Classic Jazz Dance – The Work of Danny Buraczeski and JAZZDANCE

The fact of my retirement is setting in. I don’t think I will actually feel it until mid-August when school starts up and I won’t have to go to SMU. Under normal circumstances, in mid-July, I would probably start looking for music for a new roll down. I don’t get on iTunes very much these days yet heard a great new across the floor song on NPR’s The World today. I will pursue it. It is by a group from Mali called A2VT. I have actually purchased it.

I have been working on two fronts – one is health care, transitioning from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas, BCBSTX, to Medicare/Medicaid. I will make that transition on August 1, 2018. The rules and regulations are many and they are complicated. I had to call Medicare and declare that as of August 1, Medicare would be my Primary. Rhonda Adams at SMU Human Resources has been helping with all of this. She is amazing and has been unbelievably helpful.

I am also enrolled in a health care subsidy program called Emeriti. It is managed by TIAA Creff. You choose your overall health care plan and also a prescription drug program. SMU provides generous subsidies. The plan I chose would have cost about $220 – with the subsidy, it is about $60/month.

Another crucial part of retirement is beginning to withdraw funds from my 401(k). This is even more complicated and mandatory. You need to submit a Minimum Distribution Request. I will begin to get monthly direct deposits in September. A representative from Transamerica, Todd Huttson, has been working with me. There are IRS tables that help you figure out exactly what you should ask for. This is now a done deal. The monthly minimum distribution in addition to my Social Security will be great.

Went to the Dedman Center for Lifetime Sports to transition my regular membership to a retiree membership. Can’t do that until August 1. (Lastly (I hope) I will need to get my retiree parking permit. I got my usual decal for the Meadows lot, but that was a mistake. I will trade it in for another version so I can still park on campus. Did that. Are we retired yet? Not quite, I’d say. I also need to get a new  retired faculty Emeriti ID. They were not able to do that. I am not officially retired in the system. Hoping things will change mañana.

All is finally done. This is my new Emeritus ID card. It is the same as my faculty/staff ID except that the colors are now reversed. Excellent!!

I have been doing a lot of research about my very first visit to the Twin Cities, trying to identify the year I collaborated with Zoe Sealy and the Minnesota Jazz Dance Company on a project dreamed up by Bonnie Brooks and the Minnesota Dance Alliance. We  would each do a work of our own (I did Lost life – Four Scenes from the Life of Art Pepper) I made a new work on Zoe’s company ( the first version of Pithecanthropus Erectus with great music by Charles Mingus). We collaborated on a new work with music by J.D. Steele and his family of amazing singers. It was called Child’s Play. I don’t remember what work Zoe presented. Linda Andrews, Artistic Director of the Zenon Dance Company, saw the concert, visited me in the dressing room and invited me to return and set a new work on Zenon. This began a regular series of artistic/choreographic visits.

I created Tanguedia in 1988 and Impending Bloom in 1989. I became Co-Artistic Director of Zenon 1n 1989 and subsequently created six more works. My contract was for three years. I decided to leave in the middle of the third year. I wanted to see if the community would support a rebirth of JAZZDANCE. They would and they did. Our first concert was at the O’Shaughnessy Auditorium at the College of Saint Catherine in St. Paul in April 1993. JAZZDANCE closed it’s doors in the spring of 2005. It was off to Dallas and SMU. That makes nineteen years from 1986 – 2005.

Those are the facts and only the facts. What is missing are all the extraordinary people that  helped along the way, making for an ongoing love affair with the Twin Cities.

I would begin with Cynthia Mayeda. When I was hoping to restart JAZZDANCE, I had lunch with Cynthia. She was the head of arts funding at the Dayton Hudson Foundation. She was very positive and said I should apply. We were funded. Years later, Cynthia moved to New York and rented a lovely basement garden apartment from Trevor Lewis and Mathew Goulet on 18th Street. They all became great friends.

Our first concert at the O’Shaughnessy was supported by the then programming director, Susan Federbusch. She was a big fan of my work and wanted to help in any way possible. She gave JAZZDANCE a lot of financial breaks. We would negotiate what the box office split would be. She was married to Barry Graceman. They personally donated on a regular basis. Susan got a job as director of the Reif Center for the Performing Arts in Grand Rapids, Minnesota (the birthplace of Judy Garland). She bought the company there once.

Small city life was not for Susan. She came back to the Twin Cities. She and Barry now live in San Diego.

The McKnight Foundation played a huge role in the success of JAZZDANCE. Neal Cuthbert was the head of the arts program, marries to Louise Robinson, head of the Dance Alliance. He was a passionate supporter. When we did the all live music program of Among These Cares, 21st Century Stride and Ezekiel’s Wheel, he broke with foundation protocol and sent me a personal note remarking that it was was the best dance performance he had ever seen in the Twin Cities.

Individual supporters were interesting. Sage and John Cowles were very generous. John was the former owner of the Minneapolis StarTribune. Many said that asking for their support was tricky. It worked out great for me, multiple year continuous support.

Their were small family foundations that gave small grants to dance companies. Among them were the Sewell Family Foundation (James Sewell of the James Sewell Ballet) and the David Moore Family Foundation. David’s grandfather (maybe – someone in the family, wrote The Night Before Christmas. The royalties are still substantial.

In the Twin Cities, June 10 – June 19 to set Points on a Curve on the Eclectic Edge Ensemble. Karis Sloss is the Artistic Director. It is their fifteenth anniversary. Husband Les came with me for the first three days. It is his first visit back to Minneapolis since we moved to Dallas in 2005. He has had a great time and everyone loved seeing him.

I was fortunate to have Mariusz Olszewski, once again, help with the restaging. He did an amazing job at SMU. I am getting better about knowing the dance as a whole but the ballroom influenced duet is beyond me. Although I must say, watching Mariusz so closely, I am getting better about knowing what that is al about. Judith E. James Ries also came in and was so helpful.

We rehearsed at Ballare Teatro, Ann Williams’ studio on Minnehaha Avenue – great studio, but like SMU’s bowling alley, long but not very deep. There is an identical studio one floor below, but with a low ceiling. I was down there with the trio while Mariusz was upstairs working on the duet. We set the entire dance in four days. They did it at SMU in six days. Karis did the casting before I got there and that was a great idea. The duet is danced by Mallory Dykema and Timothy Herian. They are great together.

Erin Thompson came by to watch rehearsals on Friday. We were at TU Dance in Saint Paul, a large space. Timothy was a student of hers at the U of M. She said he can do anything and she is right – a natural – great questions. The trio is Allison Doughty Marquesen, Heather Annis (she came to the first Teaching Jazz Dance Symposium at SMU) and Sarah Beck-Esmay. The two understudies were Sarah Pieper and Joe Svihel. They all worked well together – very supportive – great work ethic.

The EEE 15th Anniversary concert opens tonight!!! July 19, 2018.

Finally got the program from Karis. The signatures of the last and the understudies is on the back.

Twin Cities Jazz Dancers were there. From left to right, Joanne Horn Spencer, Judith E. James Ries, Mariusz Olszewski and Dana Kassel at the very right. The best faces, the best people.

Here is a review.

We were able to have dinner on Wednesday night at Judith’s home I Saint Paul. She has a beautiful home and two great children – Everett and Wil. She also has a new door named Walter. I want that dog.

Dana and Eric came. Dana made risotto. Their beautiful daughter is Frances. Joanne Horn Spencer and Joe Spencer also came. Joe grilled salmon and vegetables. We had lots of Rose. It was a most lovely evening.

Les and I stayed with Margaret and Dan Shulman. They are the most amazing people, wonderful friends and longtime supporters of JAZZDANCE. They lived on Lake of the Isles, the house where I found the music for Swing Concerto. They then moved to the 121 Franklin Avenue. They rented the carriage house to Les and me. It was the last place we lived before moving to Dallas. We loved living there.

They then bought a house on the corner of 24th and Pillsbury, a beautiful mansion that originally belonged to the Dayton family (Dayton Hudson Department Stores).

They have been renovating it for years. There is an apartment in the basement where Margaret’s parents lived until they passed away. There is an apartment on the top floor where Dan’s son Davis and family live and then there are many, many bedrooms, a music room and a spectacular kitchen. Margaret loves to cook. We share recipes all the time. Dan bakes pies and makes his own mustard. He is an attorney at a large law firm downtown. Margaret was a civil rights attorney but is now retired.

When you are a guest in their house, you come and go as you please. I usually have coffee with Margaret in the morning and we catch up gradually. It is warm and supportive. I routinely send them sweet jalapeño pickles. They are very addictive. I have three jars in the cupboard right now. I just sent Margaret a cookbook called The Flavor Matrix. I hope to pick out a recipe and have us try it at the same time and then compare notes. The best.

My retirement has officially begun. On Monday May 21, I had lunch with Deepa Liegel and Reid Conlon. They were in town for the wedding of Nicole Carson and to attend the Meadows Diploma Ceremony. Both of them live in New York now. It is that typical New York story. Deepa is an apprentice with the Limon company, dancing from 9-5 and getting a salary. She is being considered as a permanent member of the company. Reid is dancing for Elisa Monte, getting paid only for performances (even then, not that much), rehearsing Tuesdays and Thursdays for four hours. His contract is up soon. He is not going to seek a renewal. He works part time at a high end cosmetics store (something like Kiehl’s). I talked about this with my students all the time. You and your best friend could go to New York together. In a week, one could be on Broadway and the other might take a few years to get somewhere. It is a crapshoot and does not have a lot to do with talent. Reid and Deepa both have talent to spare. He will be fine.

On Tuesday, I had a second steroid injection from Dr. Pablo Zeballos to alleviate my lumbar stenosis. It is amazing how quickly it works. It is, however, a bit expensive. I have my Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas benefits through the end of July and plan on using them as much as possible.

Wednesday, I had the dreaded Jury Duty. I had deferred as many time as I could. Finally wrote and said I could not consider serving until after graduation, May 19. Sure enough, I get called on May 23. I served on a criminal case about two years ago and it was hideous experience, concerning child abuse. I have strong memories about the case and feel the defendant was found guilty because he had an awful attorney. So – I reported at 8am, one group was finally called around 9:30 and the rest of us just sat and waited. We were all dismissed around 11am and there was an audible sigh of relief in the room. I can’t be called again for six months. That would be mid-November. I hope to defer until my 71st birthday. At 71 you are excused permanently. Here’s hoping.

I have on more bit of business in the Division of Dance, my keys. These are the keys I was given when I first started teach at SMU in August of 2005. They are apparently very unique. I have my office key and the key to the dance office linked together.

Also have keys for B-100, Studio B-120, and 1430 upstairs. This is apparently unusual. It was great for me to come in over break, open the studio and work on my classes or choreography. I am in negotiation to have them given to Brandi. She should have them. There is some pushback referring to “security” issues but I think that is a bit bogus. Someone on the dance faculty should have those keys and that access. There are a lot of policy decisions made that don’t make much sense or are not thought through. Earlier this year there was a security policy put in place that we needed to report our whereabouts at all times when we were in the building – outside our regular teaching schedules. That kind of just faded away but at the time it was presented as a matter of life and death. Anyway, I don’t have to bother with that anymore.

It is a done deal. Went to Meadows today and matched all the keys I had to the studios. As luck would have it, Brandi was there rehearsing. She now has keys to the dance office, B-100, B-120 and 1430. I put Patty’s key other new office and that will go into the mail later this afternoon!

It is Thursday April 19. I am in the final weeks of the semester before retiring. Things are going well. The retrospective concert was a huge success in every way. There was a great review in Theater Jones and Rick Nelson, critic for the Minneapolis StarTribune wrote a lovely article called How to celebrate a dancer’s retirement? With dance, of course. I have five classes left in Jazz III, one more faculty senate meeting, three days of student Evals, the last faculty meeting of the semester and commencement on Saturday May 19. That will be the official end. There is also a very fancy dinner for retirees at a club with a dress code. I have decided that I won’t attend. My dance card is getting very full.

We are going out to Fort Worth with Patty, our Chair to do interviews with Les Johnson and myself as the final pieces for the documentary. The documentary will include excerpts from the concerts, the panel discussion and oral histories with Cathy Young, Linda Andrews, and Mariusz Olszewski. I am really looking forward to the finished product.

Jazz III decided to revisit Mahalia Jackson for their movement finale. We are doing In the Upper Room again. I never tire teaching it and all the students in the Division have done it at some point. It is a great way to end things on the teaching front.

We will be doing it next Thursday, April 26. I will, of course film it with my trusty Kodak flip camera. Don’t know when I bought it – a long time ago – but I have been using it probably for ten years. It takes great quality HD video. Over the years, the Division has bought faculty various recording devices, mini DVD cameras, cameras that used a sim card, but nothing can compare to my flip camera. On one of my trips home to Mount Carmel, I actually filmed the Mother of Consolation  grave yard and and the All Saints resting place just outside of Elysberg, Pennsylvania where my mother, father, Anna and Joe Savidge and Joe and Bertha Chesney are all buried.

The Office – I have been slowly moving out of my office. All the books are gone except for The Price of the Ticket, a large anthology of James Baldwin’s essays, prose and poetry. I have one name banner from the National Endowment for the Arts left as well. The last to go will be the posters and photos hanging on the walls. My next door office neighbor, Anne Westwick who teaches Yoga, Modern, Ballet and Composition has happily agreed to take my mini-fridge. I had a defunct TV/VCR and an old “boom box”. Meadows Facilities took them to be recycled. The drawers are empty except for a few papers I might need. Here are my almost empty shelves.

Here are some of the photos on the wall above my desk.

Center is a JAZZDANCE poster from 1998, celebrating the 100th birthday of Duke Ellington. I choreographed the full length Scene Unseen, commissioned Cathy Young to create Zero Cool and inited Zoe Sealy to restaged her New Orleans Suite. In the middle is a photo of Judith E. James Ries and Jeffery Peterson for GET HAPPY (The Judy Garland Project). Below is a gift from Simon Sargon, a page from the score of Deep Ellum Nights. To the far left, it’s the amazing Betsy Haug teaching across the floor sequences at the Ron Forella studio. Top right, I am lifting Cathy Yong – below that is Angela Lansbury in MAME., singing That’s How Young I Feel. In the photo, I am to her left.

Just back from my last Faculty Senate meeting. It was special because they gave out the Outstanding Staff awards. Chuck Donaldson & Janet Stephens were among the winners. They are amazing. They work in Meadows as advising specialists. They split up the alphabet and help students and the faculty who advise those students expert advice on how to graduate on time.

At the moment, there are three versions of the University Curriculum running concurrently. Students most often want to double major or have a minor in addition to their BFA in Dance Performance. Chuck & Janet help us navigate this sometimes complicated process. They are the best – Congratulations!

I will be teaching my last Jazz III class tomorrow.

My last class in the Division of Dance is now behind me. It was a great group, just big enough, very focused and very positive.

Saw the Senior Dance Concert last night. Kendell Miller-Roberts created the most amazing dance. She is a double major in Dance and Human Rights. It has been so interesting getting to know her. I think she is the perfect example of what a liberal arts education is all about. All that is left is data transfer from SMU’s laptop to my personal laptop – that’s tomorrow. A faculty meeting on Tuesday (I may make some food) and three days of Evaluations, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. The graduation ceremony is on Saturday May 19.

In the midst of the first days of evaluations. All phots are gone from my office. I just know that when I do move out, there will still be a box full of stuff. I gave my Bose sound system back to the Division.  It have used it in all my technique classes and in all of my rehearsals. I was able to buy it with funds left over from the Teaching Jazz Symposium, the first of which was in June of 2012 – six years of remarkable service.

There was dinner last night (May 8) for retiring faculty sponsored by the Provost Steve Currall . I was not able to attend. The Provost’s administrative assistant dropped off a gift this morning. It is a beautiful midnight blue bowl designed by Elsa Peretti. It is inscribed: Professor Daniel Buraczeski Southern Methodist University 2006 – 2018. I thought there was a mistake since I started at SMU in 2005. Myra and Patty said that it starts when I was hired as full-time faculty. I was a Visiting Artist in Jazz in 2005. Makes sense.

More retirement events. Just got these beautiful flowers from former New York City jazz dancer, Tee Scatuorchio.

Scene Unseen Lives – got an E-mail from Carter Alexander yesterday. Carter is an amazing ballet teacher who has been hired for an entire year at SMU, 2018-2019. The students love him.They learn a lot. He was let go when the Division hired Complexions co-artistic directors Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson for a year. Carter also choreographs and has made a new work for the Launch of Ballet Dallas. Ballet Dallas will now be the professional company of Contemporary Ballet Dallas, the school on Mockingbird Lane. Are we confused yet? There are to be four premieres. One woman is in all four dances and to give her a short break, Carter thought it would be great to have Adrian Aguirre and Albert Drake perform Scene Unseen. I said yes, of course and we got all the details worked out – costumes and chairs. Our chairs are gone again for a few days, as they were for weeks in preparation for the retrospective of my work.

All that is left in my office is a roll of paper towels, an NEA nameplate and the James Baldwin book, The Price of the Ticket. Graduation is on Saturday. After that, the last controversy will be turning in my keys. I want Brandi to have them. I hope that happens.

Song Awakened Lives – another dance continues to stay vibrant and alive. Zenon will perform Song Awakened at St. Catherine University in Saint Paul June 8 & 9. It used to be the O’Shaughnessy Auditorium at the College of St.  Catherine. Song Awakened had its JAZZDANCE premiere there in 2001. Zenon performed the dance in Dallas as part of the mini-retrospective. It was beautiful. The ensemble work, in particular, was breathtaking. This is wonderful symmetry.

SCHEDULE – This is the schedule I used to keep track of the spring 2018 semester. This schedule is also posted on a site called CANVAS, but I am a huge fan of paper, sorry. I find it easier to remember things is I have read them on a piece of paper, as opposed to a digital version.

It is Sunday May 20. The countdown has come to a conclusion. Last night the graduation diploma ceremony was held at 6:30 outside in front of the Meadows School of the Arts. It was just above 90 degrees and the program lasted an hour and three quarters. The Division of Dance presented their graduates at about 7:45. The faculty all move to the side to individually congratulate the students. I always go to the end of the line. It has been a tradition fo me to hand them a rolled up “jazz dance diploma”. It is this wonderful quote by James Brown. At the end of the ceremony, the dance faculty met in the office for a champagne toast in honor of my retirement, Patty’s upcoming sabbatical and Christopher taking over as Chair. Myra left the graduation ceremony early – not feeling well.

I had just odds and ends left in my office, a lamp, bottled water and this amazing gift that Tori Walker made for me. Just back from retrieving them. So, Tori, using this website, I’m sure, matched a recipe with every single dance I have choreographed.It took my breath away, yet again, Ms. Tori Walker. There are a few photographs that I don’t have and have no idea how she found them. It is a lot to take in.

This will most likely be then end of the Countdown post.

Opening night has come and gone (Wednesday April 4) It has been both wonderful and stressful. During the Tuesday Dress, TJ fell at the very end of In the City. He has  been getting over an injury. Rushed to the urgent care center, he returned at the end of the concert – no dancing for a while. There are no other men. The amazing Tori Walker of button fame was the rehearsal assistant for In the City. She said she could do it. She spent all afternoon going over the choreography. By the time the full cast got together on stage, she was ready. I made a plan to take her out of the andante, since it had a bit of partnering. She said she could do that as well. She was right. She went on last night and was fantastic. She is now a legend in the school.

Next – Kyle Sangil, the lead in Swing Concerto and an ensemble performer in In the City, pulled his calf muscle. He went to the physical therapist and though it as not a bad pull, it would have been hard  to dance. We spent most of the day today trying to figure out what to do. One plan was to do Program B – no Swing Concerto. Hopefully, Kyle would be fully functional by Friday and we could go back to Program A. Program A also had the Billy Strayhdorn duet Scene Unseen on it and our Chair, Patty Harrington Delaney spent a chunk of time trying contact them about that possibility. Ultimately they said yes, and more ultimately, we didn’t need to switch programs. Kyle said he could do it. Luckily, both physical therapists who work with the dancers will be at the performance tonight. Onward!

Last night, Saturday April 7, we did program A followed by a reception. It was a truly inspired performance from all the dancers and the reception afterwards was wonderful – great food, great wine and lots of friends and family. There were a lot of alums, most of whom flew in especially for the concert. They are Katherine Rygiel, Reid Conlon, Shauna Davis, Hannah Hess, Alison Leopold, Emily Perry, Lauren Perry, Madison McKay, Aaron Kozak and Bre’Ann Berger (now Mrs. Kozak), Vanessa Trevino (E-mail), Abby Marchesseault and Deepa Liegel (video).

Dancers from Minneapolis kept showing up, some I knew about and others were a complete surprise – Joanne Horn Spencer, Dana Kassel, Gary Peterson, James Davies, Christine McGuinnes, Denise Amstead, Mary Hansmeyer and Cass. My amazing chiropractor, Kevin Smith came with his wife. Dr. Smith has worked with countless SMU dancers and teachers. Neighbors Rod Serrate and Liz Branch came as well as SMU colleagues Hank Hammett and Dale Dietert.

This is the full Minneapolis contingent – Gary Peterson, Dana Kassel, Joanne Horn Spencer, Mary Hansmeyer, me in the front.

Danny and Shauna Davis, Danny and Caeli Blake, Danny and two great neighbors from Roswell Street, Rod Serette and Liz Branch – also Danny with Katie Hopsicker and Elli Hamm, two first years cast in Points. They were great.

I had so much support from the Division putting this concert together. Anne Westwick was rehearsal director for In the City, Brandi Coleman the same for Points on a Curve, Tori Walker helped with all the dances. Myra Woodruff and Shelley Berg have come to all the performances the far. Our Chair, Patty Harrington Delaney worked tirelessly, devoting energy and resources to make the retrospective a success. I am grateful to all of them.

I think we all did a great job with casting. All the women were double cast with the exception of the folk dancers in Swing Concerto. Everyone danced beautifully with great musicality and expressivity.

AND, we have our chairs back. They were used in the Strayhorn duet, Scene Unseen. They are the original chairs bought at an unpainted furniture store in Minneapolis in 1998. It is great having them back.

I got lots of cards from students and faculty. This is from Isabella Panko, a wonderful dancer and great in class.

One last review from Many Mendoza!

Here is the program.

The amazing Tori Walker has done it again. She made buttons for everyone in the concert –  wonderful.

It reminded me – when I was dancing with Liza Minnelli in The Act on broadway at the Majestic Theater, the show was nominated for Best Choreography (among other things). We were up against Bob Fosse’s Dancing’. I thought Ron Lewis’ choreography was better, more inventive. I made buttons for everyone to support our cause. Still have it.

It’s Wednesday April 4, 2018 and it’s Opening Night!!!!!

Since the Division of Dance is honoring me on the eve of my retirement with a mini retrospective of my choreography for the spring MainStage concert, I thought I would look back at other events spanning time in both New York and Minneapolis.

Before moving to the Twin Cities and becoming co-artistic director of Zenon/JAZZDANCE with Linda Andrews, I produced a retrospective performed at the Theater of the Riverside Church. It was in April of 1989. Former dancers Tee Scatuorchio, Bob Rabin and Gina Kraut came back to perform. Trevor Lewis, board Chair was the master of ceremonies. It was a very long program.

After having separated from Zenon, establishing a reborn JAZZDANCE in 1991, the company regularly performed at the O’Shaughnessy Auditorium at the College of St. Catherine. Susan Federbusch was the presenter and a big fan. We had a spring season March 19-22, 1998. I had my 50th birthday on March 17. The dancers blindfolded me after the concert and took me to a restaurant for a surprise birthday bash. Becky Bowden, Abby Levine Saxon and Shelley Rice came and I had a few video tributes. It was a raucous evening and I got quite blotto.

Having accepted a position as Visiting Artist at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, JAZZDANCE presented a two week retrospective of my work called A Life in Dance.    It was presented at the Southern Theater in Minneapolis April 14-17 and April 21-23, 2005. Again many former company members including Cathy Young, Dana Kassel, Joanne Horn Spencer, Judith E. James Ries and Jennifer Wolverton came back to perform. Les Johnson, retired former jazz dancer also performed. There was a huge benefit reception and Dennis Diamond of Video D made a documentary with multiple interviews. Jefferson James, who first presented the company in Cincinnati was there and Lisa Booth and Deirdre Valente, our artistic and booking representatives came from New York. It was glorious. I didn’t imagine the A Life in Dance would continue at SMU for another thirteen years!

So, I have found some beautiful and unusual music for me final roll down. I am only teaching Jazz III in the spring semester. The music I found is called Plum Blossom by Yuseff Lateef. He plays flute. I won’t start working on it until the new year, but I have a start.

I have been using the music in Jazz III. It is  good way to start class. No more!!

Auditions for Swing Concerto and In the City were held on January 25. Former dancer and great friend Mariusz Olszewski flew in on Friday January 26 and we did the Points on a Curve audition together. Casting followed, which is always a bit dicey. We try and double cast all the women in the Division. We have just enough guys to make the concert work. Done!

Rehearsals for Points began on Monday the 29th. Swing Concerto rehearsed opposite.  Original cast member Judith E James Ries came from Minneapolis for two days. They did an amazing job and got two casts up and running. The duet is not double cast, the other three women are. We did a great job with the casting.

Tori Walker is assisting me with Swing Concerto.

We got three out of four sections put together. The solo, the group Klezmer and the Artie Shaw section. This is Kyle Sangil, cast as the soloist for the retrospective.

This is Reid Frye, the soloist in Swing Concerto in the fall of 2015. He was great, one of my favorite dancers. The other photo from fall 2015 is the Mexican Jumping Beans step. I asked Adrian Aguirre is there is such a thing. He said there is a bug that moved like a jumping frijole. There it is!

Next is the reconstruction of In the City, set to Three Dances from On the Town.

The work was created in 2013. I hosted the first Teaching Jazz Dance symposium at SMU in June 2016. The next week was a total right knee replacement. I started back teaching in October. During the break between semesters, I went into the studio alone and started to work on movement vocabulary. I had the best time enjoying the fact that I could still create a new dance. In the City was performed on the Hope stage in April 2013 and also at the Winspear in May 2013 as part of Meadows at the Winspear, a huge fundraising event for scholarships. The music is very challenging. There are three sections. I am hoping to have the opening and the andante done this week. The andante, in particular is very inspired by Aaron Copland. I actually choreographed an evening length work titled COPLAND/Music & Imagination at the Southern Theater in Minneapolis in June 2001 and mined that evening for movement ideas. An interesting aside – I have used such great music for my dances over the years and never once was questioned about the rights. The Copland evening got great reviews. Apparently there is someone at Boosey & Hawkes that keeps a lookout for people using Copland’s music without permission. I got a call one afternoon, congratulating me on the evening’s success, asking about paying for the rights. We worked out a deal. Caught!!!!

Things are going well. After a week of rehearsals, we have put together the first and second sections. Tori Walker is just amazing, with a great breadth of knowledge and insight. The rehearsal director is Anne Westwick -such a wonderful eye for dance. In the City will be clean!

It is March 1st and we will probably finish In the City tonight. I must say, the music is just extraordinary, always hear new things. I think I did it justice with the choreography. Onward!

Swing Concerto is also done. We are cleaning and working on stamina. Excellent!

In the City was indeed finished this past Friday. Albert Drake and Adrian Aguirre are coming in to remember the duet from Scene Unseen. We put it together at the end of last semester. Things are going well.

Here is the spicy poster for the spring 2018 concert.