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Queens Theatre Celebrates International Women’s Day with "Turning in Place II" (FREE)

Company:
Queens Theatre

On International Women’s Day, Tuesday, March 8th, 2022, Queens Theatre is proud to present “Turning in Place II.” This is the first time that the annual film festival celebrating the work of emerging female choreographers will be live at Queens Theatre. The festival will take place at 8 PM ET and be followed by a talkback session with the choreographers.

‘Turning in Place II” will feature 12 up-and-coming female-identifying choreographers and female-led dance companies, presenting original filmed works. 

 

The participating choreographers and companies are:

• Hannah Straney 
• Demi Remick 
• Anneke Belman 
• Rebecca Allen, Animus Movement 
• Song Ravinian 
• Tatiana Nunez 
• Joan Antoaldina 
• Nicole Caruana
• Garet Wierdsma 
• Hannah Garner, 2nd Best Dance Company 
• Mackenzie King, Moonwater Dance Project 
• Jessica Smith and Chelsea Ainsworth, Dual Rivet Dance 

 

The works in this festival are all original compositions, staged and filmed for the camera. These young choreographers explore issues of race, gender, and just the sheer joy and beauty of movement and expressiveness of the human form.

This festival was originally conceived to give choreographers and dancers an outlet for their creativity during the pandemic. While all of the arts were affected by COVID-19, dancers were particularly hard hit. Dance careers are shorter than most, and to lose over a year of their primes was devastating. 

Since last year’s festival, dance has returned to the Queens Theatre stage and we have weathered multiple variant surges. This showcase continues as a testament to the vibrancy and creativity of the dance community.

Tickets are free, but reservations are required. Click here to register for the event.

The film showcase will also be available on the Queens Theatre YouTube channel the day after the premiere. 

To learn more about the “Turning in Place II” film showcase visit QueensTheatre.org.

 

About the Queens Theatre 

Queens Theatre (QT) is a performing arts center located in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Queens, NY. Its mission is to provide high quality performances and programs that are accessible to the residents of Queens, the most diverse county in the nation. The Theatre's work reflects and celebrates its community. Queens Theatre presents dance companies, produces, presents, and develops new works of theatre, family programming, community engagement events and initiatives, and offers a range of education programs onsite, in schools and in senior centers. In 2016, Queens Theatre launched, and has since expanded, Theatre For All (TFA), a ground-breaking initiative to advance the inclusion of disabled people in the performing arts. Since COVID-19, Queens Theatre has produced a range of digital programming – readings of new plays, wellness checks with performances for seniors, original dance showcases, a Storytellers series, an online round of its TFA training program for Deaf/Disabled actors, and more.

 

About the Choreographers

Garet Wierdsma graduated from NYU Tisch with a BFA in Dance in 2021. Garet has performed pieces by Shamel Pitts, Chuck Wilt, Patricia Hoffbauer, and Cari Ann Shim Sham*. Garet was selected as the Choreography Fellowship Winner for Sacred Heart University in January 2022. Her choreographic work has been showcased in Ku-Yang Lin & Dancers Inhale Series, EXCHANGE Choreography Festival, The Craft NYC, Anyplace Anytime Festival, the Jack Crystal Theater and as the winner of Nacre Dance Group’s “So You Think You Can Choreograph.” Garet’s dance film work has won the Dance Cinema Award at Frostbite Indie Film Fest, 3rd Prize at Emotion & Soul Film Festival, and was showcased in WADEinto Activism and Rogue Dancer Film Fest. 

 

Hannah Garner graduated from SUNY Purchase with a BFA in Performance/Composition and an Arts Management minor. Recently named ‘25 to Watch’ by Dance Magazine, she is a NYC based dancer/choreographer making dance theatre work that “tackles topics like death and queer identity through rigorous, inventive movement and wit.” (Dance Magazine). Hannah has worked with Doug Varone & Dancers, Sue Bernhard Danceworks, Megan Williams Dance, Kathleen Helm & Dancers, and Rovaco Dance Company, in addition to presenting work with her own company, 2nd Best Dance Company. 

 

Mackenzie King graduated from SUNY Purchase in 2015 with a BFA in Dance Performance. Mackenzie has performed throughout the United States and internationally, including works from San Francisco Ballet, Smuin Ballet, Boston Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, the Martha Graham Dance Company, Doug Varone and Dancers, Mettin Movement, and many others. After dancing professionally in New York, Mackenzie moved to Chicago where she founded Moonwater Dance Project and serves as Artistic Director. In 2019 she co-founded Take Up Space, a dance festival celebrating female Choreographers and Artistic Directors. 

 

Jessica Smith graduated from SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Dance with a BFA in Dance. She also studied at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts and London Contemporary Dance School. She is currently a company member of Vim Vigor, ZviDance, and Kizuna Dance, as well as Associate Director of Arts on Site. She is also co-director of Dual Rivert, a NYC based, women-led dance company focused on creating and sharing highly physical contemporary dance to a wide audience.

 

Chelsea Ainsworth graduated from the The Juilliard School. She is a dancer for ZviDance and The Bang Group, Ballet/Modern teacher, a Thai Massage Therapist, and choreographer. She’s also the co-founder and Executive Director of Arts On Site NYC and co-director of Dual Rivert, a NYC based, women-led dance company focused on creating and sharing highly physical contemporary dance to a wide audience.

 

Joan Antoaldina is in her final year as a Dance major at The Juilliard School. She has taken a keen interest in Dance filmmaking and wishes to continue exploring herself both as a dancer and as a creator for film. Other than creating her own short films, Joan has worked closely with principal dancer of American Ballet Theatre, James Whiteside in creating his own Ballet film Marilyn’s Funeral in 2021. She has also worked on a film as a co-director alongside director Maggie Scranton representing Juilliard in the Park Avenue Armory’s virtual film event 100 Years | 100 women in 2020. 

 

Rebecca Allen graduated from SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Dance. She started Animus Movement, a project-based dance company that focuses on providing artists a chance to "perform" through dance films and other alternative mediums in February 2021. A NYC native, Rebecca is able to combine her love of dance, choreography, film direction and production through Animus.

 

Demi Remick graduated from SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Dance with a BFA in Dance. Demi is a NYC-based dancer and choreographer. She is a YoungArts Gold winner, Dance Magazine’s Top-25-To-Watch and a Capezio Athlete. Demi tours worldwide with Postmodern Jukebox and has performed with Company XIV, Caleb Teicher & Co, Dorrance Dance, Susanne Bartsch and Jason Samuels Smith. Demi teaches at BDC.

 

Tatiana (Tati) Nuñez is set to complete her B.F.A in Dance at NYU Tisch School of the Arts in 2022. She has been recognized for her profound physical instrument that articulates at the highest level in the techniques of contemporary, ballet/pointe, and tap dance. Tati has been a featured dancer in Ally Bank’s TV Commercial “Anthem”, collaborating with artist Diana Shpungin in her solo exhibition Always Begin At The End at Smack Mellon as a pointe soloist, performing at The Joyce Theater, and Battery Dance Festival. Tati has also worked with Camille A. Brown, Ayodele Casel, Anthony Morigerato, Molissa Fenley, Francesca Harper, Milton Myers, Dormeshia Sumbry-Edwards, Jason Samuels Smith, Derick Grant, Ray Mercer, Diana Shpungin and many more. She is also an alumna of various dance programs; The School at Jacob’s Pillow, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Ballet Hispánico, and Joffrey Ballet School.

 

Anneke Belman graduated from SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Dance with a BFA in Dance in 2019. During her time there she served as Freshman Class Representative, worked as Student Rehearsal assistance for Norbert de la Cruz, and co-produced Purchase Cares, a Dancer’s Responding to AIDS/Broadway Cares program, for two years. Anneke choreographed many new works while in school, going on to earn the School of the Arts Scholarship and the Merit Scholarship for her achievements. She enjoys focusing her works on the LGBTQ+ experience, exploring various elements of acceptance, love, and growth. Anneke currently performs with Emergence Dance Company and Universal Studios Florida. She has performed works by George Balanchine, Merce Cunningham, Mark Diamond, José Limon, Ana Maria Lucaciu, Patricia McBride, and Sarah Beth Oppenheim. 

 

Song Ravinan is pursuing her MFA/MA dual degree in Dance and Dance Education from NYU Tisch and Steinhardt. During her time at The New School, Ravinan studied with Neil Greenberg and performed with Rebecca Stenn at New York Live Arts. Originally from Bangkok, Thailand, Song is a choreographer, dancer, director, filmmaker, painter, and teacher. Ravinan is also a rehearsal director for HeadandCompany since 2017 and has performed at various venues in New York City such as Mark Morris Dance Center, Arts On Site, Martha Graham Studio, Wax Work, and Dixon Place. Ravinan also choreographed works for the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts High School and is currently choreographing for the Dance & Technology project this March.  

 

Hannah Straney graduated from SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Dance with a BFA in Dance Performance. She also studied at Munson Williams Proctor Arts Institute, Taipei National University for the Arts. A New York City based dance artist, Hannah was born in Little Falls, NY. She has toured nationally with the Broadway show Dirty Dancing, and is now a company dancer with Company XIV in Brooklyn, NY. Hannah has taught across the United States and performed works by Aszure Barton, Tom Weinberger, Matthew Neenan, and Sidra Bell. Dust is one of three other films in a series that are still in production, these films will be available to view on Vimeo under Hannah Straney.  

 

Nicole Caruana graduated from SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Dance with a BFA in dance performance with a concentration in Composition, and minor in Biology. She was born in Buffalo and introduced to dance at Karyn Kelly Dance Center and later, Classical Ballet of Western New York. Nicole also trained at the San Francisco Conservatory of Dance, London Contemporary Dance School, The School at the American Dance Festival, Arts Umbrella - Vancouver, Earl Mosley’s Institute of the Arts, and has studied gaga intensively alongside Batsheva Dance Company. As a freelance choreographer, Nicole received commissions to create new works for Scapino Ballet Rotterdam, BalletX, Joffrey Ballet School, and her own projects. She has received numerous awards for her work “Arba” and been invited to perform in Germany, Denmark, Spain, Greece, Sweden, New York and Texas. Nicole is the recipient of The Technos College International Prize for her engagements in dance and choreography abroad.