Get into the “Friday Club” with 2014 Choreographer: Mark Dendy!

Here at DANCEworks, the New Year means the next DANCEworks residency is just around the corner.  Obie and Bessie-winning choreographer Mark Dendy and his dancers will be with us at the Lobero Theater from March 31^st to April 26^th, creating “Dystopian Distractions,” and you can be part of it. 

We’re opening up Mark’s creative process to DANCEworks supporters with our new “Friday Club. “ Donate $50 to DANCEworks and join us every Friday of Mark’s residency for an open rehearsal followed by mingling onstage with the choreographer and dancers.

Donate here to join the “Friday Club”!

You can read about our choice of Dendy on the DANCEworks website here. 

Can’t wait till April?  Check out video of Dendy’s hit “Ritual Cyclical” here.

DANCEworks Founder Dianne Vapnek Honored at KEIGWIN+COMPANY Gala:

Our 2013 choreographer-in-residence, Larry Kegwin, opened the 10^th annual KEIGWIN+COMPANY home season in New York with a gala tribute to DANCEworks executive director Dianne Vapnek, who gave Larry his choreographic start.  Check out the glamorous photos of a joyful night.  

A celebratory dinner feting Dianne was followed by KEIGWIN+COMPANY’s high-energy dancing on the Joyce Theater stage.

Congratulations to KEIGWIN+COMPANY and to Dianne Vapnek for her much-deserved honor.

NY Times Names Doug Elkins’s “Mo(or)town/Redux” a Top Dance Event of the Year

“Mo(or)town Redux,” the dance version of “Othello” that Doug Elkins created during his 2011 DANCEworks residency, keeps gathering the accolades.  The New York Times’ head critic Alastair Macaulay listed “Mo(or)town” number three on his list of 2013’s top ten dance events, writing: “Its sheer danciness holds you; the plot takes you by surprise and then shock.”

We agree, and we’re so proud that Elkins choreographed the entire work right in Santa Barbara on the Lobero Stage. 

Here’s the full NY Times article.

And you can watch Doug creating “Mo(or)town” in Santa Barbara here.

Aszure’s “LIFT” a Hit at Ailey

Our 2009 choreographer in residence, Aszure Barton, has a fresh hit on her hands with “LIFT,” commissioned by Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and premiered during their New York season last month. 

Check out the riveting footage of “LIFT” on stage and in the studio here.

Dianne’s “Attitude of Gratitude”

Our fearless founder and executive director Dianne Vapnek gave thanks on her DanceBuzz blog—and is it any surprise that every single item on her list involves dance? 

Read it here.

Be Part of the Future of American Dance

DANCEworks isn’t just about unforgettable performances. It’s about long-term relationships with the gutsiest artists in contemporary dance—relationships that allow bold choreographers to take new risks.

Our family of supporters makes this possible.  A gift of $100 will provide room and board to a dancer for a day during our Spring 2014 residency at the Lobero Theatre.  A gift of $500 will cover the travel costs of a dance from New York City to Santa Barbara.  A larger gift helps us pay the choreographers for their creative work, or contributes to stage tech and lighting.

Any size gift will make a big difference in supporting the creation of risk-taking dance. Read more about what DANCEworks does in this article from the Santa Barbara Independent

Be part of the artistic relationship by donating here!