She was head of the Dance Department at Newton Country Day School from 1990-2007.  Kathy has produced several full-length dance concerts, including: “Drawn In” (2015), “Charge the Air” (2013), “Three Modern Choreographers” at Triskelion Arts in New York (2005). Mrs. Hassinger received a NULA (Newton Universal Legendary Award) June 15, 2019, for “committing her life to excellence by impacting her community through the performing arts”.  She has also received a Terrific Teacher Award from the Calesea Foundation for encouraging self-esteem in students and successfully completed a project to bolster student self-esteem with the $500 award. Dance Currents Inc. recently finished a movie entitled To Feel the Earth and Touch the Sky; Living the Legacy of Modern Dance which includes several Boston dancers, teachers, and choreographers.  www.dancecurrentsinc.com

 Acknowledgments

 All of the beautiful dancers in the program who bring life, love and passion to the Dance.

All of my teachers who represent devotion to their art

Bill Parsons, Maximal Image, Videography

Kyle Rees, Sound

Caroline Luis, Graphic Designer

Gloria Gavris and Chris Pitts with Newton Community Pride

Dance Currents Board of Directors:  Katie Adams-Choe, Carol Cheung Ocjewa, Richard Hassinger, Sally Lesser, Luis Luis, Sara Bellini Luis and Ali Smith