dancers

ALL OVER THE MAP

The Lar Lubovitch Dance Company is on the move for '08 -- as you can see by this month's round-up of travel-themed stories.
February 1, 2008

Premiere weekend in both Florida and Montana

Sneak preview of 15-city National Tour

Take the Leap Year challenge!

"Chicagoan of the Year" honor for Lar

Premiere weekend in both Florida and Montana

Lubovitch company in Dvorak Serenade.  Photo: Steven Schreiber.

Lubovitch company in Dvorak Serenade.  Photo: Steven Schreiber. 

The Lubovitch company brings new meaning to the concept of a dance "split bill," kicking off this weekend with a pair of premieres at opposite ends of the country.  Last night, Lar staged the world premiere of his latest work with Headwaters Dance Company in Missoula, Montana.  And now (tonight and tomorrow at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts in West Palm Beach), Ballet Florida will give its premiere performances of a Lubovitch company hit from just a couple of months ago.

The Montana premiere, titled Where Angels Feet Hath Trod, is the centerpiece of Headwaters' 2008 Gala Concert series, January 31-February 2.  Angels was commissioned by Headwaters as part of its "Montana Suite," a multi-year project in which leading choreographers have been commissioned to develop new works themed around the state's history and natural heritage.  For his dance, Lar drew inspiration, in part, from Montana's majestic rivers and, in part, from the state's tradition of cowboy fiddle music.  He created the work during a summer '07 residency, and then returned to Missoula this week to stage the premiere.

He and Lubovitch company member Jay Franke spent much of the rest of January in Florida preparing Ballet Florida for that company's premiere of Dvorak Serenade.  (Lar can now offer travel tips for anyone interested in commuting between Palm Beach and Missoula.)

Two other recent collaborations have also kept Lubovitch dancers busy flying around the country: Ballet British Columbia's first performances of the Lubovitch company dance Elemental Brubeck in late November 2007 - and Colorado Ballet's upcoming company premiere of our 2002 hit, "...smile with my heart," set for February 22-24.  We plan to upload photos from some of these performances on our web site in the coming weeks: if you would like to receive an e-mail alert when new material is posted, send us an e-mail

 

Sneak preview of 15-city National Tour

Lubovitch company in Men's Stories, 2004.  Photo: Rose Eichenbaum.

 Lubovitch company in Men's Stories, 2004.  Photo: Rose Eichenbaum.

Dallas, Portland and Seattle will be included among the 15 cities in the Lubovitch company's 40th anniversary national tour for 2008-09.  The tour, which will kick off in July and run through February, will include two separate trips through the western half of the US.  An October engagement at TITAS/Dallas will kick off a swing through the west prior to the company's 40th anniversary home season at New York City Center -- November 5-9, 2008.  Then in January 2009 we will close out a second West Coast series with performances at White Bird in Portland and Meany Hall in Seattle, presented by UW Arts.

Our national tour is partially supported by grants from American Masterpieces: Dance and the National Dance Project, two competitive grant programs administered by the New England Foundation for the Arts.  Our company is honored, and very grateful, to be the first company ever to receive support from both of these programs in the same season.

You can learn more about the Lubovitch national tour -- including information on our presenters in each city, and background on the works we will perform -- by visiting our website.   Our tour page is already live with preliminary information.  We will post a complete tour calendar on February 29 -- Leap Year Day -- a fitting time to announce all of the plans for our leap into the Lubovitch company's 40th anniversary.

 

Take the Leap Year challenge!

Tobin Del Cuore in Hubbard Street Dance Chicago's production of Lubovitch's Love's Stories.  Photo: Todd Rosenberg.

Tobin Del Cuore in Hubbard Street Dance Chicago's production of Lubovitch's Love's Stories.  Photo: Todd Rosenberg.

Of course, as any dancer will tell you, before you leap, it's best to stretch -- and thanks to the generosity of our friends and supporters, the Lubovitch company is stretching to make our 40th anniversary an unprecedented year of celebration.

Our 2007 year-end campaign to raise support for our spring rehearsals has been very successful, attracting contributions so far of more than $50,000.  But the costs of creating our first new dance, which is set to premiere on May 5th, will be about $150,000 (primarily for 8 dancers for 8 weeks, but also for tech crew, studio rental, insurance, costumes, etc.)  And our tour costs, even after the generous support that we have received so far, will be much more.

To keep the momentum going, a generous donor has pledged to match any additional gifts made prior to our official tour announcement on February 29.  So why not make it "one for the road" -- and contribute to our 40th anniversary tour this month?

Click here to make a secure on-line donation through NY Charities, or mail your contribution directly to:

Lar Lubovitch Dance Company
229 West 42nd Street, 8th Floor
New York, NY  10036

You can also call 212.221.7909 to receive a postage-free contribution envelope.

Lar -- and our dancers, staff and directors -- all thank you for considering this request.  We also want to express our deepest gratitude to all of those who have already contributed so generously.


 

"Chicagoan of the Year" honor for Lar

Lar Lubovitch and Chicago Dancing Festival co-founder Jay Franke in rehearsal.  Photo: Todd Rosenberg.
Lar Lubovitch and Chicago Dancing Festival co-founder Jay Franke in rehearsal.  Photo: Todd Rosenberg.

The Chicago Tribune gave Lar Lubovitch a special New Year's gift, naming him "Chicagoan of the Year" for his 2007 contributions to the city's dance scene.  Although a New Yorker since 1960, Lar is proudly a native-born Chicagoan.  In the December 30 feature story, Tribune arts critic Sid Smith wrote that Lar's "accomplishments add up to a trifecta of art, production and backstage advocacy," citing the April '07 world premiere of Lar's Cryptoglyph at Hubbard Street Dance Chicago and last summer's successful launch of the Chicago Dancing Festival, as well as the role Lar played in helping the Joffrey Ballet choose Ashley Wheater as its new artistic director during the fall.  To see the full Tribune text, click here.


ABOUT THE LAR LUBOVITCH DANCE COMPANY

Mission:
The Lubovitch company was created to realize the artistic vision of Lar Lubovitch, one of the foremost contemporary choreographers in the United States.  The company exists: (1) to create new work; (2) to perform those works (and facilitate the performance of those works by others) both in our home base of New York City and around the world; and (3) to teach people of all ages, ethnicities and socio-economic backgrounds, in order to increase awareness and appreciation of dance.

History:
Over the past 39 years, the Lar Lubovitch Dance Company has gained a reputation as one of the world's leading modern dance companies and has performed in virtually every state of the US and in more than 30 foreign countries.  Lar Lubovitch has been cited by The New York Times as "one of the ten best choreographers in the world," and the company has been called a "national treasure" by Variety.  The company is primarily focused on the creation of new dances, sometimes in collaboration with other top companies.

Contact:
The Lubovitch company is located at 229 West 42nd Street, New York NY 10036.  You can reach us at (212) 221-7909 or lubovitch@aol.com.  Or visit our website at www.lubovitch.org.

Support:
Programs of the Lar Lubovitch Dance Company are funded in part by the National Endowment for the Arts, the New York State Council on the Arts and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, as well as by Altria, Atlantic Philanthropies, US Trust Company of NY, Irene Diamond Fund, Brooke Garber & Daniel Neidich Fund, Harkness Foundation for Dance, Carl Jacobs Fund, McMullan Family Foundation, Rodgers Family Foundation, Shubert Foundation, Robert Sterling Clark Foundation, A. Woodner Fund and numerous additional generous individuals, corporations and foundations.

Memberships:
The Lubovitch company is a member of Dance/USA, Dance/NYC, ART/NY and the Arts & Business Council.