Martha Graham & Jose Limon Technique & Repertory with Miki Orihara and Stephen Pier

Parallel_Jump - Version 2August 16-August 21, 2016

1 week, Tues-Sun
For Intermediate/Advanced dancers, ages 12-adult.

Learn from Master Teacher and former Principal Dancer of Martha Graham Dance Company Miki Orihara. And, learn from Master Teacher and former Principal Dancer of Jose Limon Dance Company Stephen Pier. Repertory from Graham and Limon will be learned. There will be an informal showing at the end of the week with Ms Orihara, Mr Pier, Kanopy Dance Company and workshop students.

Miki Orihara is best known for her over 25-year career as a Principal Dancer in the Martha Graham Dance Company, for which she earned a Bessie Award in 2010. She has performed on Broadway in “The King and I”, and with Elisa Monte, SITI Company, PierGroupDance, Lotuslotus and in productions by Twyla Tharp, and Robert Wilson. Orihara has presented her choreography in New York and Tokyo most recently in her solo concert, “Resonance” at La MaMa, NYC. She is a sought after teacher and coach working with the Kirov Ballet, Japan’s New National Theater Ballet School, the Ailey School, New York University, The Hartt School, L’ete de la Danse (Paris) and is Dance Director for Mishmash*Miki Orihara.

Stephen Pier has performed throughout the world with the José Limón Company, Royal Danish Ballet, the Hamburg Ballet, and as a guest artist. His repertoire spanned a vast range including the works of Petipa, Bournonville, Balanchine, Cranko, Kylian, Limón, and Neumeier. He created roles in original works for choreographers John Neumeier, Maurice Béjart, Kim Brandstrup,and Laura Dean. Critically acclaimed as “highly defined, a tour de force”, “ a dancer of tremendous taste and insight.”, “one of the most gifted dancers on the modern dance scene today.” Mr Pier went on to became internationally known as a teacher and coach for both Limón work and Ballet. He taught for the Royal Danish Ballet’s company and school while serving as ballet master from 1990 -1996. He served on the faculty of the Juilliard School from 1996-2010, Alvin Ailey School, Martha Graham Center, Regional Dance America, New York International Ballet Competition and for many notable companies in Europe, America and Asia including Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Atlanta Ballet, Bat Dor, Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet, Introdans, Scapino Ballet, New National Theater Tokyo, and Wayne McGregor’s Random Dance. His students have danced in companies around the world including, The Royal Ballet, Royal Danish Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Forsythe Company, Netherlands Dance Theater, Martha Graham Company, Lar Lubovitch, José Limón Dance Co., Mark Morris Dance Group, Doug Varone Dancers, Cullberg Ballet, Cedar Lake Ensemble, Alvin Ailey and Bat Sheva. In 2004 Mr. Pier began PierGroupDance to explore and collaborate with dancers and artists in various art forms. He has created over 40 works for the concert stage, opera, theater, and film. His work has been presented by The Hamburg Ballet (Ger.), Royal Danish Ballet, Royal Danish Theater, Royal Danish Opera, Bat Dor (Israel), The New National Theater (Japan), the Juilliard Dance Ensemble, The Di Capo Opera Company (NYC), Nilas Martins Dance Company, and the Dance on Film Festival at Lincoln Center. In 1998 he was selected to be part of Jacob’s Pillow Choreographer’s Project. He co-founded and directed the emerging choreographer’s workshop, “Danses”, at the Royal Danish Ballet 1990-1996. Stephen was the Artistic Director of Juilliard’s innovative Mentoring Program from 2007 – 2010 and in September 2008 he began a 3-year tenure as director of Visions and Voices: Altria/ABT Women’s Choreography Project at American Ballet Theater. In October of 2009, Mr Pier was recruited for the position of Director of the Dance Division at The Hartt School, University of Hartford.

closed Aug 16,2016