Tag Archives: Choreography Contests

Announcing the Judges for the Rocky Mountain Choreography Festival 2016

RMCF Judges 2016

Brent Schneider: As a ten year member of Repertory Dance Theatre, Professor Schneider has served as dancer, rehearsal director, administrator and trustee. He has performed and choreographed in many dance styles including ethnic, ballroom, musical theatre, tap, jazz and ballet. He has been a faculty member for Weber State University, American College Dance Festivals, Regional Dance America Choreography Conferences and has taught and choreographed extensively for dance and theater companies. He recently taught a two-week intensive for the Central American and Caribbean Modern Dance Festival hosted by the Universidad Nacional in Heredia, Costa Rica, and choreographed a work for the university. Professor Schneider teaches technique, composition, pedagogy, liberal education courses, folk forms, and is co-director of the department’s acclaimed Performing Dance Company, for which he also choreographs.

Amanda Sowerby: Amanda received her MFA in Modern Dance from the University of Utah and her BFA in Dance from the California Institute of the Arts. She worked for several years with the Gary Palmer Dance Company in California’s Bay Area and assisted in setting new and repertory pieces on the National Ballet of Peru and the National Ballet of Chile, as well as implementing outreach programs in dance for Bay Area community members. She has performed with the National Ballet’s of Chile and Peru, Enrico Labayen’s Lab Projekt USA, Yasmin Mehta’s California Contemporary Dancers and Todd Courage. Amanda’s own choreographic work has been presented at Dance Theatre Workshop (NYC), Theatre Artaud (SF,CA), Diesel Cathedral (SF,CA), Dance Mission (SF,CA),  and The Rose Wagner Theater (SLC,UT).

Amanda was a co-founder Paradigm Dance Project; a dance organization designed to foster arts education for underserved populations. In addition to her faculty position at WSU, Amanda serves on the board of the Utah Dance Education Organization as President and served as the Higher Education Representative from 2007-2013.

Gina Artese: Gina has been a professional ballet dancer since she was 17 years old.  She has danced professionally with KansasCity Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet, The Suzanne Farrell Ballet, Christopher Wheeldon’s The Morphoses Company and Twyla Tharp. In 2014 she performed in Charleston, South Carolina’s Piccolo Spoleto Festival where she danced Kirk Sprinkles’ The Charleston as a featured dancer.  Gina also appeared as a dancer on the Kennedy Center Honors which aired on CBS and also danced Don Quixote with The Suzanne Farrell Ballet at the Edinburgh Festival of Scotland in 2006.

Ms. Artese was currently featured on NBC’s The Blacklist as a principal ballerina and on TruTV’s Impractical Jokers as the girl who got pranked with a hotdog.  She is the face of WE tv’s Bridezillas and competed on FOX’s celebrity reality dating show The Choice in 2012. Gina was featured as a principal ballerina in Darren Arnofsky’s award winning feature film Black Swan (2010), in Something Borrowed with Kate Hudson and as a ballerina in Our Idiot Brother. She was also the recurring “Wardrobe Girl” on NBC’s 30 Rock for its last two seasons.

In 2009 she aired a national Old Navy commericial and played “Tina” in the off-Broadway show Tony and Tina’s Wedding in 2008. She also starred in the Macy’s campaign commercial with renowned rap singer Dippy in 2007-2008.  She has been a featured dancer in such feature films as Summer of Sam by Spike Lee, Center Stage and now the upcoming feature The Boxer as a disco dancer.

Angie Banchero-Kelleher: Angela Banchero-Kelleher, MFA, is an Associate Professor of Modern Dance at Utah Valley University. She has had a professional career spanning over twenty years, including 15 years with Repertory Dance Theatre (RDT), during which time she was a featured dancer in both the classical and contemporary work spanning the modern repertory from Duncan to Zvi Gotheiner.   Her performance/teaching career has taken her to venues worldwide, including the La Bella Vita Arts dance workshop in Italy for the last 4 years and as a guest teacher at Repertory Dance Theatre’s summer workshop specializing in Humphrey/Limon technique. She maintains a deep commitment to RDT and continues to teach and reset roles for the company, most recently the solo from Pigs and Fishes by Elisa Monte.  She has presented her choreography internationally, notably Lacuna in Copenhagen and Blackbird in Austria.  Material Tokens of the Freedom of Thought, was selected for the gala concert at the regional ACDA concert in Missoula , Montana  and was performed by Repertory Dance Theatre this past spring.  she is currently pursuing scholarship that reflects her interest in dance as a vehicle for social and political activism, presenting her scholarly research internationally and co- publishing a paper in the International Journal of Arts in Society.

Sean Guymon is an independent dance educator, performer, and technology consultant. He is the Past President of the Utah Dance Education Organization, the state affiliate of the National Dance Education Organization, and currently works as the Executive Assistant and Webmaster for the organization. He earned a BFA in Modern Dance from the University of Utah and was a founding member of Movement Forum, a dance improvisation performance group. Sean has performed and taught throughout the US and Great Britain. He competed nationally in Ballroom dance, directed the Ballroom dance team at Jordan High School, and his training also includes clogging, folk, and musical theatre. Sean is a self-taught technology enthusiast and is the webmaster and management/technology consultant for local and national dance organizations, companies and dancers.

RMCF-WebAdd-2016

Announcing the 2016 Rocky Mountain Choreography Festival Choreographers!

11021510_10155229323610117_1958135823719990972_o

 

I would like to congratulate the following Choreographers for being selected to participate in the 2016 Rocky Mountain Choreography Festival!  To be held at the Peery’s Egyptian Theater in Ogden Utah on February 19th and 20th , 2013.  Choreographers are not listed in any particular order.

 

“River Flows” Imagine Ballet Theatre, Choreographer: Christina Stockdale Bradley.  Ogden, UT

“Forestial Fays” C DuFault Dance Repertory, Choreographer: Cynthia DuFault, Las Vegas, NV

In Rest Independent, Choreographer: Kelly Archer. Broomfield, CO

“Shadow of the Moon” Deja Mitchell Choreographer: Deja Mitchell. Eden, UT

 “Bloodline Duets” Kelly Alvarez & Dancers, Choreographer: Kelly Alvarez. Los Angeles, CA

“Such Sweet Sorrow” Kelly Roth & Dancers, Choreographer: Kelly Roth. Las Vegas, NV

“Not Titled” Deja Mitchell Choreographer: Deja Mitchell. Eden, UT

Pesanteur Ben Lomond High School Dance Company Choreographer: Nataly Pineda. Ogden, Ut11043338_10155229315155117_2820245372749285781_o

Reminiscence Excel Dance Studios, Choreographer: Alicia Ambrose. North Ogden, UT

“Understanding Gne Cha,” Kelly Roth & Dancers, Choreographer: Kelly Roth. Las Vegas, NV

Ode to Opposites Syracuse Dance Academy, Choreographer: Aubrey Harames and Lance Tripp. Syracuse, UT

Disseminated Coagulation Imagine Ballet Theatre, Choreographer: Jessica Haslip. Ogden, UT

 

The Winners of the RMCF 2015!

ThisThatLargeThis is the results from the panel of Judges.

11041783_1031733446840209_6170694644235234769_n

 

The Grand prize Winner: This & That by Rodolfo Rafael

 

 

 

 

 

10984195_10155229308100117_5861113726531044987_o

 

Second Place: Not Alone by Alicia Trump & Carrie Lee Miles

11043338_10155229315155117_2820245372749285781_o

 

Third Place: Except from “Antologia” by Loren Fletcher

10916356_10155229310550117_500570846555648205_o

 

Junior Division: Reflections by Sonya Kryzhanovsky

 

 

 

People’s Choice awards from the audience voting.

10982441_10155229323005117_6335791843310491438_o

 

First Place: Meant for the Stage by Kassie Searle

11021510_10155229323610117_1958135823719990972_o

 

Second Place: Def.i.(d)ance by Eric Bean Jr.

 

 

 

 

11041783_1031733446840209_6170694644235234769_n

 

Third Place: This & That by Rodolfo Rafael

11001604_10155229309175117_1107498915937158360_oJunior Division: Simultaneously Unshaken by Danielle Dreis and Seth Gonzales

 

 

 

 

Announcing the Choreographers for 2015 Rocky Mountain Choreography Festival

I would like to announce the Choreographers participating in this years Festival.  Congratulations to them all.  Looking forward to seeing all their work live on stage at the Peery’s Egyptain Theatre, Feb 27, and 28, at 7:30 pm.  Peoples choice voting will take place on Feb 27th, show and Awards will take place on the Feb 28, 2015.

RMCF15_Final-wEB-fb

Rodalfo Rafael's "Press Play" Peoples Choice Winner 2014
Rodalfo Rafael’s “Press Play” Peoples Choice Winner 2014

 

 

Carrie Le Miles Winner of the Rocky Mountain Choreography Festival 2014 "The Bench"
Carrie Le Miles Winner of the Rocky Mountain Choreography Festival 2014 “The Bench”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aysha Jonas, “Irrevocable Incandescent Kukoma”, Weber State Dance, Ogden, Utah

Madison Jones, “Path of Purpose”,  Weber State Dance Dept. Ogden, Utah

Summer Robertson,”Pleasurable Addiction”, St. George Dance Company, St. George, Utah

Rodolfo Rafael, “This and That”,  Dance Rod, Clearfield, Utah

 

Eric G. Bean Jr., “Def.i.(D)ance”, Jaricco Dance, Las Vegas, Nevada

Alicia Trump & Carrie Miles, “Not Alone”, Independent Artists, North Salt Lake, Utah & Las Vegas, Nevada

Aysha Jonas, “Journey to Tower Green”, Weber State Dance, Ogden, Utah

 

Loren Fletcher Nickerson,”Untitled” Independent Artist, Albuquerque,  New Mexico

Kassie Searle, “Meant for the Stage”, Independent Artist, Clinton, Utah

Whitnee Jenkins,”The Lonely”,  Lifehouse Performing Arts Academy, Spanish Fork, Utah

Junior Division

Danielle Dreis, “Simultaneously Unshaken”,  Ogden High Dance, Ogden, Utah

Sonya Kryzhanovsky, “Reflections”, Imagine Ballet Theatre, Ogden, Utah

Smith’s Community Rewards supports Imagine Ballet Theatre!

Smiths_CommRwds_600x160Please link your already existing Smith’s rewards card to #93138 and just by doing your normal shopping you will be making a donation to Imagine Ballet Theatre and help young dancers realize their full potential as performing artists here in Utah.slider-img8

Imagine Ballet Theatre to Hold Auditions Saturday Jan. 18, 2014

ballet boot camp picImagine Ballet Theatre to Hold Auditions

Ogden, Utah, January 7, 2014: Imagine Ballet Theatre (IBT), an Ogden-based ballet company, will hold company auditions on January 18, 2014 at their studios on 2432 Washington Blvd., Suites C & D, in Ogden. Dancers will have the opportunity to audition for the upcoming 2014 performing season as well as the 2014 Summer Dance Intensive program.

Imagine Ballet Theatre’s 2014 performing season will include several performing opportunities for company members, who must be age nine or older. This spring, IBT will prepare and perform a World Premiere new work along with a second presentation of Peter and the Wolf with choreographer by IBT Artistic Director Raymond Van Mason, a former Principal at Ballet West. In February, the company hosts and participates in The Rocky Mountain Choreography Festival, with entries from artists around the nation. IBT will continue its season into December with performances of its acclaimed The Nutcracker, also with choreography by Van Mason. Other performances may be added to the company’s season as opportunities are presented. IBT is widely recognized in the region as providing quality and professional-level performances. IBT received a Utah Best of State Award in 2005, and Mason received a 2006 Utah Best of State Award for Best Choreographer as well as the Ogden Mayor‘s Award for the Arts. Dancers within the company have received recognition and summer scholarships from prestigious ballet companies and organizations such as: The Youth American Grand Prix, American Ballet Theater (NYC), Boston Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet (Seattle), The Rock for Dance Education (PA), The Joffrey Ballet School (NY), Ballet West (UT), and others.

Imagine Ballet Theatre’s Summer Dance Intensive also receives national recognition. Dancers who are accepted into the program will have the opportunity to train under professional and former professional dancers from national companies such as Los Angeles Ballet, Miami City Ballet, Ballet West, and Repertory Dance Theater, as well as a former star of Broadway who will teach jazz in the Fosse style. The summer program will offer training in ballet technique, pointe, partnering, modern dance, character development, jazz, choreography and more. Ages for the program are six and up, with an audition required for dancers ages eight and up.

When:                          Saturday, January 18, 2014

                                    Ages 9 and up, registration 9:30-10:00 am; audition 10:00-12:00 pm

                                    For Company members and Junior Company members.

Note:                            IBT Company members are ages 9 and up; Summer Program 8 and up

Where:                        Imagine Ballet Theatre, 2432 Washington Blvd, Suites C & D, Ogden

Dress:                          Young Women: Black leotard, pink tights, ballet shoes, if dancer is en pointe bring pointe shoes, hair in a bun

                                    Men:  White shirt, black tights or shorts, ballet shoes

Registration Fee:         $25.00, non-refundable

Other:                          Dancers must bring a dance resume and photo

For more information about Imagine Ballet Theatre and its upcoming performances and other dance opportunities, please visit www.imagineballet.org.

Announcing the Rocky Mountain Choreographers for 2014

I would like to announce the Choreographers participating in this years Festival.  Congratulations to them all.  Looking forward to seeing all their work live on stage at the Peery’s Egyptain Theatre, Feb 21 and 22 at 7:30 pm.  Peoples choice voting will take place on Feb 21st show and Awards will take place on the Feb 22, 2014

RMCF14-v2

Carrie Lee Miles "Delirium" People's Choice Winner Imagine Ballet Theatre
Carrie Lee Miles “Delirium” People’s Choice Winner 2013 Imagine Ballet Theatre

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tawna Halbert, Satellite,  Junction Dance, Ogden, Utah

Summer Robertson,Keeping up with Joneses, St. George Dance Company, St. George, Utah

Rodolfo Rafael, Case #07051990, Rafael Contemporary Dance, Clearfield, Utah

Jessica Skagen, Struggle:verb:to contend with an adversary or opposing force, Weber State Dance, Farmington Utah

Sarah Longoria, Adrift, Municipal Ballet Company, Salt Lake City, Utah

Denise Purvis, To the End, Shifting Velocity Dance, Cedar City, Utah

Carrie Miles, The Bench, Imagine Ballet Theatre, Las Vegas, Nevada

Jessica Haslip, G.F.R., Weber State Dance, Ogden, Utah

Erin McMahon, Somewhere in the Middle, University of Utah Dance Dept, Salt Lake City, Utah

Rodolfo Rafael, Press Play, Rafael Contemporary Dance, Clearfield, Utah

Ellie Hanagarne, Inverted Out, Municipal Ballet Company, Salt Lake City, Utah

Junior Division

Abigail Hardin, Uplifted, Imagine Ballet Theatre, Nixa, Mousouri

Sierra Miles, Finding Family, Imagine Ballet Theatre, Las Vegas, Nevada

Hazel Clarke winner of the 2012 Rocky Mountain Choreography Festival Oct 12, 2012 7:30 Peery’s EgyptianTheater!

poster Hazel Clarke and the Karios Dance Company will present an evening of dance on Oct 12, 2013 at Peery’s Egyptian Theater at 7:30 pm.  Tickets are available for $15.00 reserved seating.  All Utah High school dance classes may get in for $7.50 by mentioning High School Dance at the box office.

The full-length production will explore the complexities and aspects of mental illness and its effect on society as well as the individual himself.  As the audience takes a tour through the fictional facilities of Sunny-ville Mental Health Institute, they meet colorful characters as well as lost souls, and experience both the archaic and cutting-edge methods of  psychiatric treatment used throughout history as well as today.

www.kairosdancecompany.com for more info about Kairos Dance Company

Sponsoring the evening:  Imagine Ballet Theatre, Peery’s Egyptian Theater, Utah Dance Educators Organization, Weber State Dance Department, Ben Lomond Suites Hotel, Only in Ogden, Ogden City, Utah Division of Arts and Museums and NamiUtah.

www.namiut.org for more info on Mental Health in Utah.

 

 

 

 

Imagine Ballet Theatre Summer Intensive 2013 in full swing!

Mendez

Dance

The beauty of dance is beautiful as the universe, as the sun and shines every morning upon awakening, the dance is all passion and love for her, where you express your feelings, is that I’ve been in my soul. I encouraged at all time, if you concentrate and elevate your thought got here away let yourself go for the music and movements, the dancers are what make and give joy, is what the heart expresses do not let go live with her dance, live dance, enjoy it more and more , love dance.

Maria Alejandra Mendez from Bogota, Columbia age 14

 

 

 

I’ve Been Dancing for All My Life

by Abby Hardin

 

 

I’ve been dancing for all my life and what do I have to show:

 

some battered feet, a vulnerable heart, and an unassured ego.

 

You look in the mirror

 

and cringe in fear

 

of the image reflected back.

 

You make a mistake,

 

and your insides quake,

 

embarrassed of the skills that you lack.

 

 

As you stand in row,

 

your envy grows,

 

as everyone else seems to put on a show.

 

You think that you are progressing too slow,

 

and every critique feels like a final blow.

 

 

What am I doing?

 

Why am I here?

 

My heart is renewing

 

all my old fears.

 

Why do I do this day after day?

 

What has it brought me but stress and decay?

 

I should just leave without any delay.

 

But no matter what, I always will stay,

 

time after time, day after day.

 

I shrug on the leotard, pull on the tights,

 

and tell myself that it will turn out all right.

 

My own insecurities made me lose sight

 

of why I dance each and every night.

 

 

For when this first started,

 

when my first dance class began,

 

I had a dream of being the best dancer I can.

 

Visions of elegance and beauty swept through my head,

 

and I twirled ‘round my room instead of going to bed.

 

And now I’ve seen glimpses, a fleeting glance,

 

of how I’ve always wished I that could dance.

 

And every new day, I get the chance

 

to see how far that I can advance.

 

I’ve come a long way since I first began,

 

but I’m only beginning to understand

 

that dance may be hard and scary and tough.

 

It will beat you down before it builds you back up.

 

The journey is difficult, the road long.

 

But it’s worth every minute because it’s where I belong.

 

 

I’ve been dancing for all my life and what do I have to show:

 

some iron feet, a hopeful heart, and the boundless ability to grow.

Spring2013-poster

Gary Flannery

Gary Flannery will be joining IBT Summer Intensive next week so get your Fosse on!

DANCE

Dance to the waves of the sea
Dance with the wind in the sky
Dance to be all you can be
Dance for who knows why
Dance with the leaves in the breeze
Dance to the water in a brook
Dance let your mind be at ease
Dance close your eyes, don’t look
Dance with the light from the sun
Dance with the stars in the dark
Dance and spin until you’ve spun
Dance through the city and the park
Dance to the whistle of the weeds
Dance in the puddles of reflection
Dance to fill your needs
Dance to strive for perfection
Dance to the drops of rain
Dance with the birds in the trees
Dance because there’s something to gain
Dance just dance, please
By Danielle Lee Dreis

Danielle grand jete

“Performance”
By: McKayla Woods
Air filled with voices and the sound of shoes.
Up next the dance will be to a song of the blues.
The dancers look perfect their hair is just so.
They get in position, the music starts low.
Dancers move smoothly, lovely and grand.
The dance ends beautifully and the crowd cheer and stands.
Mckayla

Dance

Dancing is like a dream

where you can be anything.
From a swan, to Giselle
even a King!
So many aspects of dance
and just to name a few;
There’s modern, ballet, jazz and more
just make sure not to miss your cue!
By: Sierra Miles
DSC_0309
DSC_0243DSC_0264DSC_0527
daniellephoto
Costume Designs by Oswaldo Muniz, who is also here staging Pas De Quatre and First Regiment from Stars and Stripes.
He is also teaching for IBT Summer Intensive.  The costumes will be on display August 2, 2013 along with a program that starts at 7:00 pm featuring Costume Designs and Dance cost $5.00 as part of the Ogden First Friday Art Stroll.

Imagine Ballet Theatre Announces Competition Winners: Ogden’s own youth ballet company makes huge strides, reaching national and international levels!

 

46709607-Turning1086

 

IBT is pleased to announce that several of our artists have received scholarships and awards as a result of their participation in national competitions so far this year. These include Youth America Grand Prix in Los Angeles, Youth America Grand Prix Finals in New York City, and American Ballet Competition in Boston.

Congratulations to:

Catherine Aoki:

Awarded scholarship to Ballet Austin Summer Intensive, 2013; American Ballet Competition 2013 – Placed 2nd in contemporary category; Scholarship to Atlanta Ballet, summer 2014.

Ashleigh Richardson:

Youth America Grand Prix New York Finals 2013.   Awarded Scholarship to the Rock School of Dance Education, summer 2013; American Ballet Competition 2013. – Awarded  the Bournonville Academy Summer in Biarritz, France, 2014.

Danielle Dreis:

American Ballet Competition 2013. – Awarded scholarship to Interlochen Arts Academy Summer Camp 2014.

All Three were awarded scholarships to Interlochen Arts Academy Year.

Raymond Van Mason, American Ballet Competition 2013. Awarded Excellence in Teaching and 3rd place for the ensemble work in  “Turning Back.”

As a result of the experience in Boston, IBT is also pleased to welcome Maria Alejandra, from Bogota, Colombia, as a scholarship recipient for the Summer Intensive program at IBT. 

Imagine Ballet Theatre will be hosting their Summer Intensive from July 8th to August 9th, , at IBT Studios, 2432 Washington Blvd. Ogden Utah.

 

Guest Teachers will include:

Gary Flannery, former star of Broadway and movies, including All That Jazz;  Oswaldo Muniz, former dancer for Pennsylvania Ballet, Oklahoma Ballet, and Edward Villella and Dancers; Allynne Noelle, principal dancer for the Los Angeles Ballet and former soloist with Miami City Ballet; and others!

This is a fabulous opportunity for dancers to focus on their art and receive individual expert instruction in a variety of dance genres.  A past participant stated, “Summer at IBT changed me as a dancer.  It gave me the skills and the confidence to really believe in myself as a performing artist.”

 

About Imagine Ballet Theatre

Raymond Van Mason, Artistic Director, created IBT in 2004, to offer the company of dancers an opportunity to work with professional artists and foster professional performing experiences. IBT encourages involvement in the arts through The School of Imagine Ballet Theatre and the performing company. Imagine Ballet Theatre has gained national and state recognition by receiving the 2005 Utah Best of State Award for Best Children’s Performing Group, as well as invitations in 2004 & 2006, to perform at “Dance Under The Stars Choreography Festival” at the McCallum Theater in Palm Desert, CA. They returned from the 2006 competition with the Judy G. Mayer Award for Small Groups. In 2005, the company received a certificate of recognition from the Ogden City Council for their contribution to Ogden’s art community. For 2007, the company has been awarded a Utah Performing Arts Touring Grant from the Utah Arts Council. Dancers within the company have received recognition and summer scholarships from prestigious ballet companies such as: American Ballet Theater (NYC), Boston Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet (Seattle) The Rock for Dance Education (PA), and others, Ballet Austin, Atlanta Ballet, Bournonville Academy Biarritz (France), Interlochen Center for the Arts, and others.

 

 

 

###