India Jazz Suites: The Fastest Feet in Rhythm pretty much spells out what will be going down Saturday at the South-Miami Dade Cultural Arts Center. The event is a high-speed hybrid of ancient Indian moves and contemporary tap, created by Kathak dance master Pandit Chitresh Das and celebrated tap dancer Jason Samuels Smith.

Many dancers talk of the energy in their work, but few understand it in the way Das does. The 69-year-old dancer’s pursuit of the sublime doesn’t stop with his deep devotion to Kathak, a classical Northern Indian dance form. He likes to mix things up, juxtaposing the rhythmic structures of his own tradition with others, opening up to improvisation, or as he calls it, a “conversation” between traditions.

Das’ partner in that conversation began his career at age 15 as understudy for Savion Glover in the Broadway production of Bring in ’Da Noise, Bring in ’Da Funk. Samuels Smith went on to win an American Choreography Award for a televised tribute to Gregory Hines, and founded Los Angeles’ first tap dance festival in 2003. He has tapped his way across prominent stages from London to Chicago, and has appeared as a guest performer on So You Think You Can Dance.

Das’ interest in other traditions began with a ritual fire ceremony six decades ago, marking the start of his training with guru Pandit Ram Narayan Misra, who was more interested in his student’s integrity than his dance technique. In the 18 years they worked together, Misra taught Das the two most important lines within Kathak dance: the sensuality of the Lucknow school and the fierce rhythm of the Jaipur school.

Das’ parents were celebrated dancers in the classical tradition. “It seemed there was never an end to the dancing at home,” he says. “It went on all day and all night. Much of it might have been considered ‘subversive,’ pro-Indian independence reworking of classical works.”

His parents’ dance school was among the most celebrated in Calcutta (now Kolkata), and their son was something of a prodigy. Das’ first public performance was with sitar genius Ravi Shankar.

“I grew up in a golden time,” Das says, referring to his apprenticeship as well as the promise of India in the 1950s. But by the 1970s, fewer Indians seemed interested in their own culture. “One needs to go out of one’s country to understand it,” his mother told him. And so, like so many other young people at the time, Das set out for Berkeley, Calif.

“Everything was going on, some of it wondrous,” he says. “Still, I was isolated from my own roots, my own environment, and when that happens, one recreates one’s own environment.”

Since then, he has recreated that environment all over the world. Today Das has dance schools in Kolkata, Mumbai, San Francisco, Boston and Toronto. He performed at Lincoln Center in New York in 1988 and has been featured in documentaries on PBS and the BBC. He also offers classes to the children of sex workers in Mumbai’s Red Light district and gives workshops at the Blind Opera of Kolkata.

His intention is to honor the instructions of his guru: “To live and to dance as though the [dancers’ ankle] bells, the students, the audience and even a stray chair have all become one.”

In India Jazz Suites, add Samuel Smith’s tapping feet to the sound of those bells. And, Das says, just as when particles collide, “what the audience will be witnessing is energy.”

This appeared in the Miami Herald, 4/16/13

The Miami Civic Music Association is, believe it, presenting its 81st season of live music performances this year. Founded back in 1932 with Charles Crandon as its first president, the association was one of the first and only arts organizations dedicated to presenting live music and the performing artists of the time.

This weekend the MCMA presents the 14^th Annual Piano Gala at the Frost School of Music, in support of the Rosalina & Harold Sackstein Piano Scholarship Fund. Proceeds from the performance on Sunday, Feb. 10 at University of Miami’s Gusman Concert Hall will support piano students at the Frost School.

The concert will feature classics by Mozart, Schubert, Debussy and Liszt, to name a few, arranged for piano duos and as well as solo piano, performed by current faculty members and former students of Rosalina.

But some performers are no longer local, and are returning to Miami just for the event. One such musician is Armen Shaomian, currently assistant professor of sport and entertainment management at the University of South Carolina, Columbia. He’s also vice president on the board of MCMA. On the road, we had a chat with him.

Q: How much of the association’s mission has remained the same since its inception over eight decades ago, and how has it changed or evolved?

A: The mission of MCMA has not changed much, which has always been to present quality music and rising stars to the Miami community for an affordable price. When it was founded, there were no performing arts venues in the city, and it’s believed to be Charles Crandon who pushed for the building of Miami-Dade County Auditorium, where MCMA was housed for several years.

Q: The Piano Gala has been providing support through proceeds and contributions to the Sackstein Piano Scholarship Fund at the Frost School of Music. How did the relationship between MCMA and UM’s Frost School of Music come about?  

A: Rosalina Sackstein was the first full-time female professor hired at the Frost School of Music [formerly University of Miami School of Music]. She is now Professor Emeritus — she retired last year. Throughout her tenure at the Frost, she has served on the board of MCMA. In fact, she has been president for over 40 years. Sackstein had an idea of bringing together the faculty of the Frost School to perform for the community and did so for a cause she believed in. Her and her late husband established the fund that has helped hundreds of piano performance students attend the university.

Q: As both board member and former student who will be performing at the gala, tell us about your own history in this.

A: I received my Doctor of Musical Arts Degree from the Frost School in 2008 and have been involved ever since. It’s an honor to be able to give back to my alma mater by performing as well as being involved in the music organization that is so closely connected with the school. Over the years, hundreds of alumni and faculty have performed at MCMA concerts and it feels great to share the same stage with so many talented musicians who have contributed not only locally, but also nationally and internationally.

And although I have moved out of state, I feel a strong commitment to help support a new generation of artists to Miami.

In addition to the annual piano gala, MCMA will be presenting the Armenet String Quarter on March 24, violinist Zlata Grekov on April 13, and pianist Vivian Cheng on May 19. For more information and tickets for these programs and the gala, visit the MCMA at www.miamicivicmusic.org or call 786 565-8530.

The Miami Dance Festival returns with a diverse and eclectic program that promises to enrich the cultural palette of the city. The six-week long festival, which runs across Miami-Dade County, includes a variety of provocative dance performances, including flamenco, contemporary ballet, Indian folk dance, and Bollywood. Part of what makes the Miami Dance Festival unique is that it brings dance to the community through performances, workshops, and outreach programs to lavish South Beach hotels, local cultural sites, as well as area high schools. Many of the events are free and open to the public.

The opening event, which takes place Thursday, April 26  at the Miami Beach Botanical Gardens (just behind the Miami Beach Convention Center), juxtaposes the stillness of nature and giant art installations against the kinetic energy of live dancers. The art installation of giant inflatables serves as the inspiration for the Florida Dance Theater virtuoso dancers who use these art objects to inform their movements. The performance includes two new works by the company and gives the audience a unique vantage point from which to experience the event.

Then the action moves to the Little Haiti Cultural Center (April 27 and 28) at 8:00 p.m. for the revival of the Daniel Lewis Miami Dance Sampler. The sampler highlights a number of local South Florida companies and choreographers, including Karen Peterson and Dancers, Brigid Baker WholeProject, Pioneer Winter, Afua Hall and more. “It is a great tool for developing audiences and to stimulate growth of dance in South Florida,” says Lewis, former dean of the New World School of the Arts Dance Department. “I’ve seen a few behind the scenes images of these works and they look fabulous. For more information visit Dance NOW! at www.dancenowmiami.org. Tickets are $20.

When the lights dim at the Little Haiti Cultural Center, this is just a sign to get some rest and prepare to flamenco. If you love flamenco and its hypnotic, seductive rhythm, Ballet Flamenco de la Rosa will perform Fiesta Flamenca, a flamenco program with live music which will be held at the Hialeah High School Theater April 29 at 5:00 p.m. If you want to learn how to dance flamenco from Ballet Flamenco de la Rosa Artistic Director Ilisa Rosal, join her for a free flamenco workshop on May 5from 11:00 a.m. -12:00 p.m. (technique class) and then from12:00 p.m. – 1:00 PM (choreography class). To reserve space call 305-899-7730.

At the glamorous National Hotel on South Beach, (May 10 at 7:00 p.m.) Momentum Dance will perform Water Study, a serene water ballet that blends synchronized swimming, contact improvisation and contemporary dance.  On May 5, Momentum will also perform an informal show of new works and selections from the repertory for free at Hialeah High School.

If you’ve read this far, you’re probably interested in the Miami Dance Festival. Now it’s time to do a little work for the cultural backbone of Miami. Spread the word. Grab a friend, a colleague, a family member or an interesting stranger by the hand and show them how the beauty of dance can bring a community together.

For a full listing of events, visit www.momentumdance.com/performances and www.dancenowmiami.org/calendar.

Photo: Pioneer Winter

This article also appears in the Miami Sun Post

In the world of classical ballet, The Nutcracker’s Sugar Plum Fairy reigns. She is ethereal and magical, and most often, she is often the only glimpse everyday folks have of professional ballet. Miami City ballet principal dancer, Jennifer Kronenberg is one of South Florida’s most loved dancers. Kronenberg, who has graced the cover of Dance Magazine, is most admired for her expressive theatricality and impressive technical range. She is also the recent author of the e-book So, You Want to Be a Ballet Dancer?, a book that offers practical advice to aspiring ballet dancers and shares some of Kronenberg’s most private memories from her dance career.

ARBURST caught up with Kronenberg to discuss The Nutcracker, her book, and her favorite partner on and off stage, husband and fellow dancer, Carlos Guerra.

How many seasons of The Nutcracker have you danced and how many times have you danced the part of the Sugar Plum Fairy?

JK: I have been dancing in The Nutcracker with MCB for 17 years, (since my first season with the company in 1994). I have been dancing the role of Sugar Plum Fairy for 11 years, but I’ve never actually counted how many shows I’ve actually danced. It must definitely be over 100!

The Nutcracker is often the only opportunity children get to experience professional ballet.  Do you remember seeing it as a child? If so, what effect did it have on you?

New York City Ballet’s production of Balanchine’s The Nutcracker was in fact the first live ballet performance that I ever saw as a child, and it was entirely magical and inspirational. The stage was full of children, and I was just mesmerized. I kept wishing and wishing that one day I’d be one of them. I can remember so clearly what my favorite moments were – I’d look forward every year to the part of Act 1 when the tree grows to gigantic proportions, and the Nutcracker, his bed and all of the toys become life-sized. (I was sure that there was true magic involved!) The snow scene was always completely breathtaking, and in Act 2, I always loved the candy canes and Mother Ginger. The Sugar Plum Fairy didn’t quite capture my interests until I was older and could appreciate the actual dancing a bit more. Then, of course I dreamt of being Marie and having the Sugar Plum dance for me! The last bit of magic is the sleigh flying away at the end of the ballet, and at that point I’d always be sad that it was over and wish that I could see it all over again.

 If you could choose one ballet to expose children to (besides The Nutcracker), what would you choose and why?

 If I had to choose any other ballet to expose children to, I’d have to pick Coppelia. The story is very comical, very easy to follow, and younger audiences always find the humor in it. There are squabbling teenagers, a toyshop with “magical” dancing dolls, a crazy old doll maker and lots of hysterical mishaps. I think that for children, it is a great introduction to the world ballet.

In your e-book So, You Want to Be a Ballet Dancer? What is some of the most important advice you offer aspiring ballet dancers?

I offer many different pieces of advice, and “how-to” tips in the book, but one that I feel is extremely significant is learning how to persevere throughout your career. It is so important to keep your feet on the ground, your head on your shoulders, and not get too wrapped up in everyone else’s drama and insecurities. One must always try to take criticism gracefully and learn to apply it constructively, not destructively. It is crucial to remember that there is always something to be learned from ALL of the dancers around you, and one can benefit tremendously by constantly being aware and respectful of that. The learning and working process is never and should never be over. It is dangerous to ever believe that it is or could be, because the only place one can go from there is down.

How has the reception of the book been? What is it like to add “author” to your resume?

The reception of the book has been quite good. Better than I had hoped for actually! The only drawback seems to be that it is still only in electronic publication, which is still a bit of an inconvenience to some; especially since the book targets a younger audience.

It is so wonderfully rewarding to be able to add “author” to my resume. Writing a book is another dream that I’ve always had, and now I’m so grateful that I was able to make it come true. I felt so accomplished when I finally finished it, and even prouder when it got published. I absolutely loved the process, and I am definitely trying to figure out the logistics of how and when I’ll write another.

I read somewhere that you and your husband, Carlos Guerra, partnered for the first time in a performance of The Nutcracker. Is that correct? What year was it? What roles were you performing?

Yes, that is true! It was in the year 2000, and we danced the Sugar Plum Fairy’s Grand Pas de Deux in a performance of excerpts from “The Nutcracker” with students from the Miami City Ballet School at the Ocean Reef Club. Carlos was not yet officially in the company, he had just arrived to the United States a couple of months before. Edward [Villella] felt that it would be a good way to “break him in” and introduce him to working with the company – it was also motivation for him to stay in shape while he awaited his working papers! It also happened to be my first year dancing the role of “Sugar Plum,” so the school performance was sort of my practice run before I danced in the actual theater later that month. That performance and the rehearsals that preceded it led to an amazingly special and successful partnership (in more ways than one) and I’m so thankful for that!

Jennifer Kronenberg’s blog is at: http://ballerina2thepointe.wordpress.com/

Under the direction of Founding Artistic Director Villella, Miami City Ballet’s production of George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker runs in Miami Dec. 15 through 18 at the Arsht Center for the Performing Arts. Tickets range from $20 to $68. Call 305-929-7010 or visit miamicityballet.org. Tickets can also be purchased Arsht Center. Call (305) 949-6722 or visit arshtcenter.org.

This article was fist published in the Miami Sun Post.

Photo: Miami City Ballet principal dancers Jennifer Kronenberg and Carlos Guerra; credit Leigh-Ann Esty

Beginners Sunday 3:00-4:00PM
Intermediate/Advanced Sunday 4:00-5:00PM
Rumba Sunday 5:00-6:00PM
1501 SW 8th St., 2nd Fl., Miami, FL, 33135
daf.studiomiami@gmail.com
www.dafstudio.com

February 18 DNE gives back to the community performing DNE favorites and solos from West Coast choreographer Tandy Beal. Proceeds will will benefit the Florid Breast Cancer Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to ending Breast Cancer through advocacy, education and research.

7:30 pm Reception; 8:30 pm Performance
Little Haiti Cultural Center
212 NE 59th Terr.
Miami
Tickets: $25 – $50
305 -975-8489
www.dancenowmiami.org
info@dancenowmiami.org