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Combining aerial and modern dance with classical
dressage, American choreographer Paula Josa-Jones presents Ride,
an equestrian dance theater performance. Ride celebrates the profound
and mysterious primal bond between humans and horses. Ms. Josa-Jones
is an equestrian who brings to the dance her experience with horses.
Ride brings together the world of dressage,
the centuries-old classical equestrian tradition of performance
and stylistic perfection in which horse and rider move as one, with
modern dance, which joins the stylistic rigor of classical ballet
with the freewheeling techniques of jazz music.
The horse is the heart of this magical body
of music, dance and horsemanship. Horses and riders follow the rules
of classical horsemanship, and the dancers create an "in the
moment", hot, improvisational quality, which has audiences
on the edge of their seats. The performers acknowledge the horse's
role as their guide and partner, but ultimately the creature is
a free spirit. The resulting 65-minute performance is stunning in
its originality, mesmerizing in its union of dance and horsemanship. The powerful and emotional relationship
between horse and human is universally compelling (as evidenced
in recent years by widespread interest in the Horse Whisperer phenomenon),
and reminds us of our ancient, ritualistic roots in the natural world.
Ride performers include 6 horses with 6 riders
and 7 modern dancers who also perform as aerialists. The horses
and riders are upper level international-class dressage specialists,
trained in the traditions embodied in the Royal Lipizzaner Stallions
of Vienna's famed Spanish Riding School. The dancer/aerialists are
members of the company of Paula Josa-Jones/ Performance Works.
The performance occurs in a typical indoor
equestrian arena which may be housed in a tent. Eight low-flying
aerial swings, and wherever possible, a single high flying winched
rig (similar to that used in the choreography of Crouching Tiger,
Hidden Dragon) are the principle components of the aerial set-up.
The set, rigging and lighting design are by well-known New York/Las
Vegas designer, Mark Nayden. Technical
and design details are available upon request.
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The Director
Since 1985, Paula Josa-Jones has gained a national reputation for
risk-taking, adventurous dance theater. Josa-Jones has been called
"one of the country's leading choreographic conceptualists"
by the Boston Globe and the Village Voice describes her work as
"powerful, eccentric,
and surreal". She creates works of total theater which combine
rich imagery, virtuosic movement, evocative visual designs, and
idiosyncratic use of music.
After several years in classical and experimental
theater, Ms.
Josa-Jones began an eclectic, wide-ranging study in dance, beginning
with African master teacher Charles Moore and including intensive
work with Eiko & Koma, Authentic Movement, and Deep Listening
with Pauline Oliveros. Ms. Josa-Jones has produced over forty works
of dance theater, film and video. She has developed a unique form
of visually and emotionally charged dance theater built on the sensuous experience
of the body as landscape and source for movement, image and voice.
Three years ago she back fell back into the deep waters of her childhood
passion for riding. Since then she has trained in Classical dressage.
Her horse partners are Goliath and Tsjalling, both Friesians.
As the Artistic Director of Paula Josa-Jones/Performance
Works, Josa-Jones has received two consecutive two-year Choreography
Fellowships (1992-96) from the National Endowment for the Arts,
and an Artist's Grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council. Her
choreographic work in Mexico was supported by an NEA US/Mexico Cultural Exchange Fellowship and the US/Mexico Fund for Culture. She is the
recipient of two New Forms grants from the New England Foundation
for the Arts and an Artists Foundation Fellowship in Interarts for
her video dance collaborations with Vin Grabill. Paula Josa-Jones/Performance
Works has received support from the Massachusetts Cultural Council,
the New England Foundation for the Arts, the Arts Lottery, Creative
Time, the Dakota Foundation, LEF Foundation, the Claneil Foundation,
the Polaroid Foundation, and two grants from the Trust for Mutual
Understanding for their work in Russia. Ms. Josa-Jones has received
commissions from the Joyce Theater, Jacob's Pillow, Dance Umbrella,
Lincoln Center Out-of-Doors, and nuArts at Northeastern University.
Her work has been produced in Russia, Europe and Mexico as well
as throughout the United States.
Paula Josa-Jones/Performance Works is dedicated
to the creation and presentation of new forms of performance work
by Artistic Director Paula Josa-Jones. The company is committed
to collaborations with artists in all disciplines, and to forging
in-depth relationships with an international creative community.
Our intention is to expand the world of creative expression and
experience for all people.
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