Newsroom
Eisenhower Dance Ensemble Rocks Into Spring!
Eisenhower Dance Ensemble in:
Bright Side of the Road: Dances from the Heart of Rock and Roll
Saturday, April 5, 2008 at 8:00pm
Macomb Center for the Performing Arts
44575 Garfield Road, Clinton Township, MI 48038
Tickets: $25 Gold Circle, $20 Adult, $15 Senior/Student
Box office: 586-286-2222
In a concert on April 5, 2008, Eisenhower Dance Ensemble will celebrate spring.s arrival with an array of fresh new dance works. Audience members will experience the best of contemporary dance, set to the soulful and upbeat music of Rock and Roll. The concert will take place at the Macomb Center for the Performing Arts, beginning at 8:00 p.m.
"I'm very excited about this program, and I think the audience will love it. The music is familiar and fabulous - and the dancers look terrific in all the new choreography," states Artistic Director Laurie Eisenhower. Featured on the performance will be Tom's Songs, a heartfelt tribute by Eisenhower featuring the music of Bob Dylan, Van Morrison and Bonnie Raitt, among others. Excerpts from Tom's Songs were recently performed by the Company at Chicago's Athenaeum Theatre to rave reviews.
EDE Associate Artistic Director Stephanie Pizzo will present Unconditional, a piece set to the folk/blues music of Susan Tedeschi. The piece contemplates a variety of human relationships, exploring the idea of giving oneself unconditionally in hopes of receiving that same love in return. The work also touches on the idea of family, and how the different relationships in our lives mold us into the people that we are.
Of the new works presented will be a piece by guest choreographer Bill DeYoung, whose choreography credentials include commissions from the Harvard Dance Center, the Joffrey II, the Chautauqua Festival Dance Company, NBC Television, Ann Arbor Dance Works, and many others. A chiaroscuro journey through rock and roll history, Been a Long Time features the music of The Zombies, Led Zepplin, Frank Zappa, The Queen of Japan, and Jim Morrison of the Doors.
A premiere by guest artist Kiesha Lalama-White is also in store for the evening. Entitled Vicious Cycle, this work "explores the results of the human desire to want, to challenge, to succeed, to sacrifice, to commit," says Ms. Lalama-White. "This piece is about trying to find life's balance. People strive for success and happiness, only to find themselves overwhelmed with responsibility...just when you think you can take a breathe, the next situation arises."
Ms. Eisenhower is very enthusiastic about the program. "I think this is one of the most fun and exciting programs that EDE has ever presented. I don't think anyone will walk away from the program unmoved."
Since its founding in 1991, Eisenhower Dance Ensemble has achieved the distinction of being Michigan.s premiere professional dance ensemble. EDE presents a multi-concert subscription series each season, at concert venues throughout the metro Detroit area. The Company maintains an active touring schedule which has taken it as far as St. Petersburg, Russia, as well as throughout the United States.
Now in its 17th year, education remains a central part of EDE's mission. During the year, the Company conducts residency programs in a number of area schools, and offers a wide range of classes for students of all ages and levels at its two EDE Center for Dance locations in Rochester and Birmingham.
A Celebration of Contemporary Dance:
Eisenhower Dance Ensemble welcomes the Modern American Dance Company
NewDANCEfest VI
Saturday, January 26, 2008 at 7:30pm (Prelude at 7:00pm)
Troy High School Auditorium
4777 Northfield Parkway (Troy, MI)
Presented by the Troy School District Fine Arts Department
Tickets: $12 adults, $10 seniors, $6 students
Box office: 248/559-2095
More information available at www.ede-dance.org.
Eisenhower
Dance Ensemble (EDE), Michigan's acclaimed contemporary
dance company, will join the Modern American Dance Company
this month for NewDANCEfest VI. The performance will be
held at the Troy High School Auditorium on Saturday,
January 26, 2008 at 7:30 p.m., with a concert Prelude
beginning at 7:00. The concert will highlight the choreographic
talents of the Ensemble, featuring works by EDE Artistic Director
Laurie Eisenhower, Associate Artistic Director Stephanie Pizzo, and
dancer Paul Christiano.
EDE's
guest ensemble for the evening, Modern American Dance Company
(MADCO), is a 15-member repertory ensemble known for its
characteristic athleticism and versatility of style. Under the
direction of Stacy West, MADCO has engaged an array of guest artists
to set new works on the Company. The physically demanding nature of
the choreography performed has continually brought the finest talent
from across the country to St. Louis, where MADCO maintains residency
at the University of Missouri.
EDE's
longstanding history with the Troy Schools began more than a decade
ago, when the Ensemble began its first educational residency with the
district. EDE has since returned annually to Troy to present its
"Kids ‘N Motion" program to elementary students,
and this year's NewDANCEfest will be the fourth-annual
subscription concert hosted by the district's Fine Arts
Department.
Laurie
Eisenhower's Roses and Mud, originally choreographed in
2005, was inspired by the following quotation: "Sorrow like
rain brings roses and mud." (Austin O'Malley). Set
to Antonin Dvorak's dramatic Romance in F Minor, this
lyric and theatrical work will feature a trio of female dancers.
Also
among the works presented on the performance will be Eisenhower's
large-group work Catharsis. Considered to be one of the
choreographer's signature pieces, Catharsis incorporates
elements of a set piece by Tim Kupka. Described by Eisenhower as
"abstract, yet moving and cathartic", concertgoers will
be uniquely touched by this deeply reflective work.
Audience
members are sure to be invigorated by Strange Humors, a
driving work for four women choreographed by EDE Associate Artistic
Director Stephanie Pizzo. This piece was created in collaboration
with the Troy Wind Ensemble, yet another result of the fruitful
relationship between the Ensemble and the Troy Schools.
A
performance of Virgo, a sensual work set to the music of Franz
Schubert, will showcase the dual talents of EDE dancers Paul
Christiano and Alicia Cutaia. This reverent work by Christiano was
recently premiered in Chicago, and will feature costumes designed by
Cutaia.
Since
its founding in 1991, Eisenhower Dance Ensemble has achieved the
distinction of being Michigan's premiere professional dance
ensemble. In addition to presenting a multi-concert subscription
series in metro Detroit each season, EDE maintains an active touring
schedule which has taken the Company as far as St. Petersburg,
Russia, as well as throughout the United States.
Now
in its 17th year, education remains a central part of
EDE's mission. In addition to conducting residency programs in
a number of area schools, the Company also offers a wide range of
classes for students of all ages and levels at its two EDE Center for
Dance locations in Rochester and Birmingham. More information on the
EDE Center for Dance and its brand-new Rochester facility is
available at www.ede-dance.org.
Other
Contacts:
Laurie
Eisenhower, EDE Artistic Director and Choreographer: 248-370-3024
Alexis
DeCapua, EDE Company Manager: 248-559-2095
EISENHOWER DANCE ENSEMBLE ADDS SPARKLE TO THE SEASON WITH OTHER SIDE OF WINTER
"Other Side of Winter: A Dance and Music Celebration"
Saturday, December 8, 2007 at 8:00pm (Prelude at 7:30pm)
Lake Orion Performing Arts Center
495 E. Scripps Rd.
Lake Orion, MI 48360
Tickets: $15 General Admission, $10 students
Box Office: 248-559-2095
Eisenhower Dance Ensemble (EDE), Michigan's premiere contemporary dance company, will present "Other Side of Winter: A Dance and Music Celebration," on Saturday, December 8 at 8:00pm at the Lake Orion Performing Arts Center. The program is a family-friendly concert, appropriate for all ages. Tickets are $15 (with a student price of $10) and can be purchased by calling (248) 559-2095.
"We've created an exciting evening of dance with incredible variety," said EDE Artistic Director Laurie Eisenhower of this production. EDE will perform four works choreographed by Eisenhower, a new piece choreographed by Associate Artistic Director Stephanie Pizzo, and a new piece by guest choreographer Michael Foley.
Eisenhower will be presenting Der Tanz, a new work created in collaboration with the Repertory Dance Company from Oakland University. This piece for fifteen dancers will inspire laugh-out-loud humor with its satirical look at choreography and dancing.
Also on the program is Songs Without Words, set to piano music by Felix Mendelssohn. Choreographed by Eisenhower and considered a repertory favorite, the dance features numerous sections that range from comedy, to subtle satire, to pure lyric movement. Of special note is a virtuosic one-legged solo that has become an audience favorite.
Night Music, a comedic work set to Mozart's Eine kleine Nachtmusik, will feature a special cast of dancers including Eisenhower and Pizzo, former EDE members Gregory Patterson and Anne Bak, EDE Lighting Designer Kerro Knox and OU Theatre faculty member and accomplished actress Karen Sheridan.
A recreation of Evermore, a piece choreographed in 2000 by Laurie Eisenhower to Benjamin Britten's Simple Symphony, will also be presented. One of her signature pieces, this large-scale work will have an expanded company of elaborately costumed dancers.
Pizzo will be contributing a new work set to live music by the Southpaw Isle Steelband, under the direction of Mark Stone. The steelband will also be contributing three musical selections to the program.
Now in its 17th year, EDE is a professional repertory company based in Rochester Hills, Michigan that has earned overwhelming critical acclaim along with enthusiastic audience support. Laurie Eisenhower founded the Eisenhower Dance Ensemble in the summer of 1991 in metropolitan Detroit. In addition to offering the area's premiere professional dancers, EDE gives world-class dance instruction to students of all ages and levels of ability at its two EDE Center for Dance locations, one in Rochester Hills and the other in Birmingham.
Eisenhower Dance Ensemble presents: On the Move
TWO NATIONALLY-KNOWN DANCE COMPANIES JOIN FORCES FOR A PROGRAM OF CONTEMPORARY DANCE
"ON THE MOVE"
Saturday, October 27, 2007 at 8:00pm (Prelude at 7:30pm)
Oakland University's Varner Recital Hall (Rochester, MI)
Tickets: $16 adults, $12 seniors, $8 students
Varner Box Office: 248.370.3013
Eisenhower Dance Ensemble (EDE), Michigan's premier contemporary dance company, will join forces with the Joel Hall Dancers of Chicago in On the Move at Varner Recital Hall on the Oakland University Campus on October 27th, 2007 at 8:00 p.m. The companies will perform five dances from their repertory including works by Laurie Eisenhower, Joel Hall and Ron DeJesus. This performance is presented by Oakland University's Department of Music, Theater and Dance, with support from Merrill Lynch and the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs.
"The On the Move program is an annual event," states EDE artistic director Laurie Eisenhower, "where we invite a company from out of state to share a program with us. Then later in the performing season, we share a program with them at their home base. So in May, EDE will be traveling to Chicago to share a program there. It's an exciting fusion of dance styles and it gives the audience an opportunity to see two companies at once."
EDE will perform two works choreographed by Laurie Eisenhower as well as a piece choreographed by EDE's Associate Artistic Director, Stephanie Pizzo. Eisenhower will be presenting a premiere that she set on the company this past month. The dance, titled Is this the Part, is set to cello music. "What's interesting about this music is that the cello is plucked, giving the music a very percussive sound," states Eisenhower. "I was inspired to create a work that is intense and driving. I'm excited to see it on the stage."
Eisenhower will also be presenting Songs Without Words, set to piano music by Felix Mendelssohn. Considered a repertory favorite, the dance features numerous sections that range from comedy, to subtle satire, to pure lyric movement. The dance also includes a virtuosic one-legged solo that has become an audience favorite.
Pizzo's contribution to the program is Strange Humors, which was originally created in collaboration with the Troy Wind Ensemble. This driving work for four women shows off the considerable talents of the EDE female dancers.
Joel Hall Dancers will be presenting Negro, choreographed by DeJesus, a stark quartet for four women dressed in black. They will also perform In the Shadow of Nina Simone, choreographed by Hall. This dramatic work, filled with quartets, duets and group sections, is performed to a combination of house music and the music of Nina Simone.
Now in its 17th year, EDE is a professional repertory company based in Rochester Hills, Michigan that has earned overwhelming critical acclaim along with enthusiastic audience support. Laurie Eisenhower founded the Eisenhower Dance Ensemble in the summer of 1991 in metropolitan Detroit. In addition to offering the area's premiere professional dancers, EDE gives world-class dance instruction to students of all ages and level of abilities at its two EDE Center for Dance locations, one in Rochester Hills and the other in Birmingham.
Over the past 33 years, the Joel Hall Dancers have achieved an international reputation as a quintessential contemporary American jazz ballet company: urban, sophisticated, and accessible. Mr. Hall has channeled the exhilarating diversity of his native city of Chicago into an explosive urban style. The Joel Hall Dance Center, which opened in 1976, is one of Chicago's largest dance education facilities. With over 150 adult and children's classes scheduled each week, it offers one of the most extensive dance and movement curriculums in the Midwest.
Eisenhower Dance Ensemble Announces Its 17th Season
Rochester Hills, MI: The 2007-2008 season of the Eisenhower Dance Ensemble (EDE), Michigan's premier contemporary dance company, will include four subscription concerts. EDE is a professional repertory company based in Rochester Hills, Michigan that has earned overwhelming critical acclaim along with enthusiastic audience support since its founding 17 years ago. The EDE 2007-2008 subscription concert schedule includes:
ON THE MOVE with Eisenhower Dance Ensemble and Joel Hall Dance Company
Saturday, October 27, 2007 at 8:00pm (Prelude 7:30pm)
Oakland University's Varner Recital Hall (Rochester, MI)
Presented by Oakland University's Department of Music, Theatre and Dance
Tickets: $15 adults, $12 seniors, $8 students
Box office: 248-370-3013
OTHER SIDE OF WINTER: A Dance and Music Celebration
Eisenhower Dance Ensemble with the Southpaw Isle Steelband
Saturday, December 8, 2007 at 8:00pm (Prelude 7:30pm)
Lake Orion Performing Arts Center
495 E. Scripps Road (Lake Orion, MI)
Tickets: $15 general admission, $10 students
Box Office: 248-559-2095
NewDANCEfest VI
Saturday, January 26, 2008 at 7:30pm (Prelude 7:00pm)
Troy High School Auditorium
4777 Northfield Parkway (Troy, MI)
Presented by the Troy School District Fine Arts Department
Tickets: $12 adults, $10 seniors, $6 students
Box office: 248-559-2095
BRIGHT SIDE OF THE ROAD: Dances from the Heart of Rock and Roll
Saturday, April 5, 2008 at 8:00pm
Macomb Center for the Performing Arts
44575 Garfield Road (Clinton Township, MI)
Tickets: $25 Gold Circle, $20 Adult, $15 Student/Senior
Box office: 586-286-2222
Experience the best of contemporary and jazz dance at Eisenhower Dance Ensemble's dazzling season opener, On the Move! Two nationally-known dance companies team up for an exhilarating evening of dance. Michigan's own premier dance company, Eisenhower Dance Ensemble, joins forces with Chicago's Joel Hall Dance Company to present an evening that stretches from drama to comedy to pure virtuosic movement. The performance will occur on Saturday, October 27 at 8 pm at Oakland University's Varner Recital Hall in Rochester, MI. Tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for seniors and $8 for students. Call the Box Office at 248-370-3013 for tickets.
Join EDE on Saturday, December 8 at 8 pm for OTHER SIDE OF WINTER: A Dance and Music Celebration, featuring a new premiere by guest choreographer Michael Foley and music by the Southpaw Isle Steelband under the direction of Mark Stone. The concert will also feature seasonal favorites with guest performances by the Oakland University Repertory Dance Company and the EDE Center for Dance student companies. This festival of dance and music is fun for the entire family! This concert will be held at the Lake Orion Performing Arts Center (Lake Orion, MI). Tickets are $15 for general admission and $10 for students. The Box Office is at 248-559-2095.
In January, EDE presents NewDANCEfest VI, a breathtaking program of new and favorite repertory including premiere works by Laurie Eisenhower and guest choreographer, Keisha Lalama-White. This annual showcase of choreography is a "must see" event! The performance will occur at 7:30 pm on Saturday, January 26 in the Troy High School Auditorium (Troy, MI). Tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for seniors and $6 for students. Phone 248-559-2095 to purchase tickets.
The season concludes with a performance of BRIGHT SIDE OF THE ROAD: Dances from the Heart of Rock and Roll, an exhilarating evening of dance set to classic and contemporary Folk and Rock music. The program will include "Tom's Songs," choreographed by Laurie Eisenhower, a heartfelt tribute which features music by Bob Dylan, Van Morrison and Bonnie Raitt, among others, and a new premiere work by EDE Associate Director, Stephanie Pizzo. This celebration of dance and music will have you "rockin" in your seats! It's on April 5, at 8:00 pm, at the Macomb Center for the Arts (Clinton Twp., MI). Tickets are $25 for Gold Circle seats, $20 for adults and $15 for students and seniors. Contact the Box Office at 586-286-2222.
Laurie Eisenhower founded the Eisenhower Dance Ensemble in the summer of 1991 in metropolitan Detroit. Many critics now consider it to be one of the finest contemporary dance companies in the Midwest. EDE's concert schedule has taken it to theatres throughout the United States as well as a tour to St. Petersburg, Russia. In addition to offering the area's premiere professional dancers, EDE offers world-class dance instruction to students of all ages and level of abilities at its two EDE Center for Dance Locations, one in Rochester Hills and the other in Birmingham.
For more information about EDE, please call 248-852-5850 or visit www.ede-dance.org.
