A Conversation with Joshua Allen, America's Favorite Dancer

photo by Joe Viles/FOX

For some dance folks, summer is about taking a break from dance. For me it's about turning on the TV and following every move of the Fox hit Television show, So You Think You Can Dance. This year I found Forth Worth native Joshua Allen continually taking my breath away with his souring spirit, unstoppable confidence, and magnetic charm. The tour lands in Houston on October 11 at Reliant Arena. Allen, now America's favorite dancer, took a break from rehearsal to chat with DSH.

Dance Source Houston: Joshua, congratulations from your dance friends in H-town. We were all cheering for our Texas son. Did you get a lot of support from your old dance buddies in Forth Worth?

Joshua Allen: I did throughout the entire experience. I could feel their support. One of my teachers told me she was so happy for me now, but not to come home too soon. I will get back there eventually.

DSH: Every year I try to pick the winner and got the first three years dead wrong. I pegged you as the winner pretty early on. I just had a feeling. Wondering if you got that feeling too?

JA: Well, you know what they say, the fourth time is the charm. Honestly, we all hoped we would win. You can't expect it you never really know. I always had the confidence that I could win.

DSH: You had a special chemistry dancing with Katee. What made that partnership work so well?

JA: We connected immediately from the first dance, which was a hip hop dance I think. She was nervous and I was really excited because I am a hip hop dancer. I was nervous too because if I messed up they would cream me because I was supposed to know what I am doing. We just clicked. We are both such hard workers, and always wanted to do our best. We are completely different kinds of dancers, so when I needed help she was right there and vice versa. We learned so much from each other.

DSH: Is there one piece of choreography that you felt fit you perfectly?

JA: I liked both of the hip-hops, obviously, “No Air” by Napoleon and Tabatha, and “Skipping” by Dave Scott. Wade's piece, “Slowing Dancing in a Burning Room,” was also great.

DSH: When did you feel totally out of your comfort zone?

JA: The Samba and the Pasa Doble were totally new to me. Actually, the whole ballroom scene kind of frightened me, but I ended up doing it pretty good. I didn't know how well I did until I watched myself on TV and thought, wow, I did well!

DSH: Did any pearls of wisdom from your teachers pop up during the show?

JA: Yes, several. Stay focused. Continue to be yourself and don't change. Don't let anyone tell you that you can't do anything. Live your dreams. Don't back down and never stop having fun.

DSH: How do you do that thing with your chest or is it top secret?

JA: I would have to come to Houston and show you. Want to fly me there? Seriously, I was just knew how to do it. Nobody taught me how to do it

DSH: I, along with America, thought you were an amazingly versatile dancer. Do you attribute that to early ballet classes, or a knack for picking up styles?

JA: Whenever I did other dance styles I totally committed to them. I acted like I had been doing it my entire life.

DSH: I took a look a the tour schedule and it's pretty intense. How do you plan to keep yourself healthy, uninjured, and ready for the long haul?

JA: Stretch. Hydrate. Vitamin C. Actually, I am learning a lot from Mark. He's from Hawaii and they are very healthy.

DSH: Which is harder, preparing for the live show or the TV show?

JA: Well, we don't have the stress of being judged, but instead of doing 2 routines we will be doing 25. It's also great to be polishing the pieces. On the show we had only 5 hours to learn a new routine. SYTYC is work period, but I am having a great time.

DSH: Do you have a favorite way to prepare for a show?

JA: I get in a quiet mood, maybe listen to some mellow music, and just breath and get peaceful with myself. I also pray before I got out on stage.

DSH: In your dream of dreams, what would come next for you?

JA: I want to be an R & B recording artist and try my hand at acting. I will be dancing in Step Up 3D, so you can catch my first entry into the movies. In a few years I might want to open a dance studio, not tomorrow though. And, of course, I want to keep dancing. So, I guess my future is singing, acting, and dancing. I want to do it all really.

Snuggle presents So You Think You Can Dance Live Tour 2008, on Saturday, October 11, 2008, at 7:30 PM at Reliant Arena. Tickets available through Ticketmaster.

Reprinted from Dance Source Houston.

Review: IKE the Bastard Hurricane

Bad. Boring. Powerless. Cruel to islanders, the homeless, people of Houston and coastal areas, dancers and other artists, non-evacuators, animals, art, beaches, wetlands, trees, roofs, windows, yards, roads, cars, cell phones, landlines, and much more. Overall performance too long and slow to leave.

Solo Voice: Priscilla Nathan-Murphy talks about life in the independent lane and her new piece for A Weekend of Texas Contemporary Dance

Marlana Walsh and Jocelyn Thomas in Priscilla Nathan-Murphy's Relentless
Photo by Frank White

Priscilla Nathan-Murphy holds a unique place on the Houston Dance scene. She danced with the first tier of contemporary dance companies such as Space Dance Theatre and Chrysalis. As Principal of the Lower School at Houston Ballet's The Ben Stevenson Academy she's one of Houston's most beloved teachers. All the while she has kept one hand in choreography. She stopped by to tell us about her new work for The Houston Metropolitan Dance Company at the upcoming Weekend of Texas Contemporary Dance.

Dance Source Houston: Tell us about the motivation for your new piece, Relentless, for The Met?

Priscilla Nathan-Murphy:"Relentless,” as in constant bombardment and demand on the intellect and emotional state resulting in sleeplessness. Be that it is stimulated or provoked from either the personal, professional, and or creative side. It's when you are so tired and your mind does not want to shut off.

DSH: You have a history of using sets, sometimes rather complicated ones. What will be on stage this time around besides the dancers?

PNM: I envision a broken up cyclorama that shows two corridors and a ceiling that has an acoustic ceiling look to it by the use of fabric. It's still in the works at this time. I want to create the idea that this movement is happening within a time space—a bubble of time. I want to create both the ambiance as well as a thoughtful environment. So I envision the piece being performed within a capsule of time.

DSH: Finding music is rarely easy for any choreographer and I understand you had some difficulties nailing the music for this new piece.

PNM: The concept came before the music. After exhausting my search for music, I settled on the first selection and then had to piece meal the other parts of the music to help support the different sections of the choreography. It was okay but it did not completely render the energy and graph that the concept and choreography was suggesting. I felt both the choreography and concept was compromised. So I re-investigated and opened myself to new music. I found some Clint Mansell, John Powell, and other selections and reworked the choreography.

DSH: This is your third piece for The Met. How do you see your work as a match for this company?

PNM:The Met is open to the style of movement that I bring and willing to explore the process with me.

DSH: What part is the most exciting of making a new dance?

PNM: I get stimulated by an idea, word, music, or something I have seen that has provoked a creative tangent. It's always exciting when your choreography starts to flow along side your vision then it comes close to fruition and magically everything falls into place.

DSH: You have had a steady presence on the Houston dance scene for a few decades and seen many a company come and go. Was there ever an ideal time here?

PNM: I am inclined to say the 80's as far as contemporary modern.

DSH: How does your day job at Houston Ballet balance with being a freelance choreographer?

PNM: It's quite the juggling act and can be quite stressful to the creative flow when producing a piece. Because my freelance work happens outside of my Houston Ballet commitment it can be limiting with the rehearsal schedule.

Teaching is my love. I enjoy my students and they become very endearing to me. I work with people of high artistic standards and talents. Perhaps it shares the same intensity as choreographing. It is about movement and reinventing ways to approach and clarify the intent through movement. I am constantly challenged there when teaching the students. I have to create when giving combinations. My teaching helps keep me sharp and moving. Teaching and choreographing supplement each other. I am very fortunate that my teaching abilities cover both classical ballet and modern dance. It allows me to pull from both these styles when choreographing.

DSH: You have chosen the independent choreographer's path. Have you ever longed for a company?

PNM: Yes and no. A company provides one with an identity in that you have a constant pool of talented dancers that will open themselves to experimenting and expressing your choreography. It gives your vision, movement style and work a “face” and makes it legitimate and real. How wonderful it would be to have this talent to draw from, be challenged by, and work with, and to be constantly pushing the elements and your artistic capabilities.

There are other administrative and artistic responsibilities that come with having a company, like acquiring a board that is committed, supportive and believes in your work and vision. Funding is also an issue. It is a high priority for me that dancers be paid well for their work and that the piece is presented as a complete package with good costuming, promotion and technical support. I must say that for me that the door to that desire has not closed yet.

DSH: Do you have any pearls of wisdom on your longevity on the Houston dance scene, which has lasted over two decades?

PNM: I consider myself fortunate to have had the opportunities I have had as a teacher, performer, and choreographer. But I still continue to desire for more. Strive for excellence with your craft, be it in teaching, performing or choreographing. I try to be honest and sincere about my work and supportive and open minded of others.

DSH: Do you ever imagine a whole evening of your work?

PNM: Yes, and I answer modestly.

A Weekend of Texas Contemporary Dance returns to the Miller Outdoor Theatre stage on Friday, September 12 and Saturday, September 13 at 8 p.m., featuring performances by Ad Deum Dance Company, Hope Stone Dance, Houston Metropolitan Dance Company, Revolve Dance Company, Sandra Organ Dance Company, and Suchu Dance, and individual choreographers Leslie Skates and Becky Valls. Tickets are free. For more information and to reserve tickets, visit www.houstondance.org or email tix@houstondance.org

Reprinted from DSH.

LEHRERDANCE

A few summers back the buzz on the Buffalo dance streets was all about Jon Lehrer, formerly of Gus Giordano, moving back. He did and has set up shop at UB. This past summer I had the chance to watch rehearsal and see what all the fuss was about. His company debuts this weekend. Let's hope the company finds its way to H-town. Catch my Dance Magazine Vital Signs interview with Lehrer in the October issue. Here is my Artvoice piece, Buffalo's hipster weekly.

High Octane

Jazz dance icon Jon Lehrer officially lands in Buffalo—amidst considerable and deserved hoopla—with his inaugural concert to kick off LehrerDance’s home season on September 12 & 13 at the Center for the Arts in the University of Buffalo. After rave reviews in Dance Magazine and the Chicago Tribune, the cover of Dance Teacher—an impressive resume—what dance fan wouldn’t be jazzed that Lehrer chose Buffalo to plunk down his anchor.

Lehrer, a Queens native, finds Buffalo the perfect climate in which to grow his company. “I was looking for a place with a strong arts scene that wasn’t already inundated with dance companies, and that’s Buffalo,” says Lehrer. No stranger to Buffalo, Lehrer tried his first dance class on a dare while majoring in “undeclared” at UB in 1991. Soon hooked on dance, he went off to perform with John Passafiume Dancers, the internationally acclaimed Erick Hawkins Dance Company, and eventually landed at Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago, where he rose to the level of associate director.

After relocating to Buffalo, he convinced his dancers to move to here too and believe in his dream. Today, plans are underway for LehrerDance to become UB’s resident professional dance company. Jeanne Fornarola, UB’s director of dance, is thrilled by the possibilities. “Having Jon return to Buffalo to establish the LehrerDance company is not only an asset to our dance community but to the Buffalo community as well,” says Fornarola. “Jon and Tammy Lehrer are fine examples of young professionals returning home to establish their careers, knowing that Western New York will embrace and support their efforts to create an international dance company of prominence. The dance program at UB is looking forward to many exciting collaborations.”

The local dance community has also welcomed the company with open arms, with a warm embrace coming from Elaine Gardner, artistic director of Pick of the Crop Dance (POC) and director of dance at Nichols School. ”LehrerDance brings professionalism, enthusiasm, artistic humility and a strong dynamic presence to Buffalo,” says Gardner. “I have been teaching class to the entire company and working with the group on some of my POC projects, and they have been fabulous and committed.”

The kickoff evening is designed to introduce Buffalo audiences to Lehrer’s high-octane, hard-to-classify style. “I’m not big on labels,” says the choreographer, who gleans his inspiration from classic jazz forms to post-modern dance. “I’m about circularity, three-dimensionality, and momentum.”

A beast for flow, Lehrer reminds his dancers to mine the energy inherent in nature’s curves. It’s not a company for the fearful or faint of heart-rate. Daredevilish partnering, risky cantilever moves, and nonstop virtuosity characterize the LehrerDance aesthetic.

Several of Lehrer’s signature works grace the evening’s program, including his explosive all-male duet, Instinct, set to Clint Mansell’s music performed by the Kronos Quartet. “It’s a dynamic look at what’s inside all men—the desire to fight, defend, have a stake in something, and defend it,” Lehrer says. “It’s kind a brotherhood thing; they hunt, gather, play, fight, until, reluctantly, they turn into real men.” Instinct was Lehrer’s first piece to receive international recognition.

Lehrer goes autobiographical in Bridge and Tunnel, based on his high school years growing up in Flushing Queens, New York. Set to four popular Paul Simon tunes and originally choreographed for Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago, the piece gives off a happy-go-lucky vibe. “Simon is one of my favorite singer songwriters, plus he’s from Queens,” says Lehrer. “It’s one of my more jazzy pieces. You will be bobbing in your seat. Watch it and you just want to dance.”

The show closes with A Ritual Dynamic, the first piece Lehrer made for his new Buffalo-based company. Set to Lebanese belly dance music and DJ Disse, this piece gets his message across loud, clear, and with the energy of a speeding train. “It’s high-flying, extremely fast-paced, and fully embodies the style of LehrerDance, which we like to call organic athleticism,” says Lehrer.

Company member and rehearsal director Marideth Wanat has her own take on the piece. “It’s like sprinting full-throttle for 12 minutes straight,” says Wanat, who fearlessly hurls herself through space during a few of those rapid-fire minutes. “It’s definitely got that total wow factor.”

For more information, visit lehrerdance.org.

LehrerDance’s premiere takes place on September 13 at 8pm and September 14 at 2pm in the Center for the Arts at the University at Buffalo North Campus. Tickets are $15 general admission and $12 for college students with valid ID. Tickets can be purchased at the Center for the Arts box office or online at ubcfa.org.

Mildred's Umbrella: A Murder of Crows

Alan Hall, Dana Pike, Bobbie- Jo Davis, Karina Pal Montaño-Bowers, Bobby Haworth
Photo by Anthony Rathbun

The nihilist wonks at Mildred's Umbrella Theatre Company are at it again, this time, with Mac Wellman's A Murder of Crows, his surreal comedy on civilization in one slippery sludge slide into a self-inflicted apocalypse. The frisky Umbrella is three for three with plays addressing the particular poetics of demise. First, Rot, a collaboration with Bobbindoctrin Puppet Theater, followed by One Spare Flea, and now, A Murder of Crows. Someone's gotta squash all that sentimental cheeriness generated by the Forever Plaids of the world, and this stalwart troupe has the delightfully subversive chops to do it. Wellman, with his three Obies including a 2003 lifetime achievement award, arms these edge dwellers with just the right voice to fulfill their mission.

The title “A Murder of Crows” refers to the whimsical habit of naming groups of animals, as in a pride of lions, an ascension of larks, and so on. As a reference to creatures that thrive on trash, the title feels right for the species and the play. The scenario: the world—ruined and polluted beyond hope, the people in it—the same. The train wreck of a nuclear family is on its last legs here. Ma (Nella) lost her house and hopes due to her husband's unfortunate meeting with some radioactive chicken droppings. What's left of him is in a bucket on stage. Son (Andy) returned from Iraq and has assumed the role of a front yard monument complete with a bronzed body. It's a bitter comment on the trophy-ization of military service now haunting the airwaves. Daughter (Susannah), perhaps the only one left playing with a medium-full deck of brain cards, pins her hopes on a change in the weather. And this, all on the eve of Hurricane Gustav. Talk about timing. The family lives off the questionable kindness of Uncle Howard and his Tammy Faye Baker look alike wife, Georgia, who has developed an uncanny skill of picking winners due to a rivet in her head. Dad (Raymond) briefly returns to life to save the day, and to do a little Broadway dance number.

Wellman depicts a world too far gone to save, so they might as well enjoy the descent, and they do. It's less of a narrative than of a report from the frontlines of certain doom. The crows, decked in racy black trash bags, dance to perk things up. Nothing is too pretty here, sometimes funny, and often times clever.

The production, directed by Jennifer Decker, has its strengths in casting and its straightforward approach. The cast handles the confessional tone of Wellman's rhetoric well, letting his dense prose spill forth in a deadpan free fall. Karen Schlag's Nella gives the right undertones to her tell it like it is monologues. Christie Guidry Stryk imbues Susannah with a faint glimmer of hope. Tom Vaughan's Howard pushes the more absurdist moments, especially in describing his wife's “beautiful bigotry.” Amy Warren is a believable poster girl for trash culture as Georgia, the clan-leaning wife. Bobby Haworth as Andy eventually gets to step out of statue mode and describe his delicious state of enlightenment, and does so with a stoic grace. Alan Hall is oddly charming as the song and dance back-from-the-dead dad Raymond.

The actual crows, choreographed by Karina Pal Montaño-Bowers, and performed by Montaño -Bowers, Dana Pike and Bobbi-Jo Davis, spice up the proceedings with some modern dance. When in doubt about the future of civilization, always turn to modern dance. Rebecca Ayres' riff on A Moon for Misbegotten set, features pool noodles sprouting from the toxic ground.

At times, the pace feels sluggish, heavy almost, and the dance sections remained untethered to the whole. The airless climate of the Midtown Art Center added to the experience, although not in an entirely good way.

As we stand on the eve of an election that could possibly put two of the most abysmal protectors of our environment in power, Wellman's play packs a potent punch. As one character says, “we are downwind of something peculiar.” I'll say.

A Murder of Crows continues at Midtown Art Center until September 13. Call 832-418-0585.