ASHEVILLE, NC: UNCSA Dean of Dance, Susan Jaffe, to make Asheville appearance
Company:
MOTION Dance Theatre
MOTION Dance Theatre to present public forum on dance featuring UNC School of the Arts Dean of Dance, Susan Jaffe
ASHEVILLE, NC–June 3, 2015–On the opening night of the company’s New/Now/Next program, MOTION Dance Theatre will host a moderated discussion with Susan Jaffe, former principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre and current Dean of Dance at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts at 7pm July 10 in the Forum room of Diana Wortham Theatre in downtown Asheville. Together with MOTION’s artistic director Nick Kepley, Jaffe will speak about the history of dance, and answer questions about its shifting role in society and its future place in popular American culture. The event will be free and open to the public. Declared by The New York Times as “America’s Quintessential American Ballerina,” Jaffe was a principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre for 20 years, a career which began in 1980. She joined the roster of American Ballet Theatre once again as a Ballet Master from 2010-2012 until her appointment as Dean of Dance at UNCSA in August of 2012.
In 2003, Jaffe co-founded the Princeton Dance & Theatre Studio in Princeton, N.J. In 2004, she expanded into choreography. She has choreographed original creations for that school as well as for Texas Christian University, Princeton University, Configurations Dance Theater, Company C Contemporary Ballet, the 2009 Youth America Grand Prix Gala, and the 2012 American Ballet Theatre Gala. In 2013 Jaffe choreographed a newly envisioned Polovtsian Dances for the UNC School of the Arts, which was performed for the 100th anniversary of The Rite of Spring. Jaffe’s written publications include “Becoming a Ballerina,” a children’s book published in 2003. She has taught corporate lectures on Excellence in conjunction with Duke Corporate Education for Lehman Brothers, and PriceWaterHouseCoopers, and received an Honorary Doctorate from Texas Christian University.MOTION Dance Theatre will present New/Now/Next, a mixed bill program featuring three world premieres and behind-the-scenes documentary footage, July 10-11 at 8pm at the Diana Wortham Theatre.For tickets to New/Now/Next visit dwtheatre.com or call 828.257.4530.
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About MOTION Dance Theatre
Now entering its sixth season, MOTION Dance Theatre selects emerging choreographers and pairs them with professional dancers from across the country for a three-week creative residency in Asheville, NC. The company seeks out artists who are interested in experimenting with new styles of movement and new ways of working.
MOTION expands upon its mission of innovation by revealing artistic process and engaging with the community through behind-the-scenes video, open rehearsals, and "design thinking"; workshops and artist Q&A. Each residency period culminates in a Summer Performance Series at the Diana Wortham Theatre.Works created with MOTION have gone on to be performed at prestigious venues around the country such as Judson Church and Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival. The company frequently collaborates with local arts groups including Liz White Couture Designs and Asheville Lyric Opera. MOTION has commissioned several original scores and often features live music on its programs. For more information, visit www.motiondt.com.
About UNC School of the Arts
Celebrating its 50th anniversary, the University of North Carolina School of the Arts is America’s first state-supported arts school, a unique stand-alone public university of arts conservatories. With a high school component, UNCSA is a degree-granting institution that trains young people of talentin dance, design and production, drama, filmmaking, and music. Established by the N.C. General Assembly in 1963, the School of the Arts opened in Winston-Salem (“The City of Arts and Innovation”) in 1965 and became part of the University of North Carolina system when it was formed in 1972. For more information, visit www.uncsa.edu.
MOTION Dance Theatre Season Six Sponsors
The North Carolina Arts Council
The Asheville Area Arts Council
The Windgate Foundation
The John & Robyn Horn Foundation
