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 White Plains, NY - On May 1st, experience the strength, agility and beauty of dance.
The New Dance Downtown Choreography Showcase, presented by ArtsWestchester and the Dance in Education Fund. Steffi Nossen School of Dance, will feature a collection of new contemporary works from some of today’s hottest choreographers: Sidra Bell, Jessica DiMauro and Mariah Steele, with performances by special guest companies: Adam Barruch, Nicole Phillipidis…and others. There is no overriding theme for the showcase, instead, each company or choreographer will present a piece (dance) in the style that best exemplifies the work that they do.
With this format, New Dance Downtown gives the audience a rare opportunity to see various works on one stage, ranging from jazz to classical, emotionally charged to athletic, funny to dramatic and powerful. The performance will be followed by a brief Q&A during which the audience will be able to engage in a dialogue with the choreographers and dancers. The 8 pm performance is suitable for dance lovers, those new to dance, and dance students. It is a great way to experience a broad range of styles and companies, with the Q&A providing a chance to get to know them!
The performance is Friday, May 1st at 8pm at The Arts Exchange, 31 Mamaroneck Avenue, White Plains, NY 10601. For tickets or more information please call (914) 428-4220 x223 or visit www.westarts.com.
About the Choreographers
Sidra Bell's work is best described as "uniting dance and live music; on the cutting edge of making the performing arts more accessible to people from different walks of life. She often collaborates with Dennis Bell, her father, an award-winning gold and platinum jazz producer, arranger, song-writer, and conductor. Sidra has won the "Bessie" choreography award of Dance Theater Workshop (named in honor of the late dance educator Bessie Schoenberg - herself a long-time resident of Bronxville. Her dancers are drawn from the companies of Ailey II, Dance Theater of Harlem, Carolyn Dorfman, the Julliard School, and Jacques D'Amboise. She has been presented at Jacob's Pillow and The Yard and choreographed on companies throughout the US and Canada. She is a graduate of Yale and holds a MS in Composition from Purchase College. She is a resident of White Plains. Visit www.sidrabelldanceny.org for more information.
Jessica DiMauro is the 2007 recipient of an Arts Alive grant from the Westchester Arts Council. Her work has been presented in the tri-state area including Henry Street Settlement, Steps, Theresa Lang Theater, Irvington Town Hall, The Producer's Club Theaters. She holds a BFA in Dance from Marymount Manhattan College. Jessica and her company, DiMauro Dance, have performed works throughout the tri-state area funded by ArtsWestchester’s Arts Alive Grant for 2007. She choreographed and performed with her company a full evening length work entitled “co mu nit y.” Jessica is beginning her fourth year on the Steffi Nossen faculty.
Mariah Steele, an alumnus of the Steffi Nossen School of Dance in White Plains, NY, graduated from Princeton University with a degree in Anthropology and a minor in Dance. Since arriving in New York City, she has performed for James Martin and Beth Soll among others. Her choreography has been presented throughout the tri-state area. Her work has most recently been seen at the City Center Studios (NYC) in a Performance to Benefit Girls' Education in Central Asia; she has also been presented at DUMBO Dance Festival, Portland Dances! New Works Showcase, Cool New York Dance Festival, Schoenberg Composition Lab Showing at DTW, American Dance Guild Festival in NY, Lewis Center for the Arts in Princeton NJ. While at Princeton, Mariah worked with well-known choreographer Ze'va Cohen.
The Dance in Education Fund is a non profit organization serving Westchester County through the promotion of dance awareness, education and opportunity. DEF provides classes throughout the County for various populations through the Steffi Nossen School of Dance, the Moving Wheels and Heels program for sit down and stand up dancers, as well outreach programs at various schools and community centers. DEF produces three major concerts annually as well as smaller educational lecture demonstrations and performances. Learn more about DEF and the Steffi Nossen School at www.steffinossen.org
ArtsWestchester is your connection to the arts. Founded in 1965, it is the largest, private, not-for-profit arts council in New York State; its mission is to provide leadership, vision, and support, to ensure the availability, accessibility, and diversity of the arts. ArtsWestchester provides programs and services that enrich Westchester: our grants help fund concerts, exhibitions and plays; we bring artists into schools and community centers; we advocate for the arts and build audiences through our marketing initiatives. In 1998, ArtsWestchester purchased the nine-story neo-classical bank building at 31 Mamaroneck Avenue which has since been transformed into the Arts Exchange, a multi-use resource for artists, cultural organizations, and the community.
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