Tonight’s performance was made possible though the generosity of
Debra Hart & Leslie Roundstream
AUGUST 1, 8:00PM
LENSIC PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
Artistic Director
DAVID PARSONS
Executive Director
REBECCA JOSUE
Dancers
ZOEY ANDERSON
MEGAN GARCIA
TÉA PÉREZ
LUKE ROMANZI
JOSEPH CYRANSKI
JUSTINE DELIUS
JOANNE HWANG
EMERSON EARNSHAW
Understudy
LUKE BIDDINGER
Interim Associate Artistic Director
NATALIE LOMONTE
Rehearsal Directors
ELIZABETH KOEPPEN KALOSIEH
ZOEY ANDERSON
Stage Manager Lighting Supervisor
MICHAEL MEGLIOLA CHRISTOPHER CHAMBERS
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SWING SHIFT
(2003)
Choreography by David Parsons
Lighting Design by Howell Binkley
Music by Kenji Bunch
Costume Design by Mia McSwain
ZOEY ANDERSON MEGAN GARCIA TÉA PÉREZ LUKE ROMANZI
JOSEPH CYRANSKI JUSTINE DELIUS JOANNE HWANG EMERSON EARNSHAW
Swing Shift was commissioned in celebration of the Louisiana Purchase Bicentennial by the Performing Arts Society of Acadiana; Irvin David in honor of his wife Karin; the Kentucky Center for the Arts, the Lied Center for Performing Arts, a unit of the University of Nebraska; Altria Group, Inc., Parsons Dance’s New Works Fund 2003, and the John A. Sellon Charitable Residual Trust. The original music for Swing Shift was composed by Kenji Bunch.
BALANCE OF POWER
(2020)
Choreography by David Parsons
Lighting Design by Christopher S. Chambers
Music by Giancarlo De Trizio*
Costume Design by Barbara Erin Delo
ZOEY ANDERSON or JOSEPH CYRANSKI
Balance of Power was generously commissioned by Linda Stocknoff.
*Music: Balance of Power. Written and Performed by Giancarlo “GC” de Trizio. Published by GrooveMusic (ASCAP).
MR. WITHERS
(2022)
Choreography by David Parsons
Lighting Design by Christopher S. Chambers
Music by Bill Withers*
Costume Design by Christine Darch
ZOEY ANDERSON MEGAN GARCIA TÉA PÉREZ LUKE ROMANZI
JOSEPH CYRANSKI JUSTINE DELIUS JOANNE HWANG EMERSON EARNSHAW
Mr. Withers was generously commissioned by Joe Lalka and Teresa Ribadeneyra in honor of her parents, Carol and Tom Ribadeneyra; Mark and Carol Pollard; and Warner Bros. Discovery. Additional support was provided by Charlton Andrews.
*Music:
Use Me. Written by Bill Withers. Published by Interior Music Corp c/o/ Songs Of Universal, Inc.
Masters licensed by Sony Music Entertainment. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Ain’t No Surprise. Written by Bill Withers. Interior Music Corp c/o/ Songs Of Universal, Inc. Masters licensed by Sony Music Entertainment. Used by permission. All rights reserved. I Can’t Write Left Handed. Written by Bill Withers and Raymond M. Jackson. Published by Interior Music Corp c/o/ Songs Of Universal, Inc. Masters licensed by Sony Music Entertainment. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Grandma’s Hands. Written by Bill Withers. Published by Interior Music Corp c/o/ Songs Of Universal, Inc. Masters licensed by Sony Music Entertainment. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Lean On Me. Written by Bill Withers. Published by Interior Music Corp c/o/ Songs Of Universal, Inc. Masters licensed by Sony Music Entertainment. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Dialog assembly and Music editing by Frank Dickinson / 90 East Productions.
-Intermission-
THE ENVELOPE
(1984)
Choreography by David Parsons
Lighting Design by Howell Binkley
Music by Gioachino Rossini – Arrangement of Overtures
Arranger of the Score: Charles Gouse
Costume Design by Judy Wirkula
TÉA PÉREZ LUKE ROMANZI JOSEPH CYRANSKI
JUSTINE DELIUS JOANNE HWANG EMERSON EARNSHAW
ZOEY ANDERSON or MEGAN GARCIA
The Envelope premiered with the Parsons Dance Company on August 20, 1984 in New York and was funded as a full production of the DTW and the generous contributions of the dancers.
CAUGHT
(1982)
Choreography by David Parsons
Lighting Concept by David Parsons
Lighting Design by Howell Binkley
Music by Robert Fripp – “Let The Power Fall”
Costume Design by Judy Wirkula
ZOEY ANDERSON or MEGAN GARCIA or JOSEPH CYRANSKI
Caught is maintained in the active repertory of Parsons Dance through generous support from the Jim and Linda Ellis Foundation.Please be advised that strobe lights will be used during this piece.
NASCIMENTO
(1990)
Choreography by David Parsons
Lighting Design by Howell Binkley
Music by Milton Nascimento
Original costumes by Santo Loquasto
Costume Design by Barbara Erin Delo
ZOEY ANDERSON MEGAN GARCIA TÉA PÉREZ
LUKE ROMANZI JOSEPH CYRANSKI JUSTINE DELIUS
JOANNE HWANG EMERSON EARNSHAW LUKE BIDDINGER
Nascimento was commissioned by the Festival in the Sun at the University of Arizona at Tucson. Special thanks to Milton Nascimento, who composed this score as a gift to Parsons Dance, and to A. Alexandra Jupin, Executive Director of the Festival in the Sun.
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PARSONS DANCE is a New York City based contemporary American dance company, internationally renowned for its energized, athletic ensemble work. Founded in 1985 by Artistic Director David Parsons and Tony Award-winning lighting designer Howell Binkley, the company has toured to more than 447 cities, 30 countries, and 5 continents and has appeared at such notable venues as The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Sydney Opera House, Maison de la Danse, Teatro La Fenice, and Theatro Municipal do Rio de Janeiro.
Parsons Dance performs works selected from the vast and varied repertory of more than 75 works created by David Parsons. The company commissions new dances from established choreographers and restages works from the American canon, including pieces by Robert Battle and Paul Taylor. And, through its GenerationNOW Fellowship, the company offers commissions to young American choreographers whom Parsons mentors through the creative process.
Parsons Dance is committed to providing enriching experiences beyond its performances as it seeks to engage audiences of all ages through education and outreach programs; through post-show discussions, open rehearsals, studio showcases, video workshops, open company classes, summer workshops for pre-professional dancers; and in-school workshops for public school students. The company is especially proud of its Autism-Friendly Programs initiative, launched in 2016, that features sensory-friendly workshops and relaxed performances for audiences of all abilities.
All these activities are driven by the vision of Artistic Director David Parsons, who, for more than 35 years, has combined his choreographic gifts and talent for training highly skilled dancers with a real passion for the art form.
DAVID PARSONS (Artistic Director/CoFounder) has enjoyed a remarkable career as a director, choreographer, performer, master teacher and producer. Raised in Kansas City, Parsons made it to New York at the age of 17 when he received a scholarship to the Alvin Ailey School. After Ailey, he became an understudy with the Paul Taylor Dance Company and then joined the company as a principal dancer. He stayed for eight years. During summers, he toured with MOMIX; he appeared with Mikhail Baryshnikov and Mark Morris in the first White Oak tour; and he launched his choreographic career by setting work on the Taylor Company and on the National Ballet of Canada, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Batsheva Dance Company, and the Paris Opera Ballet.
After leaving the Taylor company, Parsons was a guest artist with New York City Ballet for four years before his artistic prowess led him to undertake such diverse projects as choreographing Aida at Arena di Verona and producing and co-choreographing María de Buenos Aires at the Skirball Center, as well as creating the choreography for Fool’s Fire, a 1992 film directed by Julie Taymor. Perhaps one of his most thrilling assignments was choreographing and directing the dance elements for Times Square 2000, the 24-hour festivities in Times Square celebrating the turn of the Millennium. Since then, Parsons has participated in many projects, such as choreographing A Knight’s Tale, a musical theater work directed by John Caird, who previously directed the Broadway and West End productions of Les Misérables and the London National Theatre’s production of Candide. Staged at Tokyo’s iconic Imperial Theatre in summer 2018, the work featured Japanese pop stars.
In addition to the more than 75 works that he has created for Parsons Dance, Parsons has received commissions from such companies as American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, the American Dance Festival, Jacob’s Pillow, the Spoleto Festival, and Het Muziektheater in Amsterdam, with his most recent from the Kansas City Ballet, who staged his work A Play For Love in May 2019.
Heralded by The New York Times as “one of the great movers of modern dance,” Parsons has received many accolades throughout his career, including three Choreography Fellowship Grants from the National Endowment of the Arts; the American Choreography Award; the Dance Magazine Award; a Howard Gilman Fellowship, and the Dance Masters of America Annual Award. In May 2018, he received the Capezio Award, one of the most prestigious awards in dance.
HOWELL BINKLEY (Resident Lighting Designer 1985-2020 / Co-founder) was the proud co-founder of Parsons Dance for which he designed more than 70 pieces. His Broadway designs included: Ain’t Too Proud (2019 Tony nomination), Come From Away (2017 Tony nomination), Allegiance, After Midnight (2014 Tony nomination), How to Succeed… (2011 Tony nomination), West Side Story (2009 Tony nomination), Gypsy starring Patti LuPone, In The Heights (2008 Tony nomination), Avenue Q, The Full Monty, Parade, Kiss Of The Spider Woman (1993 Tony nomination). He made extensive regional and dance works for companies such as Alvin Ailey, American Ballet Theatre, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, and The Joffrey Ballet’s Billboards. He was a five-time Helen Hayes Award recipient and received the 1993 Sir Laurence Olivier Award and the Canadian Dora Award forKiss of The Spider Woman. Howell also received the 2006 Henry Hewes Design Award; the 2006 Outer Critics Circle Award; and the 2006 Tony Award for Jersey Boys. In addition, he won both the 2017 Tony Award and the 2018 Sir Laurence Olivier Award for the lighting design of Hamilton.
ZOEY ANDERSON (she/her) (Dancer) was born and raised in Utah, where she trained in contemporary, ballet, jazz, and ballroom dance at Center Stage. She was the ballroom national smooth champion in 2010. Zoey graduated cum laude from Marymount Manhattan College in 2015 with a BFA in Ballet under the direction of Katie Langan. She has performed works by Dwight Rhoden, Lar Lubovitch, and Aszure Barton, among others. In 2013, Zoey performed with Nikolais Louis in the Yang Liping International Dance Festival in Kunming, China. Other credits include the Broadway premiere gala of On The Town, the film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Dancing With The Stars webisodes, and Macy’s Passport Tour with P. Diddy. Zoey was nominated for the 2018 Outstanding Performer Bessie Award for her sustained achievement in Parsons Dance and is the recipient of the 2019 Clive Barnes Dance Artist Award. Zoey joined the company in 2015.
MEGAN LEIGH GARCIA (she/her) (Dancer) began training at Progressions Performing Arts in Spring, TX. She graduated summa cum laude from the University of Arizona in 2019 with a BFA in dance and a business administration minor. She was privileged to perform works by Nacho Duato, Martha Graham, Bella Lewitzky, Larry Keigwin, and more. Megan attended intensives at Hubbard Street, Giordano Dance, River North Dance, the Houston Metropolitan Dance Company, and the Rockettes. After graduation, Megan was offered the role of Rockette in the 2019 Christmas Spectacular. She performed in 102 shows, and was interviewed by TODAY, News 4 New York, and Telemundo. This is Megan’s fourth season with Parsons Dance.
TÉA PÉREZ (she/her) (Dancer) is originally from Dallas, Texas, where she trained and graduated from Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts (BTWHSPVA) under the direction of Lily Cabatu Weiss and Kate Walker. Perez moved to New York City in 2017 to attend the Ailey/Fordham BFA Dance Program under the direction of Melanie Person. Pérez graduated in May of 2021 from the Ailey/Fordham BFA Program with a BFA in Dance along with a BA in Art History, with a concentration in Contemporary and Modern Art. During her studies, Pérez performed works by Alvin Ailey, Robert Battle, Kyle Abraham, Jessica Lang, Aszure Barton, Lar Lubovich, and Dwight Rhoden, among others. Téa served as an understudy for one season with Parsons Dance, and was promoted to Company Dancer in June 2022.
LUKE ROMANZI (he/him) (Dancer), a Brooklyn native, is an alumni dance major of LaGuardia High School for the Performing Arts. He was most recently the youngest dancer in Rock The Ballet, a contemporary ballet company. While with the company, he toured in Germany, France, and Dubai and was featured on Fox’s So You Think You Can Dance and HBO’s Random Acts of Flyness. In 2018, he was accepted into the Young Choreographers Festival, held at Symphony Space in New York City, and was designated a YoungArts finalist. This is Luke’s third season with Parsons Dance.
JOSEPH CYRANSKI (he/him) (Dancer) began dancing at the age of eight in New Baltimore, Missouri, his hometown. After graduating from high school, he went on to study dance at Marymount Manhattan College, where he received his BFA in 2020. Since graduating, Joseph has worked with numerous choreographers such as Earl Mosley, Angelica Stiskin, and Jenn Freeman. He recently performed with Giordano Dance, the Chicago-based dance company, in its fall and spring 60th season appearances with its second company at the Harris Theater. This is Joseph’s second season with Parsons Dance.
JUSTINE DELIUS (she/her) (Dancer) was born and raised in a Paris suburb, where she trained in ballet and jazz before attending the Conservatory National of Paris in 2017. She appeared in Paris with MIXITY, the music hall cabaret sensation. In 2021, Justine arrived in New York to study at The Ailey School. As a student, she performed works by Alvin Ailey, Levi Marsman, Stephanie Lake, Ashley Green and Kameron N. Saunders. This is Justine’s second season with Parsons Dance.
JOANNE HWANG (she/her) (Dancer) was born and raised in Sydney, Australia, and graduated from Point Park University with a BFA in Dance and a minor in Musical Theatre. While at Point Park, she had the honor of working with and performing works by Twyla Tharp, Robyn Mineko Williams, Martha Graham, Norbert De La Cruz III, and others. She has continued to train with such companies as BODYTRAFFIC, Move NYC, and The Pillow Project. This is Joanne’s second season with Parsons Dance.
EMERSON EARNSHAW (he/him) (Dancer) was raised in Cedar Hills, Utah, where he trained at the Utah Conservatory of Performing Arts. He continued to train as a member of Brigham Young University’s Contemporary Dance Theatre and at the GibneyPRO Professional Certificate Program. As a student, he performed works by such choreographers as Peter Chu, Ana Maria Lucaciu, Laja Field of LAJAMARTIN, Omar Roman de Jesus, Jesse Obremski, Jie-Hung Connie Shiau, and Cameron McKinney. Emerson is thrilled to have joined Parsons Dance in January 2024.
LUKE BIDDINGER (he/him) (Understudy) was raised in Colorado and began his dance training at Inspirations Dance Company when he was 11 years old. After moving to Pennsylvania at age 14 he trained at Touch of Class Dance Studio. Since locating to NYC, he has continued to study at Steps on Broadway, Kanyok Arts Initiative, and the New York City Dance Alliance, which honored him as its National Teen Outstanding Dancer in 2021.
NATALIE LOMONTE (Interim Associate Artistic Director) is a New York City-based choreographer, director, and teacher. Natalie toured with MOMIX, PILOBOLUS and CBE before becoming a Parsons Dancer in 2008 and 2009. She also appeared in the film Sex and The City 2 and was in the original Broadway cast of Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark. Following her career as a dancer, she was Assistant Choreographer to Mia Michaels for the New York Spectacular Starring the Radio City Rockettes. In 2014, she returned to Parsons Dance to serve as David’s creative assistant, and in 2015, she received the first Parsons Dance GenerationNOW fellowship to create Within, a work premiering at The Joyce Theater. Since 2012, Natalie has been movement director for One Year Lease Theater Company.
REBECCA JOSUE (she/her) (Executive Director) joined Parsons Dance in 2010 as the Company Manager and Stage Manager, and was lucky enough to tour with the company both nationally and internationally for her first five seasons. Rebecca became the General Manager for the 2013-2014 season and was appointed Executive Director in June 2019. Before joining Parsons Dance, Rebecca was a freelance company manager, stage manager, producer, theater administrator, and director. She has worked at New York Stage and Film, Mabou Mines, The Public Theater, New World Stages, La Mama, and the Under the Radar Festival among other places in company management, production management, stage management, and Development. A graduate of Wesleyan University, Rebecca completed the Senior Leaders Program for Non-Profit Professionals at Columbia Business School in May 2019, earning her a Certificate in Business Excellence.
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PARSONS DANCE
124 East 91st Street, 2B, New York, NY 10128
212-869-9275 • [email protected]
www.parsonsdance.org
Artistic Director: David Parsons
Executive Director: Rebecca Josue
Interim Associate Artistic Director: Natalie Lomonte
Director of Information Strategy and Inclusion: Michael Megliola (he/him)
Business Manager: Robert J. Ford (they/them)
Director of Institutional Support: Kate Taylor
Lighting Supervisor: Christopher S. Chambers
Marketing Consultants: Martha Cooper and Gabrielle DiNizo
ARTISTS’ REPRESENTATIVE
MARGARET SELBY, President, Selby/Artists MGMT
262 West 38th Street, Suite 1701, New York, NY 10018
[email protected] | Office: 212-382-3260
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Parsons Dance gratefully acknowledges the following for their support of our programs: Booth Ferris Foundation, Howard Gilman Foundation, The Harkness Foundation for Dance, New Music USA, The O’Donnell-Green Music and Dance Foundation, The Fan Fox & Leslie R. Samuels Foundation, The SHS Foundation, The Shubert Foundation, Theater Development Fund, and generous individual donors. Parsons Dance is supported, in part, by public funds from the National Endowment for the Arts, the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature, and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.
Parsons Dance is supported by New Music USA’s Organization Fund which receives support from the Cheswatyr Foundation, Fifth House Ensemble, and legacy contributions to the organization’s endowment. Support for organizations based in New York State is provided in part by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor. Support for organizations based in New York City is provided in part by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, and with support from the Howard Gilman Foundation.
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