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Dance Up Close to Daniel Gwirtzman Dance Company

By Erin Bomboy
View Profile | More From This Author

Published on May 20, 2014
Photo: Richard Caraballo

Celebrating 15 Years of Dance as Optimism

Daniel Gwirtzman Dance Company at BAM Fisher

GALA — Friday, May 30 at 8:30 p.m.

Saturday, May 31 at 8 p.m.

Sunday, June 1 at 5 p.m.

For tickets, please click on Brown Paper Ticket.

Daniel Gwirtzman and his eponymous company celebrate 15 years of energetic, optimistic dancing this season. Originally established as a vehicle to challenge Gwirtzman artistically, the company will debut The Oracle at BAM Fisher, May 30 through June 1. The Friday performance also doubles as a Gala, featuring Garth Fagan as the honorary Chairman. Gwirtzman, not content to just choreograph a new piece for the anniversary, is also premiering 15 short dance films.

Daniel Gwirtzman on Movement Coming Alive in the Studio

Gwirtzman, sporting a neatly trimmed beard and ready smile, twinkles with good humor. His excitement for where his company has been — and where they will go — is contagious. Extroverted by nature, his love of people inherently informs his work. His upcoming piece blends new faces with seasoned veterans to form a diverse cast of a dozen dancers including Gwirtzman himself.

Daniel Gwirtzman and his Cast of Characters

The Oracle, Gwirtzman’s first multi-show season in five years, will be performed in the round, which is a new configuration for the BAM Fisher. Unlike a proscenium stage with its ease of entries and exits via wings, Gwirtzman has had to construct “portals” that allow dancers the opportunity to access the performing area. Instead of using the typical stage directions of downstage, upstage, stage left, and stage right, the company uses the actual cardinal directions of the BAM Fisher: north, south, east, and west. He, mindful of the allure of a frontally positioned mirror, makes sure that he spends much of his rehearsal walking around the space, checking out how the choreography reads from a variety of angles.

Daniel Gwirtzman Dance Company Plays Around in the Round

The 15 films created in observance of the anniversary showcase a playful side of Gwirtzman. Releasing one film a week in anticipation of the premiere of The Oracle, they run the gamut from a cheeky solo for himself on a Brazilian beach to Clue, a dance inspired by the famous board game. Gwirtzman says, “I was rather precious about some earlier dances. With this anniversary, I realized it felt like the right time to bring back some of the favorite dances from the repertory.”

People and their interactions are at the heart of The Oracle. Duos and trios intermingle with larger group scenes, evoking a community and their varied gatherings. Longtime collaborator Jeff Story will provide the original score.