DANCE HEGINBOTHAM
Dance Sonata © Jamie Krause courtesy of Jacob's Pillow
The Planets © courtesy of Greater Bridgeport Symphony
The Planets w/ The Knights © Sam Zausch courtesy of La Jolla Music Society
Dance Sonata © David Blakeman
You Look Like A Fun Guy © Christopher Duggan
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Repertory
DH w/ Ethan Iverson
Running time: Approx. 60 minutes, no intermission (Performed with live music)
Choreographer: John Heginbotham
Composer: Ethan Iverson
Lighting Design: Nicole Pearce
Costume Design: Maile Okamura
An evening of work in collaboration with Ethan Iverson, the critically acclaimed jazz composer, pianist, and Blue Note Records recording artist. The program features three works: Easy Win (2015) a delightful ode to the repetition, drama and humor of a dance class; followed by The Understudies. Set to a violin and piano duet, The Understudies was praised by The Boston Globe as “heartbreaking, suspenseful” and “simply, beautiful in its beautiful simplicity.” The grand finale for the collaborative program is Dance Sonata, Heginbotham’s joyous new work set to Iverson’s jazzy four part composition.
The Planets (2022)
Running time: Approx. 50 minutes, no intermission (Performed with live music*)
Choreographer: John Heginbotham
Composers: Gustav Holst
Lighting Design: Nicole Pearce
Costume Design: Maile Okamura
An invitation to journey through our celestial environment, John Heginbotham reimagines the stage for an immersive evening of music, dance and theater. Guided by Gustav Holst’s orchestral masterpiece of the same name, The Planets is a visual and auditory delight, propelling audiences to the farthest reaches of the cosmos from the fiery worlds at the core of our solar system to the icy bodies slowly orbiting in the far distance.
*Music Arrangement is for 11 musicians.
DH Mixed Repertory Program
Running time: Approx. 60 minutes, no intermission. (Option to perform with live music)
Choreographer: John Heginbotham
Music by: Heitor Villa-Lobos, Niccolo Paganini, Édouard Lalo
Lighting Design: Nicole Pearce
Costume Design: Maile Okamura
Offering a thoroughly delightful curated evening of dance featuring Villa, Caprice #1, Caprice #4, and Lola. DH’s mixed repertory program features a mix of the company’s signature athleticism, humor, and theatricality. The perfect blend of wit, charm and meticulous musicality for dance audience. Program can be performed to recorded music or with live musical accompaniment by local musicians. Recorded music program includes: Twin, Caprice #4 and Closing Bell.
You Look Like a Fun Guy
PREMIERING 2024
Choreographer: John Heginbotham
Original Music: Colin Jacobsen
Sound Design: Omar Zubair
Lighting Design: Nicole Pearce
Costume and Sculpture Design: Maile Okamura
Inspired by John Cage’s interest in mycology and his methods of composing music, as well as the astonishing nature and behavior of fungi (fungi occupy every superlative in the known universe yearbook – without hyperbole, it’s the biggest, smallest, most resilient, most adaptive, most diverse, deadliest, liveliest, arguably tastiest organism in existence), You Look Like a Fun Guy is a partially roving, partially anchored outdoor event which celebrates Cage’s rigorous and playful modus operandi. Expressed through movement, text, music, and subtle environmental modulation, You Look Like a Fun Guy invites audience members to take in its story and action, and also to potentially travel around the larger performance grounds as part of a guided mushroom walk/tour. You Look Like a Fun Guy acknowledges the significant distances fungal structures cover, and also the psychedelic power of mushrooms; the dance takes place both far from, and near to, the viewer, and the natural features of the performance site are augmented in both subtle and blatant ways. Most importantly, the dance behaves like fungi – the performers and the venue morph into new versions of themselves, gradually becoming fabulously unrecognizable.
Co-commissioned by The Ringling in Sarasota, FL as part of its Ecoperformance Commission, an arts-driven focus on residencies, conversations, performances, activities and films about ecology, climate, culture and environmental justice.
Virtual Programming
VIRTUAL COMMISSIONS
24 CAPRICES
24 short dances on film created during these unprecedented times.
In March 2020, Dance Heginbotham (DH) was rehearsing Dance Sonata, a brand-new work with composer Ethan Iverson set to premiere this summer 2020 at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival. With that work disrupted, a compelling idea emerged when Works & Process at the Guggenheim approached Artistic Director John Heginbotham with the opportunity to create a Works & Process Artists (WPA) Virtual Commission. Using Niccolo Paganini’s 24 Caprices as an inspirational launching point, Dance Heginbotham joins forces with violinist Colin Jacobsen, “one of the most interesting figures on the classical music scene” (The Washington Post), to explore the caprices’ delightful, dark, and melancholic turns.
Filmed in New York City over the coming year, 24 Caprices is Dance Heginbotham’s ambitious, new virtual dance project, featuring John, Colin, and a team of dancers and surprise guest artists. Each caprice is a captivating jewel, rhythmically intricate and varied in range, capturing a moment in this unprecedented time.
Commissioners:
There are a total of 24 Caprices to be developed and are offered at three commissioning levels that vary in cast size: Ampio, Medio, and Piccolo. Running times for the films will range between 1:30 to 7 minutes in length and are not directly related to cast size. There are options to be a sole commissioner or co-commissioner.
Three (3) Commissioning Options:
Ampio (large): This caprice offering features up to 9 company dancers, Colin Jacobsen on violin and a creative team that includes John Heginbotham (choreographer), Maile Okamura (videographer), and Jody Elff (sound design).
Medio (medium): This caprice includes approximately 5 dancers alongside violinist Colin Jacobsen. Creative team includes John Heginbotham (choreographer), Maile Okamuraa (videographer), and Jody Elff (sound design).
Piccolo (small): A small but mighty caprice, this offering features a special guest artist from the Dance Heginbotham family. Additional personnel to realize this caprice include: Colin Jacobsen (music), John Heginbotham (choreographer), Amber Star Merkens (rehearsal director), Maile Okamura (videographer) and Jody Elff (sound design)
VIRTUAL WORKSHOPS
dh movement workshops
Company offers movement classes for Dance Departments or Community Organizations in: Beginning/Intermediate/Advanced Contemporary Technique and Composition. Company also offers Limited Mobility Workshops. Classes may be tailored and adapted as needed.
Details:
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Technology: Zoom is required or similar platform provided by presenter.
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25 Students Max.
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60 minute workshop plus 15 minute Q&A with John Heginbotham.
Engagement Activities
Masterclasses: Contemporary Technique
Led by Artistic Director John Heginbotham or company dancers, this class focuses on developing techniques for moving efficiently and expressively, with consciousness, strength, and grace. Special attention is paid to exploring and understanding the role of musicality in dancing. Each class begins on the floor, incorporating the anatomically sound movement principles of 20th Century dance pioneers Irmgard Bartenieff and Rudolf Laban. A standing, ballet-informed center follows, and the class concludes with a series of dynamic traveling and jumping combinations. Live musical accompaniment preferred. Running time: 90 minutes.
Dance for PD® with John Heginbotham
Dance for PD®, a program of Mark Morris Dance Group, was born from the idea that people with Parkinson’s disease could benefit from the insight and specific techniques and methods used by dancers to guide their own bodies and minds. This award-winning, research-backed program strives to increase coordination, balance, flexibility and strength through music and movement from a broad range of dance styles.
In classes led by professionally trained dancers, participants experience the grace, fluidity and power of dance in a social, joyful and supportive environment. No dance experience is required. In chairs, at a barre, or moving across the floor, you will explore elements of modern dance, ballet, creative improvisation, tap, social dancing, and Dance Heginbotham company repertory while music energizes, enriches and empowers. Live musical accompaniment Preferred. Maximum Participants 30. Preferred Length 60 – 90 minutes.
Limited Mobility Workshop
Led by Artistic Director John Heginbotham and founding Dance for PD teacher, this is a customized dance workshop which emphasizes the creation of a gentle, focused space for dancing to occur. A sensitivity to the specific concerns of people with limited mobility is inherent but the class is centered on the aesthetic, athletic, and expressive possibilities of dance. Requirements: sufficient lighting for proper visibility of the floor; chairs; piano (if live music is not available, a CD player is acceptable). Maximum Participants: 40. Preferred Length: 1.5 hours.
Choreography Workshop
Led by Artistic Director John Heginbotham, students learn to develop movement material for solo and groups, through various problem-solving activities. Participants will be asked to create dance studies focused on musical structures, narrative, physical interaction, and partnering. The class will end with time devoted to viewing and discussing the work created. Live musical accompaniment is an essential part of this class. Running time: 120 minutes.
Q & A with Dance Heginbotham
Artistic Director John Heginbotham and Managing Director will offer a brief history of John’s career and Dance Heginbotham’s history, and will then take questions from students. Topics covered in the past include: Artistic Process, Interdisciplinary Collaboration, Dancer Health & Wellness Advice, The Life of a Dancer, Arts Management/Producing, and Current state of American Modern Dance.
Pre and post-performance discussions available upon request.
Press
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"...buoyantly musical, courteous with hints of mischief..."
The New York Times
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"Audiences have a chance to enter into Heginbotham’s entertaining universe, and they shouldn’t miss it. …His works seem to have personalities of their own. You want to know them.”
The New Yorker
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“An apt move or gesture for nearly every sound.”
The New York Times
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“[Heginbotham has] a true theater artist’s instinct for commanding his audience.”
The New York Times
For more information, please contact:
Joanna Futral
Booking Representative (South) & Contract Manager
212.278.8111 ext. 3422