COMPELLING
STORIES AND MOVEMENT
NDI New Mexico dancers rehearse for Spring Into Motion (below) and Winter Dances (bottom left).
Among the many celebratory highlights enjoyed by the NDI New Mexico community each year, few are as eagerly anticipated as the Winter Dances performance at The Hiland Theater in Albuquerque and the Spring Into Motion performance at The Dance Barns in Santa Fe.
Winter Dances at The Hiland Theater in Albuquerque will take its creative inspiration from renowned choreographer Robert Moses, founder of the internationally celebrated dance company Robert Moses’ KIN (RMK). The company is known for using movement as a medium in which to explore issues such as class, culture, and individual expression. The company’s teaching artists will lead workshops in January and February for The Hiland Company dancers, as well as their families and community members. Participants will be instructed in multiple disciplines, including movement, music, storytelling, and creative writing. They will be joined by four Albuquerque-based professional dancers (including NDI New Mexico alums Veronica Estrada and Gabriel CarrionGonzales), as well as RMK dancer Vince Chavez (born and raised in Albuquerque) and Cora Cliburn (a Santa Fe native).
The Dance Barns 1140 Alto Street | Santa Fe, NM 87501 The Hiland Theater 4800 Central Avenue SE | Albuquerque, NM 87108
Spring into Motion at The Dance Barns in Santa Fe will celebrate the diversity and multiculturalism that characterizes NDI New Mexico with “Second Home.” The performance showcases three original pieces that express the unique power of dance to unite people from different backgrounds and to create meaningful, lasting connections among people.
The second piece, choreographed by Eugene Ballet Company resident choreographer Suzanne Haag, is “Pale Blue Dot”. The performance is an exploration of the two homes we all have in common: the home each of us has within our own body, and the global home – Earth – that we all share.
TICKETS AVAILABLE ONLINE IN MID-JANUARY @ndi-nm.org!
WINTER DANCES
The Hiland Theater in Albuquerque February 17 & 18 Hilandtheater.com
SPRING INTO MOTION The Dance Barns in Santa Fe February 24 & 25 Dancebarns.com
spotlight FALL/WINTER 2022-23
W O R K H A R D | D O YO U R B E S T | N E V E R G I V E U P | B E H E A LT H Y!
How NDI New Mexico Embodies
“COURAGEOUS INNOVATION”
The first piece in the program is “Pearls and Pliés,” choreographed by Allegra Lillard. It is a tribute to ballet teacher Sheila Rozann, who for more than seven decades has masterfully imparted her knowledge and passion for ballet. Her singular career includes a decade at NDI New Mexico, where she left an indelible mark on her students, as well as the entire community.
To close the evening, “Second Home,” created by Dance Barns Artistic Director Rodney Rivera, will reveal the relevance and strength of the cultural diversity of NDI New Mexico dancers. The choreographer created the piece inspired by poems written by students about their respective families and cultural identities, and how these differences make The Dance Barns their “second home.” A chamber orchestra conducted by renowned Taiwanese concert pianist Jessie Wenchieh Lo will grace the evening with live music. This eclectic group of artists will work with students to create an original piece inspired by their stories. NDI New Mexico students will perform an original piece choreographed by Hiland Artistic Director Layla Amis, centered on the expression of the authentic, empowered voice through movement language.
teaching children excellence
“What we love about dancing at NDI – everything!”
NDI New Mexico’s Company XCel, Apprentice, and Junior Companies rehearse for months with artistic staff to create singularly inventive evenings of dance that showcase the students’ artistic virtuosity and technique.
The 2023 performances promise to reach new heights of artistic expression while also celebrating students’ unique experiences and cultures.
FIRST CLASS MAIL PRESORTED U.S. POSTAGE PAID SANTA FE, NM PERMIT NO. 173
Share the joy with NDI New Mexico’s children!
SAVE THE DATES!
NDI NEW MEXICO
GALAS 2023 May 6, 2023 in Santa Fe presenting Route 66
May 13, 2023 in Albuquerque presenting Got Jazz!
NDI New Mexico’s staff members were both honored and thrilled when they learned the Santa Fe Community Foundation had selected NDI New Mexico for its 2022 Piñon Award for Courageous Innovation. The Piñon Awards have been conferred annually since 1987 to recognize local nonprofit organizations and philanthropists for extraordinary contributions to northern New Mexico communities. The Courageous Innovation Award specifically honors an organization that “uses a bold approach to solve a persistent problem in the community.”
These two words – “courageous” and “innovation” – are both powerful and meaningful, evoking the willingness to persevere in the face of difficulties and the unknown, as well as the ability to adapt and apply new ideas. We asked some members of the NDI New Mexico community to tell us how they interpreted the idea of “courageous innovation.”
“
It definitely takes courage to go out on a limb and try to solve problems in a unique way…”
Russell Baker, Executive Director, NDI New Mexico “NDI New Mexico uses the performing arts – specifically dance – to help children develop life skills, self-confidence, and positive attitudes that collectively become a guiding star as they move from childhood to adulthood. We know that participating in NDI New Mexico programs has a profound, positive effect on school attendance, academic performance, how one approaches challenges and creates positive relationships. NDI New Mexico is an integral part of a larger (continued)
WHAT’S
new
2023 Upcoming Performances
Check out NDI New Mexico’s new website! ndi-nm.org