Posts Tagged ‘leonard cohen’
Tuesday, June 9th, 2009 by malashockdance
Molly Puryear's Contemporary Choreography Class in "Lost." Photo by Yvonne Portra.
THE MALASHOCK DANCE SCHOOL SPRING SHOWCASE was held at Sushi: A Center for the Urban Arts this past weekend and was a great success. On Sunday, the show was completely sold out – we squeezed in more than 90 people – and the dancers “danced” amazingly. The showcase included performances by the students of The Malashock Dance School as well as the participants of the New Works Workshops. John Malashock premiered his new work, Unsettled , Michael Mizerany debut his work for eight women, Total Eclipse , and Katie Griffin and Matt Carney performed a new dance they choreographed jointly, Dreams .
Jaami Waali's Hip Hop Class in Swaggerific. Photo by Yvonne Portra.
Joe Alter
As a reminder, the MALASHOCK DANCE SUMMER WORKSHOP INTENSIVE is fast approaching. Plus a new development: Due to larger than expected enrollment, Joe Alter, associate professor and coordinator of the dance division at San Diego State University, has been added to the Summer Workshop Faculty. He is the Artistic Director of the Joe Alter Dance Group and also currently performs with Leslie Seiter’s Little Known Dance Theater.
On the touring front, MALASHOCK DANCE will be spending a week in the Midwest at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville in March/April of 2010. In addition to a company performance, we will offer three master classes including advanced modern technique, intermediate modern technique and a class in partnering.
And of special note: John Malashock has been elected to the Board of Trustees for DANCE/USA , the national service organization for professional dance. This is a tremendous honor for John, and he looks forward to being an enthusiastic representative. John will start his three year term on July 1, 2009.
John Malashock and Executive Director of DANCE/USA, Andrea Snyder.
Lastly, save the date for San Diego’s most fun fundraiser: MALASHOCK THINKS YOU CAN DANCE , Saturday, September 26, 2009 at 8 pm at Irwin M. Jacobs Qualcomm Hall.
Michael Mizerany
Associate Artistic Director, MALASHOCK DANCE
Tags: contemporary, contemporary dance, dance, dance classes, dance lessons, dance performance, dance performances, dance school, dance/usa, john malashock, leonard cohen, malashock, malashock dance, malashock thinks you can dance, modern dance, new works workshop, performance, performing arts, san diego, southern california, summer workshop, the malashock dance school, tour
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Friday, April 17th, 2009 by malashockdance
You saw the show—now give us your review!
Would you recommend Shadow of Mercy to a friend?
What was your favorite dance?
Who was your favorite dancer?
From the entire show, what stood out to you the most?
Leave us a comment with your review. We would love to hear what you think!
Tags: contemporary dance, dance, dance performance, dance performances, garfield theatre, john malashock, la jolla, leonard cohen, malashock, malashock dance, modern dance, san diego, shadow of mercy
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Friday, April 17th, 2009 by malashockdance
John Malashock finds the perfect partner for exploring the human condition: Leonard Cohen
Choreographer, John Malashock, first used music by Leonard Cohen early in his company’s 21-year history in the four-song suite “Take This Waltz.” He returned to Cohen’s deeply poetic music for some of his most personal work: “Story of Isaac,” which he performed with his son 10 years ago, and “Hallelujah” (2001), a duet with his wife, Nina.
Now Malashock has created an evening-length dance to 15 of Cohen’s songs that premieres this weekend at the Garfield
Theatre in La Jolla. The title, “Shadow of Mercy” (a nod to Cohen’s “Sisters of Mercy”), reflects the conjunction of darkness and light, cynicism and compassion that he most responds to in the songwriter-poet’s work.
Here are the dates of the three shows this weekend:
Friday, April 17 - 8:00 pm
Saturday, April 18 - 8:00 pm
Sunday, April 19 - 5:00 pm
Tags: dance performance, dance performances, dance rehearsals, dancer, garfield theatre, john malashock, la jolla, leonard cohen, southern california, studio series
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Thursday, April 16th, 2009 by malashockdance
Tomorrow, April 17, the highly anticipated Shadow of Mercy opens at Garfield Theater at the Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center in La Jolla. The music behind Shadow of Mercy was chosen from musical legend Leonard Cohen’s repertoire by choreographer John Malashock because of the raw emotions the pieces evoked. "For this production I was seeking songs that strongly suggested movement , unique characters or story lines," says Malashock. There were lots of other songs I considered, but found that many of them just didn’t ‘speak’ to me of a way to add something powerful through dance. Several of the songs sound a bit unlikely for dance but, in some ways, those have been the most potent pieces to work with."
The weekend premiere of features a student outreach performance for Young Audiences of San Diego, Friday, April 17th at 9:30 a.m. and an 8 p.m. discounted sneak peek and social event; tickets on Firday will range from $18 - $28, with $14 tickets available for students.
Saturday night WORLD PREMIERE performance April 18th at 8 p.m!
Sunday twilight performance April 19th at 5 p.m.
Tickets for the Saturday and Sunday performances will range from $20 - $32, with $16 tickets available for students. Get them here!! http://tickets.lfjcc.org/
A preview of what’s to come, straight from the lyrics of Cohen himself:
There’ll be the breaking of the ancient
western code
Your private life will suddenly explode
There’ll be phantoms
There’ll be fires on the road
and the white man dancing…
from The Future by Leonard Cohen
Tags: contemporary dance, dance, jewish culture, john malashock, leonard cohen, malashock dance, san diego
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Wednesday, April 15th, 2009 by malashockdance
Malashock Dance’s highly-anticipated premiere of SHADOW OF MERCY is almost here! This one weekend only event, set to the lyrics of acclaimed song-writer, Leanard Cohen, is not an event not to be missed. Tickets to the emotionally charged, dynamic performance are selling out quickly - and for good reason. Don’t miss your chance to be at the ONLY local showing before this talented group heads out on tour!
Garfield Theatre, 4126 Executive Drive, La Jolla
April 17, 8 pm: Discounted sneak peek: $18 - $28 (students $14)
April 18, 8 pm: Saturday opening night performance: $20 - $32 (students $16)
April 19, 5 pm: Sunday twilight performance: $20 - $32 (students $16)
Tickets on sale now at tickets.lfjcc.org!
Tags: dance, discount tickets, family activities, garfield theatre, jcc, la jolla, leonard cohen, malashock, modern dance, performances, san dieg, shadow of mercy, theater, theatre, what to do
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Tuesday, April 14th, 2009 by malashockdance
Make this weekend social AND cultural with San Diego’s Malashock Dance!
The highly-anticipated world premiere of SHADOW OF MERCY is this weekend in San Diego–the ONLY local show before Malashock Dance takes this powerful performance on tour. SHADOW OF MERCY blends the dark and humorous lyrics of Leonard Cohen with the provocative and deeply human choreography of John Malashock. This beautifully trained company of ten dancers sustains the powerful movement, exquisite partnering, and dramatic artistry that are signature elements of Malashock’s unique work at Garfield Theatre, 4126 Executive Drive, La Jolla
Friday, April 17, 8 pm: Wine bar reception after the sneak preview
Discounted entry fee at $18 - $28 (students $14)
Saturday, April 18, 8 pm: The Premiere
tickets $20 - $32 (students $16)
Sunday, April 19, 5 pm: the twilight performance is the last chance to catch the show in San Diego!
tickets $20 - $32 (students $16)
get tickets at tickets.lfjcc.org!
Tags: dance, discount, grfield theater, john malashock, la jolla, leonard cohen, malashock, musical theater, performance, san diego, shadow of mercy, tickets, tour, wine bar
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Tuesday, April 14th, 2009 by malashockdance
SHADOW OF MERCY (The Leonard Cohen Project) opens this weekend. This is going to be a week full of promotional appearances, preview articles, spacing, tech and dress rehearsals and finally, the opening of SHADOW OF MERCY on April 18th (after a discounted sneak peak on Friday, April 17th) at the Garfield Theater in La Jolla.
On Easter Sunday, the promotional push began with an appearance on Good Morning San Diego (KUSI Channel 9). John spoke about the premiere and Nicholas and I performed an excerpt from THE STORY OF ISAAC. On Monday, John appeared on Fox Morning News (San Diego 5) to speak about SHADOW OF MERCY , and Christine Marshall & Heidi Kershaw performed an excerpt from BY THE RIVERS DARK. Also, be on the look out for the preview article in the San Diego Union-Tribune on Thursday.
Make sure to make your reservations today. You can get all the details and order online by going to www.MalashockDance.org .
Hope to see you there.
Michael Mizerany
Associate Artistic Director, MALASHOCK DANCE
www.malashockdance.org
Tags: contemporary dance, dance, dance performance, dance performances, garfield theatre, jewish, john malashock, la jolla, leonard cohen, malashock, malashock dance, modern dance, performance, performing arts, san diego, shadow of mercy, southern california
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Thursday, April 9th, 2009 by malashockdance
…Famous Blue Raincoat by Leonard Cohen, performed by Malashock Dance that is.
As a kid, Easter is about pretty pastels, chocolate bunnies and finding the 10-dollar egg. In San Diego, Sunday BBQs and mimosa brunches are Easter weekend staples that keep the Hallmark holiday fun for the slightly older crowd. However, even if April showers threaten the festivities, this city is still full of gems to uncover, like the Malashock Dance performance to the music of Leonard Cohen at the 1st annual NTC Spring Fling this weekend.
At 12:45 at Liberty Station in Point Loma, Malashock Dance will perform a number from the upcoming show Shadow of Mercy, which debuts April 17 at Garfield Theater in La Jolla. The show promises an emotionally-charged collaboration between a musical icon and powerful choreographer, John Malashock.
The Spring Fling will include events for all ages, including San Diego’s largest Egg Hunt, performing arts demonstrations and fee giveaways. Malashock Dance has been instrumental in the creation of Dance Place, a center for the performing arts community of San Diego housed in a historic building at the NTC Promenade.
Don’t forget your Famous Blue Raincoat this April!
Tags: blue raincoat, choreography, contemporary, dance, dance place, Easter, Easter bunny, Egg hunt, emotional, john malashock, leonard cohen, Liberty Station, malashock, NTC Promenade, NTC Spring Fling, performing arts, shadow of mercy
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Wednesday, April 8th, 2009 by malashockdance
WOW!!
Yes, I think that is the word. I am having the time of my life!!! If you had asked me a year ago if I would be a Company member dancing with Malashock Dance , I would have thought you had lost your mind! How would it have been even remotely possible that a classically trained twenty-year old ballerina, with less than a year’s exposure to any type of modern training, get that type of an opportunity? Yet that is exactly what happened.
It’s curious how this amazing journey started for me. I was invited to see Malashock’s Let’s Duet last December during the Mainly Mozart series in Chula Vista. I was so taken with the choreography that it inspired me to step out of my comfort zone (ballet) and audition for the Company. I had no idea that, at that time, John was actually looking for a female dancer to complete his cast for his upcoming production SHADOW OF MERCY .
Walking into the first rehearsal I was both excited and nervous—hey, I had never done anything like this before. I can tell you that after that first week I discovered muscles that I didn’t even know I had… and they were in pain! What a great feeling! Then I was introduced to the music and lyrics of Leonard Cohen. Putting “emotion into motion” came to life. Malashock’s dynamic and sensitive choreography, Cohen’s stirring poetry and music, and a “dream-team” of professional dancers with which to work have made this whole experience extraordinary.
SHADOW OF MERCY is not simply the title of Malashock’s most recent exceptional work. It is, as the name itself implies, an artistic blessing to those of us who are a part of it.
Bernadette Torres
Malashock Dancer — SHADOW OF MERCY
Tags: audition, bernadette torres, contemporary dance, dance, dance audition, dance performance, dance performances, dance rehearsals, dancer, garfield theatre, jewish, john malashock, la jolla, leonard cohen, malashock, malashock dance, modern dance, performance, san diego, shadow of mercy, southern california
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Monday, April 6th, 2009 by malashockdance
SHADOW OF MERCY (The Leonard Cohen Project) is fast approaching and all the pieces are looking great. We are putting the final touches on all the dance works and will have a full program run on Thursday.
This concert is going to be quite the endurance test. Though we are employing ten dancers (5 men, 5 women), there is no way around a few of us doing 3 or 4 pieces in a row. Stamina, of course, is always an issue but also a challenge: getting in and out of costumes quickly and efficiently, usually with minimal lighting and lots of sweat. As any dancer can tell you, this can prove to be the most stressful part of performing.
On Saturday, The Malashock Dance School had the Scholarship Auditions for both the MALASHOCK DANCE SUMMER IN SAN DIEGO WORKSHOP and THE NEW WORKS WORKSHOP . Attendance was great and the dancers were terrific. We also had 8 DVD auditions including three students submitting via YouTube. Technology has made my life much easier. Who knows, in the future we may do our entire workshop audition via DVD and YouTube submissions. That way, I can stay in my pajamas.
Students at The Malashock Dance School Scholarship Audition
On the promotional front, Danielle Gano, our PR Associate from Elle Communications, and several of her interns were making the rounds in San Diego hanging posters and distributing postcards. Keep your eyes open for the preview article in the UNION TRIBUNE next Sunday, as well as Carla Hockley’s segment on Cox 4.
Also, if you want a preview of the SHADOW OF MERCY concert, Lara Segura, Heidi Kershaw and I will be performing TAKE THIS WALTZ as part of SPRING FLING on Saturday, April 11th at 12:45 pm on The South Promenade at Liberty Station .
In addition, Lara Segura and I will perform the duet from THE GYPSY’S WIFE at 4×4xFLOOR at The Bluefoot Bar and Lounge on April 14th at 7 pm. THE GYPSY’S WIFE (the story of a none-too-chaste woman and her long-suffering husband) is one of those pieces, as Karen Walker from WILL & GRACE would say, “It’s funny because it’s sad.”
Michael Mizerany
Associate Artistic Director, MALASHOCK DANCE
www.malashockdance.org
Tags: audition, contemporary dance, dance, dance audition, dance classes, dance lessons, dance performance, dance performances, dance rehearsals, dance school, dancer, garfield theatre, jewish, john malashock, la jolla, leonard cohen, malashock, malashock dance, modern dance, new works workshop, performance, san diego, shadow of mercy, southern california, summer workshop, the malashock dance school
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