HELEN SIMONEAU DANSE

NEWSLETTER - WINTER 2015

Burr Johnson and Miles Yeung-Tieu. Photo by Stephanie Crousillat

It is with great pleasure that I share with you our recent events. This past Fall, I taught at UNCSA as a guest artist and created a piece for their Fall Concert. I was also fortunate to set a piece on the students of Elon University and taught a workshop at Slippery Rock University in PA and Peridance in NYC. Most recently, I began the creation of a new work for the company to premiere this coming March.

In addition, I ended the year with some exciting news. I am thrilled to announce that I have been commissioned by The Juilliard School for "New Dances." I'll be working with 24 dancers during the Fall of 2015 and will premiere the work along with 3 other choreographers on December 11th at the The Peter Jay Sharp Theater. Hope to see you there!

We have some exciting events coming up this winter with the creation of three new works, master classes, open rehearsals, and performances in Winston-Salem, Charlotte, and DC.

Wishing you a Happy New Year!

Helen

Recent Events

UNCSA Fall Dance

Dominica Greene. Photo by Peter Mueller

As a guest artist at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA) this Fall, I had the opportunity to create a new work titled Moonlight Parade. This piece for 13 dancers was performed to the percussive music of Michael Wall and Andy Hasenpflug with vibrant costumes by Kathryn Grillo.

Thank you to Susan Jaffe, Brenda Daniels, and everyone in the School of Dance for an amazing term. Thank you especially to the students for their commitment to the creation process and the performance of this piece.

Click here for more photos

Company Rehearsals in NYC

Photo by Stephanie Crousillat

It was a pleasure to return to the studio this past December to begin the creation of a new work with the company. Hannah Darrah, Kayla Farrish, Burr Johnson, and Miles Yueng-Tieu collaborated with me on this new quartet to premiere at our annual season at the Hanesbrands Theatre in Winston-Salem. We will then take it to the Patricia McBride and Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux Center for Dance (Home of Charlotte Ballet), and Dance Place in DC.

This new work titled The Task of Doing is created in tandem with an original score by composer Eric Schwartz which was recently recorded at John C. B. Wilson's SPOT Recording Studio and performed by Jacqui Carrasco, Alex Ezerman, Janet Orenstein, and Scott Rawls.

Click here for more photos

Upcoming Events

NC Company Season

Creation Residency, Outreach, and Performances

Company Creation Residency

UNCSA

Feb 2-28

We are thrilled to be in residence at UNCSA for the entire month of February. This rehearsal time will allow me to complete the creation of The Task of Doing as well as develop a duet for dancers Ariel Freedman and Kayla Farrish. I am also working on a solo originally created at The Bogliasco Study Center in Italy through a Bogliasco Fellowship.

Here is a preview of the new solo

courtesy of the Bogliasco Foundation:

The Bogliasco Foundation

Additional collaborators for the 2015 season include Meg Weeks and our apprentice Mia Cushnie.

Outreach, Master Classes,

and Open Rehearsals

Feb 2-28

Thanks to a grant from The Winston-Salem Foundation, we have been able ot extend our winter residency by one week to accommodate our outreach program. This allows us more opportunities to connect with the community. In addition to offering community classes to organizations throughout the area, we are also holding four open rehearsals and three master classes for the public. We hope you can join us!

For more information and directions, click here

NC Performances

2015 NC Season Poster. Photo by Christy Pessagno

Hanesbrands Theatre

Winston-Salem, NC

March 4, 5, 6 at 7:30pm

For tickets Click Here

March 4- Student Night and Post-Performance Discussion

March 5- Join us for a toast after the show hosted by Spring House

The company is thrilled to return to Hanesbrands Theatre for the our fifth annual season. We are preparing an exciting program featuring four NC premieres. In addition to the three new works mentioned above, we will present a solo choreographed and performed by long-time company member Kristin Taylor.

Get a 30% discount on General Admission!

Purchase 2 or more tickets before Feb 14th with promo code HSD5Years (for Hanesbrands Performances only)

Patricia McBride and Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux

Center for Dance

Home of Chalotte Ballet

Charlotte, NC

March 10 at 7:30pm

For tickets Click Here

We've expanded our NC season this year and are looking forward to bringing all three of my newest works to the Patricia McBride and Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux Center for Dance at Charlotte Ballet on March 10th.

Join our Facebook Event!

DC Performances

Ariel Freedman. Photo by Steve Davis

Dance Place, DC

March 14 at 8pm

March 15 at 7pm

For tickets Click Here

This March, we will present all three of my newest works at Dance Place, marking our DC debut. I am thrilled by this invitation. Thank you to Carla Perlo for this incredible opportunity.

In addition to two performances, we will have a master class followed by "Talk & Chew" on Saturday March 14, from 11am-12:30pm. We hope to see you there!

For more information click here

This engagement of Helen Simoneau Danse is made possible through the DC Special Presenters Initiative program of Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation with support from the National Endowment for the Arts and the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities. This performance is partially supported by The National Endowment for the Arts.

Welcome

Photo by Wanda Koch Photography

Blakeney Bullock

Administrative and

Rehearsal Assistant

BLAKENEY BULLOCK is a self-proclaimed kinetic activist who is a 2007 graduate of the UNC School of the Arts. Her NY performance credits include Lincoln Center, Judson Church, MoMa PS1, Cunningham Studio Theater and LaMaMa SoHo. She has had the opportunity to work with inspirations such as: Douglass Dunn, Heather Kravas, Mark Dendy as well as creating her own works. She's had the pleasure of traveling abroad, dancing throughout France and studying with Ann Adamovic, amazing woman and mentor. Blakeney is currently living in Winston-Salem NC, 2013 graduate of UNC Charlotte, where she continued her study in dance as well as her interests in economics, women's and gender studies. Her happiest moments are those shared with her pit bull Rhonda, the wonder dog of the universe.

You can see Blakeney's latest work at

Women's Showcase: Dance Performance by Female Choreographers of Charlotte

January 18th at 7:30pm.

For more info click here.

About us