Performer Bios for Saturday, Sept. 13th:
Ellen Godena, BFA from RISD and Ed.M from Harvard, is a choreographer and movement artist working in Boston and New York City. Her work is informed by on-going studies in Japanese butoh and other indigenous dance forms and considers movement to be a distillation process, an on-going effort to define the essence of non-human and inanimate kinetics. Deborah Butler, curator of the 2007 Boston butoh Series said of her recent work, Phloem, "Ellen transformed herself into particles of nature, animal forms and reflections of the human psyche…her presence was startling and very moving and beyond human." She has been a corp dancer of kitsune butoh (Boston, 2003-06), the Vangeline Theatre (NYC, 2006 - present), and has trained and/or performed with Deborah Butler, Jennifer Hicks, Su-En, Diego Pinon, Katsura Kan, Hiroko Tamano, Vangeline, Pam Wunderlich, and Andary Dance Theatre. Recently, Ellen has begun working with robotic devices and entities. She and collaborator Max Lord were Resident Artists in Bebruary 2008 at the League of Electronic Musical Urban Robots in Brookly, NY, where they worked with LEMUR’s collection of over 50 musical robots to create an original music-movement composition. Ellen and Max also co-curate a performance series, ZeroPlan that has been shown from NYC to Boston which explores improvised collaborations between well-known experimental musicians and dancers whose work has been influenced by butoh. www.zeroplan.org
Max Lord is a Boston-area percussionist who works with treated instruments and electronic sound. He is one of few musicians to adopt the Buchla Marimba Lumina, an expressive electronic mallet instrument. His drumset is often augmented by boxes of wires, large sheets of metal, and most recetnly amplified wire brushes. As an improvisor, he is known for restless changes of mood and texture, a sense for the absurd and frequent high-volume excursions. Last year he decided he should have a CD and released Electronic Music 2000-2005, a compliation of moody studio experiments with Marimba Lumina and the kitchen sick of electric tricks. He performs somewhat regularly in the northeast, both solo and in group improv situations.
Alicia Monaco studied dance at The Dancer’s Studio in North Haven, CT under the direction of Sharon DiCrosta. She continued her studies in New York City with Frank Hatchett, Judy Ann Bassing, Germaine Salsberg, Andrew Nemr and Derrick Grant. Cited for her talents at the age of 9 by Gregory Hines, his words of praise and encouragement continue to motivate Alicia even today. A former Petite Miss Dance of America, Alicia has been recognized for her performances as well as her choreography, on the national and international levels. Alicia is a member of the World Tap Dance Champion Team in 1996 and 1997, and placed third highest among female soloists being awarded the bronze medal in the couples division with her partner Stacy Eastman. Alicia is current faculty at The Dancer’s Studio in North Haven, CT and The Dance Slipper in Southwick, MA and continues to travel throughout the country as a master teacher and choreographer. Recently Alicia, along with an incredible cast, performed in the new production of ‘Wonderland…A Tap Tribute to Stevie Wonder,’ created by Sarah Savelli and Ayodele Casel.
Kenny Corrigan from Southwick, MA is a dancer as well as a musician. He studies dance at The Dance Slipper under the direction of Brenda Barna and has won numerous awards for his performances on the regional and national levels. Kenny has recently showed an interest in music and for the past several years has been studying regularly through school programs and private lessons. Next fall, Kenny plans to attend college in New York City majoring in the field of performing arts.
Emily Beattie is a movement artist who is continuously expanding beyond her native Virginia and native classical trianing. After graduating cum laude from The Boston Conservatory Emily joined Prometheus Dance until 2006. her ever budding chroeography/project collection includes Edisa Weeks, Danah Bella, Sarah Slifer, Jennifer Monson, Steven Koplowitz, and Sara Rudner. Beattie’s growth through choreography has been supported by Green Street Studio, Somerville Arts Council, World Music/Crash Arts, The Blouschester New Arts Festival, Tufts University, and the Casa de Cultura in Quito, Ecuador. Emily has been on faculty at The Boston Symphony Orchestra’s Days in the Arts Summer Program and the Boston Ballets outreach program, Taking Steps. Beattie is currently on faculty at Dana Hall School, Walnut Hill School for the Arts at Brown University.
Rosemary Candelario has been dancing for as long as she can remember. Rosemary’s work is grounded in post-modren dance, while being influenced by the slow, hypnotic movement of butoh, and the rhythmic theatrics of Bharatanatyam. Her work has been produced by the Rhode Island Independent Arts Collective in Providence and the Shared Choreographers’ Concert in Boston, where she also performed with Andary Dance and Kitsune, among many others. In Los Angeles, her work has been produced as a part of the Culture Crossing series at the UCLA Department of World Arts and Cultures. She is a member of LA-basted Corpus Delicti, and currently performs with Sara Wookey and Jia Wu. Rosemary holds a M.A. in Culture and Performance with a concentration in Dance from UCLA, where she is currently pursuing her doctorate.