Exploring the intersection of fiber art, dance, and costume design, this collaboration between Philadelphia Ballet and Fleisher Art Memorial celebrates the dynamic combination of textile arts and dance. The fiber art pieces were produced in a workshop, Fiber Art: Inspired by Dance at Fleisher Art Memorial. Inspired by both the movement of the dancers and their interaction with fabric and costume design, participants of the workshop learned to create painted dye fiber artworks. The workshop was led by accomplished fiber artist, Dianne Hricko, and informed by conversations with renowned costume designer Holly Hynes. The fiber artists created designs in response to music and movement, incorporating attuned use of color, gesture, and experimentation. Photographer Vikki Sloviter photographed Philadelphia Ballet dancers in movement with the artwork in her studio.
Behind the Stage Door is an interactive multimedia performance that explores the “invisible” forces that bring the ballet to life. Through a soundscape of diverse voices, original musical composition, dance, film, sculpture and interactive multimedia stage design, the piece illuminates the many personalities, stories, and experiences that underlie and make possible the transcendent art form that is the ballet.
Program Concept and Creative Direction by Sarah Cooper
Behind the Stage Door Ballet is performed by Artists of Philadelphia Ballet II under the artistic direction of Eddy Tovar
Costumer
Choreographer
Dancer
Props Master
Behind the Stage Door Performance at Esperanza Arts Center on May 7th, 2022
Animator
Alex is a Philadelphia-based illustrator and animator. Her work is texture and color-obsessed, story-driven, and synesthetic.
Installation artist
Lindsay Bedford is a Spatial Storyteller, a 2021 Fellow from Mural Arts’ Philadelphia Fellowship for Black Artists, and the Marketing Engagement Manager at Eberlein Design Consultants Ltd.
Animator
Cybee is a nonbinary animator, editor and producer. Originally from rural West Virginia, they have called Philadelphia home for over a decade.
Choreographer
Da’ Von Doane began his training at the Salisbury Studio of Dance, where he trained with Betty Webster, Tatiana Akinfieva-Smith and Elena Manakhova.
At age 15, he began training at Atlantic Contemporary Ballet Theatre as a full-time academic student and remained there for four years. In 2008, Da’ Von moved to New York City to join the Dance Theatre of Harlem Ensemble. In 2009, Da’ Von performed with Ballet Noir at East River Park, as part of SummerStage, and at Jacob’s Pillow. In the fall of 2009, he began dancing as part of Dance Theatre of Harlem (DTH), and that winter he began touring with DTH as part of its Dance for America tour. As a guest artist, Da’ Von has performed with the Classical Contemporary Ballet Theatre and with choreographer Ja’ Malik in 2009’s E-Moves Emerging Choreographers Showcase. In the summer of 2010, Da’ Von performed once again with Ballet Noir in the 200th Anniversary Chopin Celebration and the 2010 World Dance Gala in Kielce, Poland. Da’ Von joined the newly reborn Dance Theatre of Harlem in 2012.
Da’ Von was featured as one of Dance Magazine’s Top 25 to Watch in 2014 and in a new dance web series For the Love of Dance with Sarita Lou. Da’ Von can be seen in Estelle’s new video for the single “Conqueror” from her new album True Romance, directed by Paul Jung. With The Dance Theatre of Harlem, Da’ Von can be seen in various roles from “Black Swan Pas de Deux” staged by Anne Marie Holmes, “Act III Pas de Deux” from Raymonda, Dancing on the Front Porch of Heaven by Ulysses Dove, and Balanchine’s Agon and Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux. He was also part of Nacho Duato’s Coming Together and works by other choreographers such as Robert Garland, Tanya Wideman and Thaddeus Davis, Helen Pickett, Donald Byrd, Bill Wilson, Arthur Mitchell, Darrel Moultrie, Francesca Harper and John Alleyne. Da’ Von performed this year as part of the Vail International Dance Festival’s International Evenings of Dance as well as the NOW: Premieres program alongside dancers from NYCB, ABT and more. As an independent artist, he has performed with numerous companies and worked with choreographers from across the globe. Da’ Von Doane has also created a number of original dance works curated and presented by Bryant Park, Thelma Hill Performing Arts Center, Dance Theatre of Harlem, Periapsis Music and Dance, the CUNY Graduate Center, Composers Now Festival and Symphony Space. Da’ Von is currently pursuing his graduate degree at University of the Arts.
Composer
John B Hedges is a composer based in Philadelphia. He has written works for the concert hall, stage, film and digital media.
Head Carpenter
Paul Hewitt is a member of IATSE Local 8, Philadelphia’s Stagehands Union. He has worked in every major theater, arena, stadium, and other performance venue in the Philadelphia region.
Choreographer
Gary W. Jeter II began dancing in 1997 at Pebble Brook High School for the Performing Arts in Atlanta, Georgia where he graduated in 1999.
Gary attended the Alvin Ailey fellowship summer program and received a full director’s scholarship to The University of the Arts, where he graduated in 2003 with a BFA in Dance. After graduation, he was asked to join PHILADANCO!, where he was a principal dancer from 2003 to 2007. Gary has also worked with Fernando Bujones and Eddie Shellman, in addition to dancing with Eleone Dance Theatre.
Gary danced with Complexions Contemporary Ballet from 2007 to 2014, and is now an Artist-in-Residence for the company. He has set works for The University of the Arts, Eleone Dance Theatre, Philadelphia Dance Theatre, Dance 2 and Complexions Contemporary Ballet. Gary joined BalletX in 2014.
Choreographer
Maria A. Konrad, graduated from the Dreyfoos High School of the Arts in West Palm Beach and then earned her BFA in Performing Arts at The University of the Arts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
As a teacher in Philadelphia, Mrs. Konrad created the early-dance-education curriculum for the school of the Koresh Dance Company, which has been featured in Dance Magazine. Ms. Konrad’s choreography has been presented nationally in such venues such as the Spoleto Festival in South Carolina, The School of Colorado Ballet, The Harid Conservatory, Florida Dance Festival, Miami Dade Cultural Center, Florida Atlantic University, The Kravis Center, Next Generation Ballet and has collaborated with artistic organizations such as Palm Beach Symphony and Palm Beach Pops. Her work has been picked up by choreographic workshops in NYC such as The STEPS Beyond Foundation at STEPS on Broadway and Uptown Rising Series at The Bridge. Her piece “Portraits” was chosen to perform in the 2018 Come Together Festival hosted by Koresh Dance Company in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
She has been recognized by organization’s such as Young Arts and Youth America Grand Prix for “Outstanding Choreography” (2015, 2017). She has been a guest teacher for institutions such as The Colorado Ballet School, University of the Arts, Florida’s Young Dancers Workshop, The Art of Classical Ballet (dir. Magaly Suarez), Next Generation Ballet, St. Paul’s School, Florida Dance Festival and Youth America Grand Prix. She has worked at both The Harid Conservatory and A.W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts. She served on the 2018 faculty at The International Ballet Competition in Jackson, Mississippi. She is excited to join the YAGP organization this season as a judge and Master Teacher. She is currently resident choreographer with The Next Generation Ballet (Dir. Philip Neal) and the director of the contemporary program at Florida School for Dance Education.
Photographer
Nicholas King is a portrait and documentary photographer based in the high desert around Santa Fe NM.
Installation artist
Jonathan Laidacker moved to Philadelphia in 2005 to work for Mural Arts Philadelphia and receive his MFA from the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. In the 17 years since, he has completed nearly 80 community murals in Philadelphia and around the country. Among these are the two largest murals in the city of Philadelphia. At 86,000 sq. ft. How Philly Moves covers the facade of 6 parking garages at the Philadelphia International Airport, is the largest mural in the city, and one of the largest in the world. At 27,000 sq. ft. Our City, Our Team faces Darien St. directly across from Lincoln Financial Field. Since 2012 Jonathan has also worked with teachers, students, and community members in 20 school districts throughout the state to create murals as an artist-in-residence with the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts
Installation artist
Kuo-Pin “George” Lin is a creative mural artist with a wonderful spirit. Viewers experiencing his mural contributions reminded us that creativity and goodness offer the world a great contribution.
Co-Executive Producer
Aleks Martray is the Executive Director for Big Picture Alliance, a youth media non-profit based in Philadelphia.
Installation artist
Michelle Oosterbaan’s fascination with light, chroma, and land is rooted in her studies of plein-air painting as a teenager in Washington D.C. She has had the privilege of exhibiting nationally and internationally at over 40 locations including venues like The Drawing Center and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and Museum. Oosterbaan has been awarded numerous grants. She has experience in the public art realm designing community based public art commissions. Currently she is collaborating with Professor of Dance, Charlotte Griffin, at the University of California, Irvine and Jaime Cano of GreyHare films to make a cinematic video series, “Impromptu,” that animate Oosterbaan’s drawings with student dance made during the pandemic. Her residency fellowships include the Cite des Arts International, MacDowell, and Yaddo, as John T. and Catherine E. MacArthur Fellow. She has a BFA from Washington University in St. Louis as a Fred Conway Scholar and an MFA from Indiana University with postgraduate studies in Florence, Italy.
Director
Heidi Saman was named one of Filmmaker Magazine’s 25 New Faces to Watch. Her first feature film, Namour, was acquired by Ava DuVernay’s ARRAY, and won the LA Muse Jury Award at the 2016 Los Angeles Film Festival.
Photographer
Vikki Sloviter is a Philadelphia-based fine art portrait and ballet photographer whose work showcases the artistry, technique, athleticism and beauty of the ballet dancer’s body.
Director of Philadelphia Ballet II
Eddy Tovar trained at the National Ballet School in Havana and danced for Bale do Estado de Goias in Brazil, the Orlando Ballet, and Texas Ballet Theater before retiring from the stage. Eddy is currently the Director of PBII.
Music:Music By John B Hedges and Spinnaker |
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Mark Allen, Saxophones Jay Fluellen, organ Gloria Galante, harp Tom Kraines, cello |
Arturo Stable, percussion Conducted by John B Hedges Recorded and mixed by Doug Raus at Turtle Studios Recording Produced by Jay Levin |
“Behind the Stage Door” was generously funded with support from Reliance Standard Life Insurance’s Delphi Project Foundation.