Alison Cook Beatty Dance presents 3 World Premieres this December 2020
Company:
Alison Cook Beatty Dance
ALISON COOK BEATTY DANCE PERFORMS 3 WORLD PREMIERES THIS DECEMBER THAT FEATURE INNOVATIVE CHOREOGRAPHY, HOLIDAY SPECIALS, AND COLLABORATIVE WORK.
CATCH CONTEMPORARY RHYTHMS STOMPED ON PARK BENCHES AND WHIMSICAL WINTER WONDERLAND-THEMED DANCE PRODUCTIONS UNDER A BLANKET OF SNOW IN CENTRAL PARK STARRING SPECIAL GUEST AND BODY PERCUSSIONIST MICHAEL FEIGENBAUM.
ENJOY MASTERFUL PRE-RECORDED LIVE STREAM PERFORMANCES CREATED DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC ON YOUTUBE THIS DECEMBER 1ST AT 8 PM ET, 15TH & 22ND AT 7 PM ET, WHICH WILL INCLUDE BEHIND THE SCENES INTERVIEWS WITH ARTISTIC DIRECTOR ALISON COOK-BEATTY, DANCERS, AND COLLABORATIVE ARTISTS.
REGISTRATION ($5 TICKETS): https://bit.ly/35wFyjo
Nov. 20, 2020 (NEW YORK) -- After everything creatives have endured during these trying times, the true light that shines uninterrupted stems from the radiant passion every performer affiliated with Alison Cook Beatty Dance embodies, including its founder. Instead of commissioning a costume designer to outfit the dancers in “Winter Wonderland,” Alison Cook-Beatty took matters into her own hands. She did hire Ali Taghavi to costume “Beat-léro”, and was so grateful of the outcome.
“Although I don’t have a sewing machine, I do know how to sew by hand,” said Cook-Beatty on the way she’s creatively envisioned, from top to bottom, every detail in “Winter Wonderland” and “Beat-léro,” such as “What are the dancers going to wear on their feet?”
That question ties into mother nature’s inevitable deposits of snow that will accumulate all over Central Park in the coming season; but, the show will most definitely go on. Cook-Beatty views the incumbent NYC weather conditions as a window for innovation that has never been seen before in the dance world.
“If the dancers venture out into a snowstorm, what can they wear so that they can feel like a kid again, and how can they play in the snow for an hour,” said Cook-Beatty regarding the upcoming pre-recorded dance production. “I’m just trying to embrace these crazy times and have some fun. We have to laugh and sing!”
The dancers are very much on-board, too, as all involved have begun rehearsing for “Winter Wonderland” section 1 (live recording happening on Friday, November 20 by the Hans Christian Andersen statue in the Park), a moving dedication aimed at lifting the spirits of every child who suffered the loss of a parent during the 9-11 tragedy. For the second “Winter Wonderland” section, Cook-Beatty has selected the Carl Schurz Park on the Upper East Side of the city that features an endearing area comprised of a fountain, staircase, bridge, and tunnel; within the nooks and crannies, one can discover festive holiday-centric tributes that tie into each movement of choreography. “Winter Wonderland” will have five-six short sections, a suite of holiday tunes, all filmed in different locations around Manhattan throughout Winter. “We continued to rehearse outside and wear masks as this is the safest way,” Cook-Beatty said. “We hope to bring Christmas to you and all this great city has to offer!”
“Beat-léro,” a play on the world-renowned classical piece composed by Ravel, “Bolero”, was rehearsed and filmed in the north meadow butterfly garden of Central Park. As is the case with each of the three works, artistic director Cook-Beatty and her dancers would find themselves resourceful as possible to use nature as their stage. Collaborating artist Michael Feigenbaum really challenged members of the dance company.
“It was such an honor to work with him, and we all grew from the process,” Cook-Beatty said.
Feigenaum’s body percussion movements and rhythm specialties had the dancers tap dancing with every part of their body at the same time.
“For both “Beat-léro” and “Winter Wonderland” piece(s), I used each location to inspire the choreography,” said Cook-Beatty, “If there was a bench, we used it; if there was a fountain, we danced on it. I never ignored our surroundings but made them part of the piece.”
Local television stations like ABC7 and NY1 previously covered Alison Cook Beatty Dance’s Central Park productions back in March, with the performances receiving rave reviews from those who watched rehearsals and performances live and those who attended the online gala. Another accolade that Alison Cook Beatty Dance recently received was a grant from the Dance/NYC’s Coronavirus Dance Relief Fund.
REGISTRATION ($5 TICKETS): https://bit.ly/35wFyjo
“Beat-léro” Dec. 1st, 8 pm
“Winter Wonderland” Section 1 Dec. 15th, 7 pm
“Winter Wonderland” Section 2 Dec. 22nd, 7 pm
Links to the performance will be provided on an individual basis based on RSVPs via the link above.
About Alison Cook Beatty Dance
A classically-based modern dance company exploring the universal human condition through expansive and emotionally-driven movement grounded in American modern dance while exploring new approaches to finding unique creative expression.
Photo by Caitlyn Wilson on Unsplash
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