The Vanaver Caravan was established in 1972 by Bill Vanaver and Livia Drapkin Vanaver. Bill and Livia met in New York City in 1971 while Bill was playing music and Livia was studying dance. They soon joined forces and traveled the world together performing and learning new music and dance forms. Their first concert as the Vanaver Caravan was in 1972 at Washington Square Church in New York City. [1] They have now developed the Vanaver Caravan into a non-profit organization hosting performances and dance classes for a range of ages.
The Vanaver Caravan mixes cultural dance forms like Irish clog dance, African dance, modern dance, historical American dance, flamenco, capoeira, Taiko drumming, Chinese ribbon dancing and many others. Since its inception the Caravan has continued to foster a large diversity of cultural dance forms, often mixing them in unexpected combinations. This juxtaposition brings out the aspects particular to each form while also reminding the viewer of the similarities in dance and music across cultures. The Vanaver Caravan has also reconstructed American modern dance works by Ted Shawn and Ruth St. Denis through their partnership with Denishawn dancer Jane Sherman.
The Caravan has performed around the world and have appeared at various dance festivals including Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival, the Smithsonian American Folklife Festival, the Bienale de la Danse in Lyon and the Sidmouth International Festival in England. Currently the Caravan is composed of an adult ensemble and a youth ensemble called the Caravan Kids. They are based in New Paltz, New York. [2]
The Vanavers have used their unique blend of dance and music from around the world to foster peace and social wellness. Their collaboration with the Friendship Ambassador’s Foundation brought them to the Romania and Bulgaria to work with the Balkan Peace and Reconciliation Conference. In 2002 the Caravan developed a program for 9/11 victims that used the arts to heal children and adults. [3]
George Balanchine was a Georgian-American ballet choreographer who was one of the most influential 20th-century choreographers. Styled as the father of American ballet, he co-founded the New York City Ballet and remained its Artistic Director for more than 35 years. His choreography is characterized by plotless ballets with minimal costume and décor, performed to classical and neoclassical music.
Alvin Ailey Jr. was an American dancer, director, choreographer, and activist who founded the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (AAADT). He created AAADT and its affiliated Ailey School as havens for nurturing Black artists and expressing the universality of the African-American experience through dance. His work fused theater, modern dance, ballet, and jazz with Black vernacular, creating hope-fueled choreography that continues to spread global awareness of Black life in America. Ailey's choreographic masterpiece Revelations is recognized as one of the most popular and most performed ballets in the world.
Ted Shawn was one of the first notable male pioneers of American modern dance. Along with creating the Denishawn School with former wife Ruth St. Denis he was also responsible for the creation of the well-known all-male company Ted Shawn and His Men Dancers. With his innovative ideas of masculine movement, he was one of the most influential choreographers and dancers of his day. He was also the founder and creator of Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival in Massachusetts, and "was knighted by the King of Denmark for his efforts on behalf of the Royal Danish Ballet."
Lar Lubovitch Dance Company is a dance company based in New York City and founded by Lar Lubovitch in the late 1960s. They have performed at Carnegie Hall, and worldwide.
The New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), in downtown Newark, New Jersey, United States, is one of the largest performing arts centers in the United States. Home to the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra (NJSO), more than nine million visitors have visited the center since it opened in October 1997 on the site of the former Military Park Hotel.
Dance Theatre of Harlem (DTH) is an American professional ballet company and school based in Harlem, New York City. It was founded in 1969 under the co-directorship of Arthur Mitchell and Karel Shook. Milton Rosenstock served as the company's music director from 1981 to 1992. The DTH is renowned for being both "the first Black classical ballet company", and "the first major ballet company to prioritize Black dancers".
Jacob's Pillow is a dance center, school and performance space located in Becket, Massachusetts, in the Berkshires. The organization is known for a Summer dance festival. The facility also includes a professional school and extensive archives as well as year-round community programs. The facility itself was listed as a National Historic Landmark District in 2003.
Rosalind Newman is an internationally acclaimed choreographer who has created a body of over 70 works.
Eiko Otake and Takashi Koma Otake, generally known as Eiko & Koma, are a Japanese performance duo. Since 1972, Eiko & Koma have worked as co-artistic directors, choreographers, and performers, creating a unique theater of movement out of stillness, shape, light, sound, and time. For most of their multi-disciplinary works, Eiko & Koma also create their own sets and costumes, and they are usually the sole performers in their work. Neither of them studied traditional Japanese dance or theater forms and prefer to choreograph and perform only their own works. They do not bill their work as Butoh though Eiko & Koma cite Kazuo Ohno as their main inspiration.
The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (AAADT) is a modern dance company based in New York City. It was founded in 1958 by choreographer and dancer Alvin Ailey. It is made up of 32 dancers, led by artistic director Robert Battle and associate artistic director Matthew Rushing.
Mystic Ballet is a modern dance company based in Mystic, Connecticut, founded in 1997 by Goran Subotic.
Molissa Fenley is an American choreographer, performer and teacher of contemporary dance.
María Benítez is an American dancer, choreographer and director in Spanish dance and flamenco. Born of a mother of Chippewa, Algonquian, Oneida and Iroquois parentage and a Puerto Rican father, Benítez is best known for the work of the company she and her husband Cecilio founded and direct, Teatro Flamenco.
Marion Burbank Stevens Rice was an American modern dance choreographer, dance teacher and producer.
Karim Nagi is an Egyptian musician, composer, ethnic dance artist, and DJ. He specializes in traditional Arabic music but is widely known for his innovative approach. In total he has released fourteen CDs and six DVDs, and he tours internationally performing and teaching.
Ella Baff is a consultant for arts and culture and works with a wide range of cultural organizations, artists, producers, philanthropists and funders.
Liz Lerman is an American choreographer and founder of Liz Lerman Dance Exchange.
Kyle Abraham is an American choreographer. He began dancing when he was young at the Civic Light Opera Academy and the Pittsburgh Creative and Performing Arts School in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He received BFA from SUNY Purchase and an MFA from the NYU Tisch School of the Arts. Prior to starting his company A.I.M (Abraham.In.Motion), he performed with a number of companies, including David Dorfman Dance, Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company, The Kevin Wynn Collective, Nathan Trice/Rituals, Dance Alloy and Attack Theatre.
Jacqulyn Buglisi is an American choreographer, artistic director, dancer, educator, and founder or co-founder of multiple dance institutions. Received the 2020 Bessie Award, Special Citation for TalbleofSilece.org Buglisi, with Terese Capucilli, Christine Dakin and Donlin Foreman, founded Buglisi Dance Theatre in 1993/94.
Ensemble Español Spanish Dance Theater is an American Spanish-dance company in residence at Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago. The Ensemble Español consists of the professional dance company, touring nationally and internationally throughout the year, as well as the youth company. The Ensemble Español provides arts education programming to students across Chicago, runs community outreach programs/workshops, offers college level dance courses at Northeastern Illinois University, and produces the annual American Spanish Dance and Music Festival.