2007 Faculty

2009 Faculty

DAVID DORFMAN

DAVID DORFMAN, a native Chicagoan, is the 2007 recipient of The Martha Hill Fund for Dance's Mid-Career Award and a 2005 Guggenheim Foundation fellowship. He has also been honored with four fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, three New York Foundation for the Arts fellowships, an American Choreographer's Award, the first Paul Taylor Fellowship from The Yard, and a New York Dance & Performance Award ("Bessie") for David Dorfman Dance's community-based project Familiar Movements (The Family Project). Dorfman's choreography has been produced in New York City at venues ranging from the BAM Next Wave Festival to The Joyce Theater, The Kitchen, Dance Theater Workshop, The Duke on 42nd Street, Danspace Project/St. Mark's Church, P.S. 122, and Dancing in the Streets.
His work has been commissioned widely in the U.S. and in Europe, most recently by Bedlam Dance Company (London), d9 Dance Collective (Seattle), Eisenhower Dance Theatre (Detroit), and the Prince Music Theater in Philadelphia for the musical Green Violin, for which he won a 2003 Barrymore Award for best choreography. An avid fan of collaboration and collective processes, Dorfman is pleased to tour an evening of solos and duets, Live Sax Acts, with friend and collaborator Dan Froot, most recently in New York City and at the Harare International Festival of the Arts in Zimbabwe, and a half-evening duet, Menne Awn Frauen, created with longtime colleague and friend Stuart Pimsler. Dorfman has been a guest artist at numerous institutions across the country and abroad, most recently at ImpulsTanz in Vienna, The American Dance Festival in Durham, NC, the University of Iowa, Illinois Wesleyan University, Rutgers University, and Knox College. As a performer, he toured internationally with Kei Takei's Moving Earth and Susan Marshall & Co. Dorfman holds a BS in business administration from Washington University in St. Louis and an MFA degree in dance from Connecticut College, where he joined the faculty in the fall of 2004 and is currently William Meredith Professor of Dance and Department Chair. Dorfman would like to thank long-time mentors Martha Myers and Daniel Nagrin for taking a chance and rescuing him from counting leisure suits in St. Louis, his mom Jeanette for inspiring him to dance to heal, his dad Oscar for teaching him the magic of a good joke, and Lisa Race and Samson Race Dorfman for collaborating with him on a very wonderful new version of The Family Project.

DAVID DORFMAN, originario di Chicago, nel 2007 ha ricevuto il Martha Hill Fund for Dance's Mid-Career Award e nel 2005 ha ricevuto una borsa di studio dalla Guggenheim Foundation. Ha ricevuto inoltre ulteriori borse di studio dal National Endowment for the Arts, dalla New York Foundation for the Arts, un American Choreographer's Award, il primo Paul Taylor Fellowship da The Yard ed un New York Dance & Performance Award ("Bessie") per il progetto comunitario della David Dorfman Dance "Familiar Movements" (The Family Project). La coreografia di Dorfman e' stata prodotta a New York City in teatri che vanno dal BAM Next Wave Festival al Joyce Theater, The Kitchen, Dance Theater Workshop, The Duke on 42nd Street, Danspace Project/St. Mark's Church, P.S. 122, e al Dancing in the Streets.
Il suo lavoro e' stato largamente commissionato negli Stati Uniti ed in Europa, molto recentemente dalla Bedlam Dance Company (Londra), d9 Dance Collective (Seattle), Eisenhower Dance Theatre (Detroit) e dal Prince Music Theater in Philadelphia per il musical Green Violin, per il quale nel 2003 ha vinto un Barrymore Award per la migliore coreografia. Grande patito della collaborazione e dei processi collettivi, Dorfman si esibisce spesso nell'ambito di tournées con spettacoli di assoli e duetti: "Live Sax Acts", insieme all'amico e collaboratore Dan Froot, di recente in New York City e presso il Harare International Festival of the Arts in Zimbabwe; il duetto "Menne Awn Frauen", creato insieme al collega e amico di lunga data Stuart Pimsler. Dorfman e' stato artista ospite presso numerose istituzioni sia negli Stati Uniti che all'estero; tra queste troviamo ImpulsTanz a Vienna, The American Dance Festival in Durham, NC, the University of Iowa, Illinois Wesleyan University, Rutgers University, and Knox College. In qualita' di performer, e' stato in tour a livello internazionale con Kei Takei's Moving Earth e Susan Marshall & Co. Dorfman ha conseguito un BS in business administration dalla Washington University in St. Louis ed un diploma MFA in danza presso il Connecticut College, dove e' divenuto parte del corpo insegnanti nel 2004 e ricopre attualmente il ruolo di William Meredith Professor of Dance and Department Chair. Dorfman vorrebbe ringraziare i suoi mentori Martha Myers e Daniel Nagrin per avergli dato una possibilita', sua madre Jeanette per ispirarlo a danzare per guarire, suo padre Oscar per avergli insegnato la magia di un buon scherzo, Lisa Race e Samson Race Dorfman per collaborare con lui ad una meravigliosa nuova versione di "The Family Project".

BOB BOROSS

Bob Boross is known internationally for artistic excellence in jazz/tap and musical theatre dance choreography and teaching. Bob is on the faculty of the New Dance Group Arts Center in New York City, teaching jazz dance, and is a guest teacher at Broadway Dance Center in theatre dance.
Most recently, his evening length jazz/theatre piece Empty Sky...The Rising, set to twelve songs from The Rising by Bruce Springsteen, garnered rave reviews in its debut performances at the Two River Theater in Red Bank, NJ. His choreography has been commissioned by the Just Jazz Dance Company of Tampere, Finland; the Kannon Dance Company of St.Petersburg, Russia; the 3rd International Jazz Dance Forum in Paris, France; and Millennium Dance 2000 in London, England. Bob has choreographed the 2006 and 2002 Gypsy Awards Show at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles, honoring Gregory Hines, Rita Moreno, and Joel Grey. Other Los Angeles venues for Bob's work include Spectrum Dance in LA, the Fountain Theatre Festival of Solos and Duets, and the 2006 Jazz Dance LA concert at the Japan America Theatre.
He has choreographed the musicals Annie Get Your Gun in Virginia and California, Victor/Victoria and Blood Brothers in CA, and The Pirates of Penzance and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum in Kentucky. The Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers union has selected his musical theatre work as a four time honoree in the prestigious DanceBreak choreography competition. Bob Boross has been invited to give classes for dance companies in Finland, France, Russia, England, Italy, and Mexico, and in New York City at Peridance, New Dance Group Arts Center, Dance New Amsterdam, and Broadway Dance Center.
He holds the M.A. in Individualized Study from the Gallatin School of New York University, where he created a program in the study of jazz dance history and performance. His thesis, Image of Perfection: The Freestyle Jazz Dance of Matt Mattox, was the first in depth study of the legendary jazz dance master. Bob has published articles and scholarly papers on jazz dance in Dance Chronicle, Dance Magazine, Dance Teacher, and Dancer. He is an invited member of the advisory board of Dance Teacher magazine. From 2000-2007 Bob was head of jazz and tap dance for the Dance Department of the University of California, Irvine.

Bob Boross e' conosciuto a livello internazionale per la sua eccellenza artistica nella coreografia e nella didattica relative agli stili di danza jazz e musical. Bob fa parte della facolta' del New Dance Group Arts Center in New York City, dove insegna jazz dance, ed insegna inoltre danza teatrale presso il Broadway Dance Center.
Molto recentemente, la sua composizione "Empty Sky...The Rising", basata su dodici canzoni tratte dall'album "The Rising" di Bruce Springsteen, ha ricevuto critiche entusiastiche al suo debutto presso il Two River Theater in Red Bank, NJ. La sua coreografia e' stata commissionata dal Just Jazz Dance Company of Tampere, Finlandia; dalla Kannon Dance Company di San Pietroburgo, Russia; dal 3rd International Jazz Dance Forum a Parigi; dal Millennium Dance 2000 a Londra. Bob ha coreografato le edizioni 2006 e 2002 del Gypsy Awards Show presso il Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles, onorando Gregory Hines, Rita Moreno e Joel Grey. La lista dei teatri di Los Angeles in cui sono stati rappresentate le composizioni di Bob include lo Spectrum Dance in LA, il Fountain Theatre Festival of Solos and Duets ed il 2006 Jazz Dance LA concert presso il Japan America Theatre.
Ha realizzato le coreografie per i musicals "Annie Get Your Gun" in Virginia and California, "Victor/Victoria" and "Blood Brothers" in California, and "The Pirates of Penzance" e "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" in Kentucky. The Society of Stage Directors e la Choreographers union hanno selezionato il suo lavoro per il musical per la quarta volta nella prestigiosa competizione di coreografia DanceBreak. Bob Boross e' stato invitato per tenere corsi per compagnie di danza in Finlandia, Francia, Russia, Inghilterra, Italia, Messico, oltre al Peridance di New York City, New Dance Group Arts Center, Dance New Amsterdam e Broadway Dance Center.
Ha conseguito il M.A. in Individualized Study presso la Gallatin School della New York University, dove ha creato un programma per lo studio della storia e dell'esecuzione della jazz dance. La sua tesi, Image of Perfection: "La Freestyle Jazz Dance di Matt Mattox e' stato il primo studio approfondito del leggendario maestro della jazz dance". Bob ha pubblicato articoli sulla jazz dance in Dance Chronicle, Dance Magazine, Dance Teacher e Dancer. E' un membro esterno della advisory board del Dance Teacher magazine. Nel periodo 2000-2007 Bob e' stato responsabile per jazz e tap dance per il Dance Department della University of California, Irvine.

www.bobboross.com
Youtube videos

AMY CHAVASSE
AMY CHAVASSE, choreographer, performer and teacher, founded "Chavasse Dance & Performance" in 1998 to collaborate with her sister Caroline, who was then a New York based writer, performer and actor. Since then, the Company has functioned as a vehicle for solo and group projects and collaborations with a diverse range of artists, including Peter Schmitz, Lisa Gonzales, everything smaller, Pat Graney, Paul Matteson, and many other talented colleagues. During her career, she has worked with numerous independent choreographers and performed with the companies of Bill Young and Dancers, Laura Dean Dancers and Musicians, Maida Withers and others. Her own choreography has been presented in Cuba, Lithuania and Austria.	AMY CHAVASSE, coreografa, danzatrice ed insegnante, ha fondato la compagnia "Chavasse Dance & Performance" nel 1998 per collaborare con sua sorella Caroline, che era all'epoca una scrittrice e attrice newyorchese. Da allora la compagnia ha rappresentato un veicolo per progetti solisti e di gruppo e per collaborazioni con un variegato insieme di artisti, tra i quali Peter Schmitz, Lisa Gonzales, everything smaller, Pat Graney, Paul Matteson e molti altri talentuosi colleghi. Durante la sua cariera, ha lavorato con numerosi coreografi indipendenti e danzato nelle compagnie di Bill Young and Dancers, Laura Dean Dancers and Musicians, Maida Withers. Le sue coreografie sono state rappresentate a Cuba, in Lituania ed in Austria.

Working as a guest artist/faculty at many schools and universities, including North Carolina School of the Arts, UNC Greensboro, Arizona State University, Bennington College, Cornish and Middlebury College has offered numerous opportunities to make and show dances with student dancers. In the fall of 2006, she was invited to join the faculty of the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, where she now teaches contemporary technique, improvisation, movement and text, repertory, composition and Social Issues and Dance. Amy uses text, story-telling, video and voice in the creation and performance of her work. Finding ways to comment on compelling current issues and stories often drives her passion to choreograph and perform. She received her BFA from North Carolina School of the Arts and her MFA from the University of Washington.	Il fatto di operare in qualita' di guest artist/faculty presso molte scuole ed universita', tra cui North Carolina School of the Arts, UNC Greensboro, Arizona State University, Bennington College, Cornish e Middlebury College ha offerto numerose opportunita' per creare e mostrare danze con gli studenti. Nella seconda meta' del 2006, e' stata invitata ad unirsi ala facolta' della University of Michigan presso Ann Arbor, dove adesso insegna tecnica contemporanea , improvvisazione, movimento e testo, repertorio, composizione e Social Issues and Dance. Amy utilizza il testo, la narrativa, il video e la voce nella creazione e nella messa in scena del suo lavoro. La ricerca di modi di commentare storie ed impellenti problematiche attuali spesso guida la sua passione per la coreografia e la performance. Ha ricevuto il suo BFA dalla North Carolina School of the Arts ed il suo MFA dalla University of Washington.

The noted dancer and choreographer, David Dorfman, has said of Amy - "...she possesses all of the qualities of an important teacher and an important artist....Amy is clearly one of the most exquisite dancers of our generation."

Jack Anderson in THE NEW YORK TIMES has written - "Ms Chavasse commands the stage with the authority of a high priestess."

NICOLE STANTON

Nicole Stanton received her MFA in choreography from the Ohio State University (OSU) and her BA in Dance and Foreign Civilizations and Languages from Antioch College. She also studied at the Center for New Dance Development in Arnhem, Holland and the Leopold Sedor Senghor Cultural Center in Senegal, West Africa. She was a faculty member with the OSU Department of Dance for ten years before accepting her current position at Weslayan University Department of Dance as Chair. Nicole Stanton ha conseguito un MFA in coreografia dalla Ohio State University (OSU) ed un BA in Dance and Foreign Civilizations and Languages dal Antioch College. Ha studiato inoltre presso il Center for New Dance Development in Arnhem, Holland ed il Leopold Sedor Senghor Cultural Center in Senegal, West Africa. E' stata un faculty member per il OSU Department of Dance per dieci anni prima di accettare la sua attuale cattedra presso il Weslayan University Department of Dance.

Nicole has been a performer, activist, costumer and arts administrator with organizations such as: In The Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theater, Minnesota Dance Alliance, and the San Francisco Mime Troop. As a choreographer her work has been presented by the Wesleyan Center for the Arts, Minnesota Dance Alliance and the Congress on Research in Dance, among others.
Her two most recent projects include a collaboration with Anthropologist and Spoken Word Artist Gina Athena Ulysse, which was presented by the Center for the Arts at Wesleyan University and a collaborative project with choreographers Bebe Miller, Kathleen Hermsdorff, Ming Lung Yang and musician Vernon Reid at Ohio State University. Nicole ha lavorato come performer, attivista, costumista and arts administrator per organizzazioni quali: In The Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theater, Minnesota Dance Alliance e per il San Francisco Mime Troop. In qualita' di coreografa il suo lavoro e' stato presentato presso il Wesleyan Center for the Arts, Minnesota Dance Alliance ed il Congress on Research in Dance.
I suoi due piu' recenti progetti includono una collaborazione con l'antropologa e artista letteraria Gina Athena Ulysse, presentata presso il Center for the Arts della Wesleyan University ed un progetto di collaborazione con i coreografi Bebe Miller, Kathleen Hermsdorff, Ming Lung Yang ed il musicista Vernon Reid presso la Ohio State University.

ARATI

PUNWANI-SUNAWALA

ARATI PUNWANI-SUNAWALA is a freelance choreographer who shot to national fame in India as one of four finalists on the reality dance show DANCE DANCE. Arati took her degree in dance at the Natya Institute of Kathak and Choreography and is trained in Kathak, Bharatnatyam, Belly Dancing, Bollywood and Indian Contemporary dance. She is founder artistic director of her own dance troupe, Tarantismo Creative Dance Company.

In reviewing her original show “SEVEN” – conceived and directed by Arati - Utkal Mohanty in “THE HINDU”, an important newspaper in Bangalore, had this to say: “….SEVEN ….offered the pleasure of pure dance, but also ….thought and humour….it established the possibility of dance being used as a mode of contemporary creative expression, not having to limit itself to telling ancient tales or blindly imitating Western movements removed from their culture context….a perfect evening of intelligent entertainment....a delightful showcase of the possibilities of a new language that is being created and moulded by young artists committed to experimentation".

ARATI PUNWANI- SUNAWALA e’ una coreografa freelance molto famosa in India – una dei 4 finalisti nel reality dance show DANCE DANCE. Arati si e’ laureata in danza presso l'Instituto Natya nel Kathak Dance e Coreografia ed e' diplomata in diversi stili inclusi Kathak, Bharatnatyam, Belly Dancing, Bollywood and Indian Contemporary Dance. E' fondatrice e direttore artistico della sua dance troupe, Tarantismo Creative Dance Company.

Nel suo commento sul pezzo originale di Arati intitolato “SEVEN”, Utkal Mohanty in THE HINDU, un giornale importante di Bangalore, disse: “....SEVEN....offre il piacere di vedere danza pura, ma anche....riflessione and umorismo....ha definito la possibilita’ dell'utilizzo della danza come modalita' di espressione contemporanea non limitata al racconto di antiche storie o cieca imitazione di movimenti di derivazione occidentale rimossi dal loro contesto culturale....una serata perfetta di spettacolo intelligente....un gioioso showcase delle possibilita’ di una lingua nuova creata e modellata da artisti giovani e dedicati alla sperimentazione".

MORENO MOSTARDA

"I don't consider myself a ballerino. I'm a dancer. A dancer who was born in the streets. At 13 years old I carried my boombox to Piazza Colonna and began my dancing career, there, on the streets of Rome. The term ballerino makes me think of an artist who was born and raised in academies, instead, my passion comes and goes beyond that of dance: HipHop is a total culture that has always fascinated me and influenced my way of thinking and of living. I interpret meanings while swimming the waves of a break dance, with the impulses of "popping" and the clicks and sudden movements of electric boogie. It is my way of communicating the energy that the music gives me." Moreno Mostarda's style is a fusion of street dancing and funk/HipHop in which improvised sequences on the ground and fragments of electric boogie mix up between pirouettes and videoclip steps. While developing his HipHop technique, at a very young age, Moreno began studying and practicing Judo, and in 1984 he finished second place in the Italian National Championships. After exploring the martial arts, he decided to devote himself completely to his great passion - dance and especially break dance. He studied with the Crazy Gang and appeared with them in TV transmissions of DISCO RING in Italy. In 1991 he refined his New Style technique studying with two of the most noted teachers in the USA, Gus Bembery and Dante Harper. In 1999 Moreno organized his own group - 2BNAKED - and with his choreography, the group began appearances in theatres, festivals and competitions throughout Italy and Europe. WITH 2B NAKED Moreno has appeared with the noted dance critic Vittoria Ottolenghi and TV personalities Lorella Cuccarini and Fabrizio Frizzi.	"Non mi piace considerarmi un ballerino, ma piuttosto un danzatore, perche' sono nato "in strada" quando a 13 anni partivo con lo stereo per andare a ballare a Piazza Colonna, e per questo non posso rinnegare le mie origini. Il termine ballerino mi fa pensare piu' ad un artista nato e cresciuto in accademia, invece la mia passione andava e va al di la' del semplice ballo: e' tutta la cultura hip hop che mi ha sempre affascinato e ha influenzato il mio modo di pensare e di vivere. Io ne interpreto il significato attraverso le onde della break dance, con gli impulsi del popping e gli scatti dell'electro boogie.... e' il mio modo di comunicare l'energia che la musica mi trasmette." Moreno Mostarda nasce artisticamente attraverso l'hip hop e la break dance. Il suo stile particolarissimo e' il risultato di una contaminazione tra la street dance e il funk / hip hop, in cui improvvise sequenze a terra e frammenti di electric boogie s'intrufolano tra piroette e passi da videoclip. Il suo personale modo di sentire ed interpretare le vibrazioni suscitate dalla musica, cosi' come l'attenzione nella scelta delle sonorita' Jazz HipHop, Soul Funk e R'n'B costituiscono il principale motore delle sue creazioni coreografiche che sviluppa negli spettacoli dei gruppi da lui creati - i 2BNAKED ed i FUNK ELEMENT - nelle esibizioni dei "THE FABULOUS", durante le sue lezioni, ma anche semplicemente quando balla con gli amici.

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Faculty subject to change.

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NICOLE STANTON
Nicole Stanton received her MFA in choreography from the Ohio State University (OSU) and her BA in Dance and Foreign Civilizations and Languages from Antioch College. She also studied at the Center for New Dance Development in Arnhem, Holland and the Leopold Sedor Senghor Cultural Center in Senegal, West Africa. She was a faculty member with the OSU Department of Dance for ten years before accepting her current position at Weslayan University Department of Dance as Chair.	Nicole Stanton ha conseguito un MFA in coreografia dalla Ohio State University (OSU) ed un BA in Dance and Foreign Civilizations and Languages dal Antioch College. Ha studiato inoltre presso il Center for New Dance Development in Arnhem, Holland ed il Leopold Sedor Senghor Cultural Center in Senegal, West Africa. E' stata un faculty member per il OSU Department of Dance per dieci anni prima di accettare la sua attuale cattedra presso il Weslayan University Department of Dance.

Nicole has been a performer, activist, costumer and arts administrator with organizations such as: In The Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theater, Minnesota Dance Alliance, and the San Francisco Mime Troop. As a choreographer her work has been presented by the Wesleyan Center for the Arts, Minnesota Dance Alliance and the Congress on Research in Dance, among others. Her two most recent projects include a collaboration with Anthropologist and Spoken Word Artist Gina Athena Ulysse, which was presented by the Center for the Arts at Wesleyan University and a collaborative project with choreographers Bebe Miller, Kathleen Hermsdorff, Ming Lung Yang and musician Vernon Reid at Ohio State University.	Nicole ha lavorato come performer, attivista, costumista and arts administrator per organizzazioni quali: In The Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theater, Minnesota Dance Alliance e per il San Francisco Mime Troop. In qualita' di coreografa il suo lavoro e' stato presentato presso il Wesleyan Center for the Arts, Minnesota Dance Alliance ed il Congress on Research in Dance. I suoi due piu' recenti progetti includono una collaborazione con l'antropologa e artista letteraria Gina Athena Ulysse, presentata presso il Center for the Arts della Wesleyan University ed un progetto di collaborazione con i coreografi Bebe Miller, Kathleen Hermsdorff, Ming Lung Yang ed il musicista Vernon Reid presso la Ohio State University.