The New York-based nonprofit entertainment and education organization Daniel Gwirtzman Dance Company launches its new digital educational platform, Dance with Us, in two weeks. Harper’s Bazaar selected the event as one of “10 best arts, dance, theater and music eventsnationwide in June. The one-year project involves five Ithaca College alumni – recent graduates – and three current IC students from the Department of Theater Arts.

New York-based nonprofit entertainment and education organization Daniel Gwirtzman Dance Company presents Dance with us, an educational digital platform focused on the first in a series of new dance films. The resource will launch June 25-27, 2021 at 7 p.m. ET (same program repeated on three successive evenings) with the movie premieres and reveal of the platform, a website whose URL will go live at that time.

Launch events include an exclusive guided tour of the website, the screening of several short films, world premieres of willow and Doll house, and previews of six new dance films that will launch monthly until the end of 2021. Events are free with prior registration. Donations are accepted through the Society PayPal Donation Fund, where 100% of the contributions go to the association. Combining discussions, dancing and conversation, the interactive premiere promises to be highly accessible, entertaining and educational. The evenings will be hosted by master of ceremonies Daniel Gwirtzman with special guests Dante Puleio, artistic director of the Limón dance company June 25; Tiffany Rea-Fisher, Artistic Director, Elisa Monte Dance June 26; Seán Curran, Artistic Director, Seán Curran Company June 27 and Michael novak, Artistic Director, Paul Taylor Dance Company, which will appear virtually every third night with a special message.

This multifaceted project explains the ways of seeing and talking about dance. Using studio performances and footage, the resource demystifies concert dance by teaching fundamental concepts of the art form. This digital resource will be distributed widely and free of charge, contributing to the Open Educational Resources (OER) Movement, a commitment to equity, inclusion and accessibility. The resource will be accessible to everyone, regardless of geographic location. Multiple partnerships will ensure the impact on students, professionals and the general public. The Company will also provide the resource to chains, institutions, libraries, public and private schools (K-12, Higher Education) and cultural organizations.

Event calendar

6:45 p.m .: Pre-show slide show

19h00-20h00: Main program: film previews and special guests

8 p.m. – 8:30 p.m .: Discussion: An Open Forum with the Company

8:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m .: Dance party: Dance with us!

Said Daniel, the choreographer and filmmaker of the project

“Contemporary dance has infiltrated more and more into the mainstream culture for decades, reinforced by the advent of performances such as So you think you can dance and Dancing with the stars. With the proliferation of line dancing, which has grown exponentially during the pandemic, it can be argued that more people are seeing contemporary dance than ever before. And an appetite for innovative choreography is a by-product of this exhibition. The development of Dance with us was in place years before the pandemic, with resources that were created over the past two decades, an extension of the programming that we have offered as a company since our inception in 1998. We have long been committed to discussing the dance, by allowing the public to trust their opinions and acquire more knowledge about dance in order to broaden their knowledge of dance. The omnipresence of dance in the cinema, finding more topicality in popular culture, is not going to change. This platform gives everyone, regardless of their exposure to dance, tools to talk about dance, encouraging them to understand that their point of view is as valid as that of an “expert”. At this moment when there is so much dancing to see, this platform seeks to serve as a practical guide. “

Highlights of the program launch

• First. Parade, the opening film that lifts the curtain of the evening, is followed by Willow, triumphant and elegiac, and the spirited and playful Dollhouse.
• Visit of the platform. Like walking through the rooms of a house, the site will be unveiled and explained.
• The library. Browse the extensive archive of dance films and filmed performances.
• Special guests. Hear views from renowned artists on dance, dance education, and dance films.
• Overview. Preview the next dances that will be launched each month until the end of the year.
• Party! Dance With Us to celebrate the re-emergence of our lives!

See the 25-second trailer.

Register on the Eventbrite site for a free ticket!

Closed captioning will be provided on the new platform.