(Morristown, NJ)— Carolyn Dorfman Dance, whose bold and dramatic works connect life and movement, returns to the Bickford Theatre at the Morris Museum for an afternoon of repertory favorites highlighting both the intimacy of the duet and the power of the ensemble. The company will present three varied works by Artistic Director Carolyn Dorfman on Sunday, November 1, 2015, at 2:00PM.
Featured on the program is Dorfman’s 2015 premiere WAVES – with live music by cellist Jessie Reagen Mann, multi-instrumentalist and human beat boxer Pete List, and recorder player Daphna Mor. Dorfman uses this eclectic and unusual grouping of artists, their instruments, sounds, and vocals, to create new and visceral movement connections – WAVES – between her dancers, the music and the dance. The all encompassing and multi-dimensional work has been cited by critic Robert Johnson, NJArts.net as “a community that leaves no one behind.”
Hailed as a consummate storyteller, Dorfman, the daughter of Holocaust survivors, has also created a celebrated body of work that honors her Jewish legacy. The company will present The Klezmer Sketch, in which Dorfman mines the exuberant, yet soulful quality of Klezmer music that inspired her exploration of Jewish gesture, expression, ritual, character and values. The program concludes with Under My Skin. With original music by composer/vocalist Jennifer Giering, this set of three songs chronicles the growth and depth of a relationship. Under My Skin is an evocative and sensuous duet exploring concealment and revelation, isolation and trust.
"I love bringing my work to the Bickford at the Morris Museum as it provides audiences a wonderfully intimate space to connect with the dances and dancers," said Carolyn Dorfman. "This fall we bring a program of work that celebrates relationship, family, the Jewish journey and encompasses the universal connection these themes engender.”
Tickets
$35 General Public; $30 Members/Seniors/Subscribers; $15 Students (18 & under or a valid college ID).
Tickets may be purchased online at www.morrismuseum.org, by phone at (973) 971-3706, or in person at the Bickford Theatre Box Office. The Bickford Theatre is an integral part of the Morris Museum, located at 6 Normandy Heights Road in Morristown, NJ, and offers free parking and full accessibility. Box Office hours for phone sales are Monday through Friday, 10:00AM to 5:00PM. Walk-up hours are Tuesday through Friday, 11:00AM to 5:00PM.
Repertory Details
WAVES (2015)
Choreography: Carolyn Dorfman
Composer: Jessie Reagen Mann, Pete List, Daphna Mor
Lighting: Marika Kent
Costumes: Anna-Alisa Belous
Length: 25 minutes
WAVES is a sensation-based exploration of music and dance featuring live music composed by cellist Jessie Reagen Mann, beat boxer and multi-instrumentalist Pete List, and recorder player Daphna Mor. Dorfman uses this eclectic and unusual grouping of artists to create new waves of sonic and movement possibilities.
Under My Skin (1999)
Choreography: Carolyn Dorfman
Music and Lyrics: Jennifer Giering
Original Lighting: Paul Hudson
Costumes: Russell Aubrey
Length: 19 minutes
An evocative and sensuous duet that explores the way people invest in their relationships with bits of themselves and how positive and negative experiences always lead to growth.
The Klezmer Sketch (excerpt from Mayne Mentshn) (2001)
Choreography: Carolyn Dorfman
Music Composed, Arranged & Adapted: Greg Wall
Original Lighting and Set Design: John Evans
Costumes: Russell Aubrey
Masks: Grigory Gurevich
As a child of Holocaust survivors, Dorfman spent 18 years creating work that explored the pain of that experience for her parents, family and Dorfman herself. What she came to realize is that to fully understand the profoundness of pain and loss, one must experience and celebrate the life that was interrupted. Sifting carefully through the rubble, she discovered a rich legacy and a story that had to be told. If not, the pain would remain and the lives and memories lost forever.
About Carolyn Dorfman Dance
Carolyn Dorfman Dance connects life and dance in bold, athletic and dramatic works by Carolyn Dorfman and nationally renowned choreographers. The company’s ten multi-ethnic and stunning dancers tap their unique talents to present high-energy and technically demanding dance that unleashes the powerful storytelling and imagery of its visionary creator. This distinctive combination takes audiences on intellectual and emotional journeys that ultimately illuminate and celebrate the human experience. This is contemporary dance that moves you to think, feel, laugh, cry and engage. The highly acclaimed ensemble is known for emotional resonance and artistic excellence both in performance and in its interactions with audiences, students and the community. Sharing art and process is the hallmark of this company. For over 30 years, Carolyn Dorfman Dance has appeared at major theaters, dance festivals, universities, schools, museums and galleries regionally, nationally and internationally.
About the Bickford Theatre
The Bickford Theatre is a professional theater that produces and presents year-round entertainment, including a Main Stage Series, two Children’s Theatre series, a Jazz Showcase, and other concerts. The theatre is a Senior Member of the New Jersey Theatre Alliance, a not-for-profit organization of 30 professional theaters throughout the state, and works in conjunction with Actors' Equity Association (AEA) and the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC). From its beginnings in 1994 to the present, tens of thousands of theater-goers from across the tri-state area have enjoyed the Bickford Theatre’s many entertaining and diversified offerings in theatre, music and dance.
PHOTO: WAVES by David Hedden.
