STEPHAN KOPLOWITZ: TASKFORCE - Company Biogs

CHOREOGRAPHER/DIRECTOR: Stephan Koplowitz

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Stephan Koplowitz is an award winning director/choreographer/media artist internationally known for his work on the concert stage and for creating original site-specific multi-media works for architecturally significant sites. His site work aims to alter people’s perspectives of place, site, and scale, all infused with a sense of the human condition.

Since 1984 he has created 56 works and has been awarded 40 commissions. He is the recipient of a 2004 Alpert Award in the Arts (Dance), a 2003 Guggenheim Fellowship in Choreography in addition to a 2000 New York Dance and Performance Award, “Bessie” for Sustained Achievement in Choreography. Koplowitz is also the recipient of six National Endowment for the Arts Choreography Fellowships from (1988-97).

In 1996, his site-specific work Genesis Canyon, commissioned by the Dance Umbrella Festival for the Natural History Museum in London, won Time Out Magazine’s Award for Best Dance Production of 1996. He has created site-specific works for NY’s Lincoln Center (2001), the internet based Webbed Feats NY’s Bryant Park (1997), the British Library (1998), a coal processing plant in Essen, Germany (1999), the windows of Grand Central Terminal, Fenestrations, seen first in 1987 by 16,000 and re-commissioned in 1999 and viewed by 45,000 people. In 2004, he premiered his Grand Step Project: Flight, performed by 50 dancers, made for grand staircases found in six different sites in Manhattan, the Bronx and Brooklyn. In 2007, he was commissioned by Summers Stages Dance to create a site-specific work for the newly opened Institute for Contemporary Art (ICA) in Boston. The work, (iseea), was named one of the best dance productions of 2007 by the Boston Globe. In 2008 he premiered Stephan Koplowitz: TaskForce, a site-specific touring dance company, which created three days of performances in Idyllwild, CA and seven consecutive days of performances in greater Los Angeles, all inspired by sites pertaining to the theme of “water”. After working and living in New York City for 23 years, Koplowitz, in 2006 accepted the position of Dean of Dance at the California Institute of the Arts.

“For Stephan’s full biography please click here or see www.koplowitzprojects.com for more info about his work.

COMPOSER/MUSICIAN: Hugh Nankivell

“In my teens I discovered Bach and Oscar Peterson, composed the music for Milton Keynes’ Concrete Cows, played in rock and jazz bands in Birmingham and spent three months busking in Europe. In my twenties I did a music degree, played three summers at the Edinburgh Festival, became Musician-in-Residence for Tyne and Wear Museums, visited Korea and Japan and helped set up Sound Sense.

“In my thirties I toured Poland, Japan and the USA with East Whistle, worked with the ROH, Halle, Opera North and Glyndebourne, wrote a song a week for two years and wrote an MPhil on composing in groups. In my forties I wrote an opera with communities in Japan and West Yorkshire, wrote a chapter in a book ‘Community Music A Handbook’ and won an award for best music from Scottish Theatre Critics.”

Since living in Devon Hugh has been commissioned as artist in residence for Dartmoor National Park, Hidden Cities (Plymouth) and for dance piece ‘Ocean’ for the Barbican Theatre Plymouth. He helped form theatre company ‘Blazing Tales’, consulted for a Anglo-Chinese project in Morecambe, led workshops for Sage Gateshead and is currently researching creativity with 3-year-olds in Tokyo and Torquay, arranging British performances of Whaletone Opera, (www.whaletone.co.uk) and inventing an audio walk project searching for pianos with theatre director Wils Wilson (www.keystothesea.co.uk).

VIDEOGRAPHER: Gorav Kalyan

Gorav Kalyan is a Los Angeles-based film director, cinematographer and editor.

His short film, “After the Funeral,” was an official selection at the 2007 AFI Fest and 2008 Black and White Film Festival in Porto, Portugal. Born in Buffalo, NY, Gorav graduated from the College of New Jersey with a degree in Philosophy. He is currently pursuing his Masters in Fine Arts in Film Directing at the California institute of the Arts.

DANCERS

Philine Janssens

Philine trained in contemporary dance and ballet. She recently worked for Stijn Celis at the Vlaamse Opera (Antwerp) and with Yasmeen Godder in Jaffa (Tel Aviv). Since moving to London in 2004 she also performed at the Royal Opera House (Turandot, choreography Kate Flatt), as a soloist for the English National Opera (AIDA, choreography Jonathan Lunn) and for In the Wings productions (UK tour Peter and the Wolf, choreography Didi Veldman). Other work include contemporary choreographers Lara Stefansdottir and Yael Asher, physical theatre performances with BoXd production, contact-improvisation jams and performances with SnapDragonDance and Contact Impro London and stage-fighting and acting for short film company The Alpha Channel productions. Previous work in Belgium include Trespass company (Ken Hioco), Studio Wambach and the Royal Ballet of Flanders. Philine was also recently commissioned as a choreographer for the Place Prize 2008 and has an MA in Choreography and in Dance for the Screen.

Rosalind Noctor

Rosalind graduated with a National Diploma in Performing Arts from Bird College. She then, continued her postgraduate education at London Contemporary Dance School and worked with amongst others, Trisha Brown Dance Company, for works set on the postgraduate company, Edge. Since then, Rosalind has danced and toured with companies Evolving Motion, Sara Crow & Co, Nu Tempo Dance and Darkin Ensemble, performing in Europe, Brazil and Singapore. Rosalind has also been pursuing her other creative interests, most recently in designing and making costumes for, ‘Vanishing Point’, directed by Cathy Seago. In 2006 she co-directed, choreographed, styled and performed in art film, ‘Hedgehogs and Honeybeads’ which proceeded to be awarded the film with, ‘Most Artistic Merit’ at Motion Plymouth ’07 festival and short listed in The Art Bereg Film Festival ’07 in Russia. She currently teaches contemporary technique and performance classes, at The University of Winchester, whilst continuing to work on her personal projects.

Ezekiel Oliveira

Ezekiel is originally from Lisbon where he studied New Circus and Performing Arts, after that Ezekiel moved to London and graduated from London Contemporary Dance School. Since his graduation Ezekiel has performed for John Fulljames ‘Snegurochka’ for Wexford Opera Festival, Tamsin Fitzgerald,‘State of Matter’ U.K. tour. Hofesh Shechter, ‘ Watch this Space’ Birmingham International Dance Festival, Touchdown Dance Company,’ Closer’. Alongside performing, Ezekiel is a regular collaborator for London Fashion Week choreographing and co-creating fashion shows with DayDream Nation.

Megan Saunders

Megan graduated from Laban with a distinction in MA Dance performance as a member of Transitions Dance Company. During her time with Transitions Dance Company she worked with choreographers Allison Brown, Miguel Pereira, Lost Dog and Rosemary Butcher. Other performance experience includes work with UpSwing Aerial, dance theatre artist Keiran Sheehan and choreographer Leila McMillan. She has also worked a performer and choreographer for Transition_Opera’s productions which incorporate live music, dance and digital technology as well as coordinated, performed in and co-choreographed partly improvised pieces at festivals Camp Bestival and Truck Festival 2008. She has experience in varied education and community and currently works as an animateur for Richard Alston Dance Company and iceandfire theatre. www.megansaundersdance.com

Caitlin Smith

Caitlin trained at the Laban Centre London. She has worked in dance and dance theatre in the UK and Germany with companies including 103 Falling Birds, Theater der Klaenge, IPDancers and Diversity Dance. She has been involved in theatre productions with Slung Low and The Wrestling School as well as choreographing and moving directing for theatre including Encompassment Theatre and Actors Themselves and last year choreographing dance theatre piece Breakpoint.

Kylie Sudds

Kylie began her training at Lewisham College where her interest in site-specific projects was awakened, performing at the Queens House in Greenwich, with the company Edwards and Watton. Kylie finished her training at The Northern School of Contemporary Dance and The Rotterdam Dance Academy, where she had the opportunity to work with Andre Gingras and DDDD Division. Kylie has also worked for, Disneyland Resort Paris as an interactive puppeteer, Green Candle and Motionhouse Dance Theatre, amongst others and most recently co-founded her own dance company Ten in Paris, performing as a curtain raiser at the concert for the hip rock group The DO. Kylie is delighted to be part of the Taskforce team.

Kevin Williamson

Kevin Williamson is a dancer and choreographer who graduated from UCLA’s Department of World Arts and Cultures in 2004. Since he has performed for David Gordon, Julie Taymor, Angelin Preljocaj, Sebastian Prantl, Stephan Koplowitz, Kate Hutter, Fatima Robinson, Ryan Heffington and Maria Gillespie in Los Angeles, New York City and Vienna. Kevin began pursuing choreography while at UCLA – creating works for the Fringe Festival Scotland, Highways Festival of Student work, and Miami’s Winter Music Conference. In 2007 he co-directed L.A. Contemporary Dance Co.‘s first full evening “pinky swear” with artistic director Kate Hutter. A year later, LACDC commissioned him to create his first long form work entitled “Excavating Gray”. Kevin is the full time dance educator at Chadwick School in Palos Verdes. Williamson’s interest is in the fragility of structured improvisation in conjunction with idiosyncratic modern choreography.

Alexandria Yalj

Happily returning for her second installment of TASKFORCE, Alexandria is a performer and choreographer, native to New York City, now residing in California, USA.

Alexandria has been dancing since she could walk, but only began formal training while attending Montclair State University. Before graduating with a BFA in dance Alexandria studied dance as well as social science at Middlesex University in the United Kingdom. Now holding a MFA in choreography from the California Institute of the Arts, Alexandria now teaches, produces, and continues to create work and perform. Her over all objective is to stretch the boundaries of diverse art forms and to free dance from an exclusively dance oriented audience.

REHEARSAL MANAGER: Clair Beckett

Clair trained at Middlesex University gaining a BA Honors Degree in Dance Performance. Whilst in London she danced with Cloud Dance Company and performed in venues including Sadlers Wells, Arts Depot and The Place.
Her training involved a strong grounding in the Humphrey Technique and from this came a further opportunity of training in Chicago with the Humphrey Society and Momenta Dance Company.
During volunteering on many projects in London, Clair discovered her love for community dance and while working for Corali Dance Company decided to learn more about dance in the community and dance performance combined. She then returned to Plymouth to teach and volunteered on Attik Dance project Into The Woods Project. Clair is now a Community Dance Practitioner with Attik.

COLLABORATING ARTISTS

Attik Dance – Camera Obscura

Attik began life in 1989, when Lois Taylor and Dougie Bruce worked from the Sterts Centre on Bodmin Moor. Gradually, the partnership expanded to include other artists and bring in choreographers to devise work.

In 1998, Attik moved to Plymouth, creating early work that toured nationally to small scale theatre. More recently they have been exploring where else the work can happen from beaches to town centres. Their artistic activity is a vehicle to deliver professional development and a dynamic education & community programme. The company believes dance is for everyone – whether it’s watching or taking part – and aims to free the imagination and empower others with the confidence and skills to enjoy dance at any level.

Emily Dobson – Camera Obscura

Ella Huhne – Smeaton’s Tower

Ella Huhne is a theatre designer and a potter. She has designed sets and costumes for dance, modern ballet, theatre, opera and television, including Sadler’s Wells, the Exeter Festival and costumes for the Royal Ballet. Her pots are inspired by her work with dancers. In 2007 she founded Landance, which instigates workshops and dance performances in the Devon landscape. This year’s performance, Border Dance, will be held in September on the Devon / Somerset border in the Blackdown Hills.

Dan Farberoff – Buckland Abbey

Colombian/Swiss/Israeli interdisciplinary artist Dan Farberoff works as a director/filmmaker, choreographer and fine artist. He has made dance film for international broadcast (Channel 4, ABC), created video-art for an array of live music and dance events, and directed multimedia dance performance using original, interactive video-projection technology. Dan initially trained as a computer programme, as an air force pilot, and later as a yoga and meditation instructor, teaching as well as leading workshops worldwide. www.danfarberoff.info

Jo McCaren – Camera Obscura

Maryam Pourian – Camera Obscura

Malaika Sarco-Thomas and students from University College Falmouth – Dartington Hall

Helen Snell – Mayflower Steps

Helen is originally from Exmouth in Devon and studied Fine Art and French at Exeter University from 1982 – 1986 before moving on to L’Ecole Nationale des Beaux-Arts de Dijon. On her return to the U.K. she set up a studio in Brighton and exhibited at Red Herring Studios, an artists’ cooperative in the North Lanes, before moving to London where she worked for a mural design company in Ladbroke Grove. In 1993 Helen was accepted on the M.A. course in Fine Art Printmaking at Camberwell College of Arts and she subsequently studied Illustration at the Royal College of Art.
Helen started to experiment with screenprinted subversions of commercial packaging nets, trying to find ways of perverting tested notions of materialism. She often takes her starting point from commercial packaging nets that she customises in terms of structure and scale. Individual structures then become units in a giant construction set, with the potential for endless configurations and reworkings according to context. Helen has exhibited these works widely, including a solo show at London Print Studios in 1998 and more recently a solo show at Edinburgh Printmakers in 2008. Helen lives and works in Devon. www.axisweb.org/artist/helensnell

Rachel Sweeney – Camera Obscura

Zuzana Wallnerova – Camera Obscura

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