Dance in the Annex (DITA)

DITA, Int/Adv Contemporary Technique w/Amy Cova

August 29, 2016

Join us in welcoming Amy Cova to Dance in the Annex!
Sunday September 11th
Wealthy Theatre Annex
4-5:45pm
1110 Wealthy St SE
Grand Rapids, MI
$15/$12 (students w/ID)
For Int/Adv dancers ages 16+
Contact [email protected] for more information

Amy Cova, (MFA in Dance from the University of Michigan) is Artistic Director of Amy Cova Dance (ACD), a Brooklyn based contemporary dance ensemble often working in collaboration with musicians, composers and visual artists. Cova is currently a Facilitator at The Field (NYC) and a recent Groundwork Artist in Residence at Cora Dance in Red Hook, Brooklyn. Cova’s movement vocabulary punctuates the highly physical with a quiet gestural sense evoking worlds of turmoil, confusion, hope, and happiness in a single theatrical experience. Cova is interested in embodied text, oral histories, subjugated knowledge and personal reflections as they dialogue through evocative movement languages.

Amy Cova has been presented at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival Inside/Out, and throughout NYC at Dance New Amsterdam, the Manhattan Movement and Arts Center, Triskelion Arts, The Flea Theatre and The Irondale Center. Her work has been showcased at the Alvin Ailey Studio Theater, The Alchemical Theater Laboratory, the John Ryan Theater, Studio AIR, Dixon Place, Spoke the Hub, the Green Space, and the Detroit Institute of Art.

Cova has performed in works by Laura Dean, Daniel Gwirtzman, Rennie Harris, Alex Springer, Ginger Thatcher and Nadia Tykulsker. She has most recently performed at WestFest All Over WestBeth with compositional, improve dance cooperative, The Lovelies.

Cova has been an adjunct faculty member/guest artist at numerous institutions, including University of Michigan, Eastern Michigan University, Grand Valley State University, Wayne State University and Oakland University. Her choreography has been presented internationally in Brazil, Canada, Costa Rica and Italy. She enjoys continued collaboration with composer Alvin Hill.

This class celebrates freedom in movement; big, juicy moves alongside quiet gestural shifts. With a focus on an organic, personal way of moving, students are encouraged to tap into their physical, intellectual and emotional history throughout class. We begin with an easy, rhythmical movement pattern gently waking the muscles and brain, uniting the bodies and energies in space in order to create a fresh community for learning. Together we move in and out of the floor with the aim of priming the body for more vigorous movement tasks. We explore the space through dynamic and often virtuosic movement patterns. Finally, extended phrase work invites students to couple their emotional and physical self in order to articulate their performative voice.

Int/Adv Contemporary Tech w/guest artist Nic Lincoln

February 22, 2016

Join us in welcoming Nic Lincoln to Dance in the Annex!

Sunday March 6th
Wealthy Theatre Annex
4-5:45pm
1110 Wealthy St SE
Grand Rapids, MI
$15/$12 (students w/ID)
For Int/Adv dancers ages 16+
Contact [email protected] for more information

Nic Lincoln is an instinctive seeker of beauty who takes inspiration from pop culture and visual art to voice his activism through dance. For nine years James Sewell Ballet has acted as a creative incubator for Lincoln. Nic has danced with Dayton Ballet, Cleveland San Jose Ballet, Grand Rapids Ballet and performed as a guest artist for Corbin Dances, National Choreographer’s Initiative and Shapiro & Smith, among others. He is a proud recipient of a McKnight Artist Fellowship for Dance and has been named “Best Dancer” by the City Pages as well as one of three “Artists Who We Love” by MN Monthly magazine. He was nominated for a Sage award in 2013 for his performances of Larry Keigwin’s Glitter Garden as well as the entire solo show entitled Yes! Nic was recently named one of 25 to Watch by Dance Magazine. As a dance artist and activist he has collaborated with the Human Rights Campaign, OutFront MN and Queertopia.

transcend: an evening of music and dance

January 21, 2016

Saturday, Feb. 13th, Wealthy Theatre (1130 Wealthy SE, Grand Rapids, MI) hosts a very special evening of music and dance, on the weekend of Valentine’s Day.

ArtPeers and Dance in the Annex (DITA) present “transcend,” one night only, featuring nationally renown choreographers and dancers, along with Grand Rapids’ preeminent contemporary dance collaborative, DITA.

Event listing: wealthytheatre.org/transcend

This event is made possible by the Robert D. Mieras Fund for Dance and Music, which supported the involvement of the national and local artists; and New Holland Brewing, which supported the venue for the event. Several popular beers from New Holland Brewing will be available at the cash bar, at Wealthy Theatre.

“In addition to featuring some of the most important artists in America, ‘transcend’ is a Valentine’s event for all,” says ArtPeers co-founder Erin Wilson. “Almost half of the artists and crew happen to identify as LGBT, and everyone else is a longtime ally.”

The event is “for all” in other ways, too, according to DITA Artistic Director Amy Wilson.

“DITA’s work is for everyone, no matter how familiar with dance you may be,” (Amy) Wilson says. “It’s part rock concert, part roller coaster, part film festival, and part performing arts.

“At the same time, those who are familiar with professional dance… will be very happy that these choreographers are coming here.”

Nic Lincoln (Minneapolis, MN) says his work “takes inspiration from pop culture and visual art” to voice his activism through dance. Lincoln has choreographed for the James Sewell Ballet for nine years, and worked with Dayton Ballet, Cleveland San Jose Ballet, Grand Rapids Ballet. He is a proud recipient of a McKnight Artist Fellowship for Dance and has been named “Best Dancer” by the Minneapolis City Pages as well as one of three “Artists Who We Love” by MN Monthly magazine. He was nominated for a Sage award and recently named one of 25 to Watch by Dance Magazine. As a dance artist and activist, Lincoln has collaborated with the Human Rights Campaign, OutFront MN and Queertopia.

Kristi Faulkner, Artistic Director of Kristi Faulkner Dance, says she “strives to create work that generates meaningful conversation and social exchange, blurring the lines between audience and performer and exploring unconventional performance spaces.” Faulkner’s work has been presented in numerous venues throughout Michigan, Ohio, Illinois, and New York including the Center for Performance Research, Chez Bushwick’s Kinetic Cinema series, Dixon Place, Going Dutch Festival in Chicago, Alternative Art Association, HPOP Festival, Sidewalk Festival of Performing Arts, Niagra Fringe Festival, the University of Rochester, The College at Brockport, Michigan State University, Wayne State University and Bowling Green State University (BGSU).

Additional choreography and dance featured include works by Amy Wilson, Marlee Grace and Rachel Finan. Short films to be presented by internationally regarded choreographer Carolyn Pavlik, and Grand Rapids filmmakers DJ Viernes and John Hanson. Music to be performed by expunk, Casey Stratton (piano) and Heather Baker-Jackson (cello).

DITA, Int/Adv Contemporary w/guest artist Thom Dancy

July 5, 2015

Join us in welcoming Thom Dancy to Dance In The Annex!

Monday July 6th & 13th
Wealthy Theatre Annex
7-8:45pm
1110 Wealthy St SE
Grand Rapids, MI
All Levels
$15/$12 (students w/ID)
For dancers ages 16+
Contact [email protected] for more information

Using improvisational technique and a ballet base, class works from the ground up. Focus is turned to allowing specific points in the body to be the causality of movement as we progress through increasingly complex combinations. Class finishes with center-work designed to propel the body off its natural axis, using concepts worked on in class to test the body’s potential and create expansiveness. Be prepared to sweat.

Thom Dancy studied ballet at the University of Oklahoma and has danced with Milwaukee Ballet, Grand Rapids Ballet, and The Big Muddy Dance Company (currently under the direction of Brian Enos). Thom is also a member of Actors’ Equity and has performed at The MUNY in Hello, Dolly! and My Fair Lady (2015), as well as in State Fair with the Ohio Outdoor Historical Drama Society. He has originated principal roles in works by Kate Skarpetowska, Victor Alexander, Brian Enos, and Harrison McEldowney.

As a choreographer, Thom has created work on The Big Muddy, Milwaukee Ballet II, Grand Rapids Ballet, COCA, and Danceworks Chicago. His work has been presented at Spring To Dance and the Palm Desert Dance Under The Stars Choreography Festival, and he has won “outstanding choreographer” at YAGP and the World Ballet Competition. Thom is one of The Big Muddy’s in-house choreographers.

DITA, Adaptive/Responsive Movement Exploration with Megan Pitcher

July 4, 2015

Join us in welcoming Megan Pitcher to the Annex!

Thursday July 16th &
Friday July 17th
Wealthy Theatre Annex
*Times Listed Below
1110 Wealthy St SE
Grand Rapids, MI
All Levels
$15/$12 (students w/ID)
For dancers ages 16+
Contact [email protected] for more information

Thursday
People Moving, 6:00 – 7:30pm (All levels, Directed Movement)
Int/Adv Contemporary, 7:30 – 9:00pm

Friday
Int/Adv Ensemble Scores, 6:00 – 7:30pm
(Suitable for nondancers who did People Moving/Serve as AUDITION for SiteLab)
Capoeira 7:30 – 9:00pm – ASCAB Capoeira class with Monitor Dentista, founder – Grupo Unidade Capoeira

Pitcher’s current research and practice approaches movement as system design. She considers patters, relationships, responsivity, changeability, and radical openness through interdisciplinary, audience inclusive performance projects. She is a recipient of a 2015 ArtPrize Seed Grant and will be presenting a new iteration of her work, Breakwall, in the fall. Workshops present a radical approach to technique that affirms availability, recovery, range, and discovery.

Pitcher’s work has been presented in Moscow, Canada, and throughout the USA, including notable venues Philly Fringe Festival, Ingenuity Festival, Chicago Cultural Center, Hyde Park Arts Center, Columbus Movement Movement, and Cleveland Playhouse. She is an adjunct faculty in the Dance Division of Kent State University and has presented through ACDA, Ohio Dance Festival, College Art Association, and other organizations.

Capoeira is a clever and deceptive Brazilian martial art. Classes are all levels with every participant challenged past their expectations. Find empowerment, build strength, and test endurance while learning the basic history and traditions.
ASCAB Capoeira class with Monitor Dentista, founder – Grupo Unidade Capoeira – See more at: https://vimeo.com/43307712

DITA, Intro to Compositional Improvisation w/guest artist Marlee Grace

June 12, 2015

Join us in welcoming Marlee Grace to Dance In The Annex!

Monday June 15th & 22nd
Wealthy Theatre Annex
7-8:45pm
1110 Wealthy St SE
Grand Rapids, MI
All Levels
$15/$12 (students w/ID)
For dancers ages 16+
Contact [email protected] for more information

Join dance maker & improviser Marlee Grace for an evening of movement exploration, open to anyone interested in movement & composition (not just “dancers”).
In this class we will warm into our bodies through a series of exercises calling on all of our senses, we will journal, we will free write, we will dance, and we will make small dances as an ensemble.

We will share our small dances, give each other feedback, and then make more small dances. Dances are small performance works that we will spontaneously create through improvisational tools we will learn in class.
There is no messing up in improvising, but there are ways to create balance and growth in a group ensemble and we will navigate them together.

Marlee Grace is a dance maker, fiber artist, and shop keeper at Have Company in Grand Rapids, MI. She received her BFA in Dance from the University in Michigan in 2010 and regularly studies compositional improvisation with The Architects.