Isadora Duncan as well as original choreography with lyrical and romantic themes. It is the only dance company in the region that presents authentic Duncan Dance. All of the Duncan choreography has been recreated under the direction of Duncan teachers and scholars with historical connections to
dance artists who first performed Duncan’s work in the early 1900’s.

TUSCALOOSA COMMUNITY DANCERS ANNOUNCE INAUGURAL SEASON

Tuscaloosa Community Dancers, Inc. proudly announced it’s inaugural season in 2004-2005. This follows a very successful year in 2003 with the holiday favorite The Nutcracker and in March, the formation of their volunteer support group, The Pointe Society of West Alabama. Their production of The Nutcracker in 2003 saw TCD’s return to the Bama Theatre stage and was the first show fully produced by the organization. In prior years, Tuscaloosa Community Dancers received technical assistance from Theatre Tuscaloosa.

The 2004-2005 Season marks an expansion offering West Alabama audiences Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker (December 17 – 21, 2004) in addition to a Spring Repertory Ballet, which will include Acts II & IV of Swan Lake. Tuscaloosa’s own Jennifer Lauren, Principal Ballerina for the Alabama Ballet will guest in both performances. Also on the same program, Tuscaloosa Community Dancers promises to bring to life a child’s storybook tale, to complete the repertory show. Tuscaloosa Community Dancers have over 40 active members and apprentices.

Company members/apprentices are selected through an annual audition, held in April, featuring distinguished out-of-town judges. Membership is comprised of West Alabama dancers from all area schools. Dancers travel from Birmingham, Gordo, Centreville and other communities to dance with the TCD Company. In addition to the public performances, the Company also offers the dancers Master Classes with internationally known figures in the dance world. TCD Productions include community casting from the area schools in addition to the Company Members & Apprentices.

ANDALUSIA BALLET ANNOUNCES 2004 - 2005 SEASON

Andalusia Ballet kicked off its new 2004-2005 season with its 8th Annual Auction Dinner Benefit, September 9th, 6:00 p.m. at Andalusia Country Club. This year’s theme was An Island Luau, a way of extending the fun the ballet had in Honolulu during the week of summer study with Ballet Hawaii.

Toe-to-Toe began late in August. Meryane Murphy, Artistic Director, along with Company dancers, conducted a week-long outreach program that was centered around Peter and the Wolf in several elementary schools in rural south Alabama. Toe-to-Toe was funded in part by a grant from the Alabama
State Council on the Arts. Andalusia Ballet presented The Nutcracker, a seasonal favorite, on Friday, December 10th at 7:30 pm, Saturday, December 11th at 7:30 pm, and Sunday, December 12th at 2:30 pm. Performances for all 5th graders in the county and outlying area schools took place on Thursday, December 9th. All performances were at the Dixon Center for the Performing Arts on Lurleen B. Wallace Community College campus. January 7th and 8th, Andalusia Ballet will host its annual Jazz Workshop with Marcus Alford of Jazz Dance South in Atlanta. Marcus has been coming to Andalusia for over 15 years. In the course of the workshop, Marcus will set a piece on the Company dancers.

Amelie Hunter, well-known choreographer from California, will be in residence for a week in January to choreograph and rehearse the production of Handel’s Messiah to be presented March 12th and 13th, 2005. Kevin Martin, from Nutmeg Conservatory for the Arts, is scheduled to be in Andalusia for a week of intensive classes in late January – early February.
Andalusia Ballet is looking forward to participating in the 2005 Alabama Dance Summit, and will showcase on January 16 at 3:00 p.m. in the Alys Stephens Center’s Sirote Theatre.

NEW YORK DANCE COMPANY COMPLEXIONS RECEIVES A
THREE-STAR REVIEW

During the summer, the New York dance company Complexions Contemporary Ballet presented a two-week residency workshop at the Alabama School of Fine Arts and the company and students received a threestar
review from The Birmingham News for their closing performance. The headline read “ASFA dancers put through paces at summer ballet workshop.”
The students performed before a sold-out audience both Friday and Saturday night July 9 and 10. The summer intensive workshop included 18
young dancers from ASFA and from around the country. New York choreographers Donald Byrd, Dwight Rhoden, Thaddeus Davis and Arturo Fernandez of San Francisco created new modern works for the students to perform.
Complexions co-artistic director Desmond Richardson, named by Dance Magazine as the best male modern dancer next to Mikhail Baryshnikov, performed
a solo modern dance work that received a standing ovation.

Arts critic Michael Huebner called the performance by the students and the professional dancers “riveting” and said the workshop met its goal in simulating
a working environment. “This program’s complexity, agility, athleticism and discipline were as demanding as these dancers will get in the profession,” he wrote. He made note of the “raw talent and energy” found in
Arturo Fernandez’s four-part Suite Sugar Ray, which was a tribute to the recently deceased musician and American icon Ray Charles.

WES CHAPMAN NAMED IN BIRMINGHAM’S “TOP 40 UNDER 40”

“Wes Chapman’s contribution to Alabama is that of a world-renowned dancer, artistic director, and ambassador.” Those were some of the magic
words written by Dudley Reynolds that led to Wes Chapman’s award in the Birmingham Business Journal’s 20th annual “Top 40 Under 40.” Chapman was chosen from a large field of nominees recognized for being the brightest rising stars in the Birmingham business community.

An impressive list of accomplishments helped Chapman make this year’s prestigious list. These include doubling the company’s annual budget and increasing ticket sales each year while attracting 41 international professional dancers who make up the company. Over 600 dancers audition annually for the opportunity to perform with Chapman, including 22 apprentices who
train unpaid. During his tenure as Artistic Director, the Alabama Ballet has secured the honor of becoming one of only six companies in the world currently licensed to perform George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker.
Additionally, Chapman brought world-renowned male dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov to Birmingham as one of eleven cities on his solo tour. Finally,
the Ballet will present
Alvin Ailey American
Dance Theater, the greatest cultural ambassadors of all time, in February, 2005.
Eddy Touissaint, international
choreographer
noted, “Wes has accomplished
in five years
what usually takes twelve years to achieve
and that is building a
company of national reputation.” Reynolds further noted, “Wes’ contributions to Birmingham will continue
to impact the cultural and economic climate
of the community.”

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