Thanks to everyone who performed and participated in this year’s New Releases Choreographers Showcase.
We hope you enjoyed the show and your experience with Dance Place! We’d love to hear your thoughts on the performance and how the show resonated with you.
We have to take a moment and correct an unfortunate omission to our program for this weekend. We’re so grateful to Lighting Designer Annie Choudhury for her work on this show. Many of you know Annie’s work as Dance Place’s Associate Technical Director & Resident Stage Manager, but as we all witnessed in New Releases, she is a gifted lighting designer as well! Thanks Annie!
The evening was also covered by DC Metro Theatre Arts – thanks to Ramona Harper who covered the works featured. You can read the article here:
CHOREOGRAPHER BIOS
Jamal Abrams
Piece Title: ThisBorn in Baltimore, MD, Jamal Abrams began his formal training at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. Through this training, he has has the opportunity to tour Europe with a selected group of students. He has also has the opportunity to work with such artists as Doug Varone, Netta Yerushalmy, Andrea Miller and Mark Caserta.
Ronya-Lee Anderson
Piece Title: Ritual
Ronya-Lee Anderson is a dancer, choreographer, singer, songwriter and educator. She holds a Master’s of Divinity from Duke Divinity School in Durham, North Carolina, a BA in Dance, and a BA in English Language and Literature from the University of Maryland at College Park. A former member of the Chuck Davis African American Dance Ensemble, ClancyWorks, Carla Perlo’s Carla & Company, RebollarDance, Liz Lerman’s Dance Exchange and most recently Dance Place’s Marvin Gaye Project, for which she also serves as Rehearsal Director, Ronya-Lee has performed both nationally and internationally. She has led residencies at Duke University (Durham, NC), Henderson State University (Arkadelphia, AR), Mercyhurst University (Erie, PA), and Prince George’s Community College (Landover, MD). Her work has been commissioned by Duke University, PG Community College, Joy of Motion, DancEthos, Dance for All Youth Company (South Africa), as well as churches, schools and community organizations throughout the US. With the ukulele as her songwriting companion, Ronya-Lee is also a genre-bending singer/songwriter, using her dance and choreography experience to create a unique live experience. She is currently working on her debut album, The Light Sessions. To learn more visit ronyalee.com and follow @theofficialronyalee.Sylvana Christopher and Maggie Lockhart
Piece Title: Then She FellPerformers and dance educators, Sylvana and Maggie met while dancing with Glade Dance Collective in 2015. In addition to performing original pieces on stages across DC and Maryland, the pair went on to create and perform in 5×5, an afternoon of eclectic original works of dance and music by some of the DC’s most versatile artists. Rachel Lake wrote about the pair “the dynamics of the conversation between the two dancers was riveting” (DC Dance Journalism Project).
Gabriel Mata
Piece Title: Boundless TrajectoryGabriel Mata is an independent artist, activist, choreographer, educator and performer. He graduated from San José State University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance and Choreography. Gabriel Mata / Movements is his solo-based project. The Star Tribune has said “Sly, subtle, and totally virtuosic, theatrical dancer-choreographer Gabriel Mata holds the stage with expressive movement and witty words.” His dances have been performed in California, Minnesota, New York and DC.
Tariq O’Meally
Piece Title: Loop: Whatever Happened to Halle Berry
Tariq Darrell O’Meally was born in Queens, New York and raised in DMV. He earned his BFA in Dance and Choreography from Virginia Commonwealth University. He has worked and performed with companies such as Johnnie Cruise Mercer / The RED project NYC, Amaranth, in addition to Abby Z & the New Utility. Tarik is currently a company member of the Marvin Gaye Dance Project, VT Dance lead by Vincent Thomas. He is also a company member of Ashani Dances under the artistic direction of Iyun Harrison. Tarik is a four time, full scholarship recipient at the American Dance Festival. As a choreographer, his work has been presented at The Clarice Smith 34th Annual Choreographers Showcase, New Releases Choreographer Showcase, the 15th Annual Richmond Choreographer Showcase, the Richmond Dance Festival, the Baltimore Theater Project, ARAS Dance series, Morgan State University and the Mid-Atlantic North Gala performance at the American College Dance Association. Tariq, the artistic director of the UNUM Dance Collective, is the 2016-2017 Artist in Residence at Coppin State University.