Dance Alloy is a modern dance

Modern dance

Modern dance is a dance form developed in the early 20th century. Although the term Modern dance has also been applied to a category of 20th Century ballroom dances, Modern dance as a term usually refers to 20th century concert dance.-Intro:...

 repertory

Repertory

Repertory or rep, also called stock in the United States, is a term used in Western theatre and opera.A repertory theatre can be a theatre in which a resident company presents works from a specified repertoire, usually in alternation or rotation...

 company based in Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...

, Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...

's Friendship neighborhood.

History and mission

The Pittsburgh Dance Alloy was founded in 1976 at the University of Pittsburgh

University of Pittsburgh

The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...

 as an artistic collective of nine dancers. Margaret Skrinar, Director of Dance, was the founder with the help of Yolanda Marino and Mary Goodman of the Pittsburgh Dance Council

Pittsburgh Dance Council

Pittsburgh Dance Council was established in 2002 as a programming division of . The programming mission of Pittsburgh Dance Council is to bring the best of contemporary dance from around the world to the Downtown Pittsburgh Cultural District stages....

 and guest artists Murray Louis

Murray Louis

Murray Louis is an American modern dancer and choreographer. He grew up in Manhattan, not far from Henry Street where his company was to be founded years later. At the same time, his sister took him to many of the early modern dance concerts. After his discharge from the Navy in 1946, Mr...

, Kathryn Posin and Dan Wagoner. The first concert was performed in December 1976 at the Stephen Foster Memorial Theater and was directed by company choreographer, Rebecca Rice

Rebecca Rice

Rebecca Rice is a Boston-based modern dance choreographer whose work blends modern contemporary dance and ballet.-Biography:Rebecca is artistic director of Rebecca Rice Dance, a company that focuses on blending ballet with the creative, innovative energy of 20-21st C. modern dance...

. The Dance Alloy moved off campus in 1980, and two years later Susan Gillis and Elsa Limbach were named co-artistic directors. Limbach became sole artistic director in 1984 and moved the company to studio space in the Carnegie Museum

Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh

Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh are four museums that are operated by the Carnegie Institute headquartered in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...

 of Pittsburgh.

Established New York choreographer Mark Taylor became artistic director in 1991 and the company continued to grow, touring extensively both nationally and internationally, and offering dance classes in the community. In 1995 it expanded again, under the executive director Stephanie Flom, building its own state-of-the-art studios and employing six full-time dancers as well as numerous technical staff and arts administrators.

Dance Alloy's repertory has included works by Claudia Gitelman, Lynn Dally, Kathryn Posin, Carolyn Brown, Elsa Limbach, Susan Gillis, Mark Dendy, Eiko & Koma

Eiko & Koma

Eiko Otake and Takashi Koma Otake, generally known as Eiko & Koma, are a Japanese performance duo. Since 1972, Eiko & Koma have worked as co-artistic directors, choreographers, and performers, creating a unique theater of movement out of stillness, shape, light, sound, and time...

, Bill T. Jones

Bill T. Jones

Bill T. Jones is an American artistic director, choreographer and dancer.-Early life:Jones was born in Bunnell, Florida and his family moved North as part of the Great Migration in the first half of the twentieth century. They settled in Wayland, New York, where Jones attended Wayland High School...

, José Limón

José Limón

José Arcadio Limón was a pioneer in the field of modern dance and choreography. In 1928, at age 20, he moved to New York City where he studied under Doris Humphrey and Charles Weidman. In 1946, Limón founded the José Limón Dance Company...

, Victoria Marks

Victoria Marks

Victoria Marks is a professor of choreography in the Department of World Arts and Cultures at UCLA, where she has been teaching since 1995...

, Charles Moulton, Mark Taylor, Douglas Nielson, Tere O'Connor, Pilobolus

Pilobolus

Pilobolus is a genus of fungi that commonly grows on herbivore dung.-Life cycle:The life cycle of Pilobolus begins with a black sporangium that has been discharged onto a plant substrate such as grass. A herbivorous animal such as a horse then eats the substrate, unknowingly consuming the...

, Bill Evans

Bill Evans

William John Evans, known as Bill Evans was an American jazz pianist. His use of impressionist harmony, inventive interpretation of traditional jazz repertoire, and trademark rhythmically independent, "singing" melodic lines influenced a generation of pianists including: Chick Corea, Herbie...

, Rebecca Rice

Rebecca Rice

Rebecca Rice is a Boston-based modern dance choreographer whose work blends modern contemporary dance and ballet.-Biography:Rebecca is artistic director of Rebecca Rice Dance, a company that focuses on blending ballet with the creative, innovative energy of 20-21st C. modern dance...

 Flanagan, Jerry Pearson and Elizabeth Streb

Elizabeth Streb

Elizabeth Streb is an American choreographer, performer, and teacher of contemporary dance.-Background:Streb was born and raised in Rochester, New York and, after graduating from the dance program of State University of New York at Brockport in 1972, she was interested in experimental works and...

. In 2003, Beth Corning was chosen to be the next artistic director. Corning was the force behind the reconstruction of the company, and "changed its name to better reflect the diversity of this genre." The most recent (as of 2010) Artistic director is Greer Reed-Jones. .

Dance Alloy's mission is something called "Breaking the Fourth Wall." The back wall, when the audience looks at the stage, is referred to as the upstage. The next two walls, are the wings or the sides of the stage, and the fourth wall is the barrier between the audience and the stage. This is the wall that Dance Alloy tries to break. The point of this is to completely engage the audience in the performance. They also set goals to immerse themselves in the community surrounding Dance Alloy, and they achieve this by offering dance education to adults and children of all ages.

The Company

The Company is the Dance Alloy Theater's staff performance group, on contract from September to June each year. The group performs a wide variety of styles in their two Main Stage Home Seasons each year at the New Hazlett Theater. The group also performs at local events such as First Night Pittsburgh and tours regionally, nationally and internationally. When on tour the company offers a wide variety of options for their customers to choose from. They have put together performances for both large and very small venues, along with performing the company also offers master classes and participation discussions. The company is under the artistic direction of Greer Reed Jones.

The Dance Alloy Theater Company's vast assortment includes pieces in styles from the East, West, North, South, both national and international. Though focusing mainly on a modern style of dance the company also performs numbers that are in the classical ballet style. The company features compositions from some of the nations most in demand choreographers including Donald Byrd, Joe Goode, Marina Harris, Per Jonsson and many other. Through their performances the company has earned much recognition from Pittsburgh media and held two of the top ten spots for best Dance Concert of 2008.

The Company is under the artistic direction of Greer Reed Jones. Ms. Jones is originally from Pittsburgh and also began there. After studying at the University of Performing Arts in Philadelphia, Dance Theater of Harlem and Alvin Ailey Dance Theater, she also performed as a contracted dancer and held several other creative and teaching positions before arriving at dance alloy. Ms. Jones has been with Dance Alloy since June 2009. Along with the artistic director the company also employs five contracted dancers, Maribeth Maxa, Stephanie Dumaine, Christopher Bandy, Michael Walsh and Adrienne Misko. All dancers have training in dance and some in the fine arts. The company is composed of an auditioned group and the occasional apprentice and dancer in training.

School

The Dance Alloy School offers classes in many styles and for all ages. The school operates all year in three major sessions Fall, Spring and Summer and also offers private lessons and private parties. Offering classes for all ages the children can begin as toddlers in the My Grown Up and Me class and continue through age 13 in the Kids Dance Classes. Dance education can then be continued into the teen years in the Teen Hip Hop and Modern Classes. Dance Alloy also has a strong adult dance school and features adult classes in Modern, Ballet, Middle Eastern, Salsa/Merengue and Power Pilates. Summer Dance intensives are also offered at the School and all classes are during evening hours so all can find a time.

Performances and events

Main Stage Home seasons

A show led by world-renowned choreographers, and is considered their most popular event. The Main Stage Home Seasons are presented twice a year at the Hazlett theatre. Usually accompanied by food, sometimes dinner or dessert. Tickets sell for 20-25 dollars.

Behind the Curtain series

Behind the Curtain is a series of events where the audiences get to meet the choreographers. For 10 dollars, someone can get to see the dancers work in progress of the main-stage production, which is accompanied by a Wine and Cheese selection.

Alloy Open and special events

This event is a chance for artists all on Penn Avenue

Penn Avenue

Penn Avenue is a major arterial street in Pittsburgh. Its western terminus lies at Gateway Center in downtown Pittsburgh. For its westernmost ten blocks it serves as the core of the Cultural District with such attractions as Heinz Hall, the Benedum Center and the Byham Theater as well as the...

 to showcase their art, whether it be sculpture, dance, photography, or clothing. This event is usually run through the Unblurred event, that is part of the Penn Arts initiative. This is one of the main ways that Dance Alloy gets involved with the community and is able to publicly show what they are working on.

Local and national tour

On August 1st, 2008 Dance Alloy was honored to perform in Düsseldorf, Germany. This performance was in front of 1,000 choreographers and performers all from 40 different countries.

Outreach

Dance Alloy Theater works with Rogers Creative and Performing Arts Middle School and Creative and Performing Arts High School (CAPA) to reach local performing arts students at a professional level. Dance Alloy also reaches out to organizations that help children with developmental and physical impairments. Such as the Children's Institute and the Western Pennsylvania School for Blind Children. Youth that are particularly exposed to life in crime-ridden neighborhoods are also among those who the staff members of Dance Alloy work to influence. They also work with Lindon, Fulton, and Dilworth Academies and other Pittsburgh Public Schools

Pittsburgh Public Schools

Pittsburgh Public Schools is the public school district in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA and adjacent Mount Oliver.The combined land area of these municipalities is with a population of 342,503 according to the 2000 census. In August 2005, the superintendent became Mark Roosevelt. His tenure ends...

. They work with over three hundred and fifty elementary age students every year.

Staff

Name	Dance Background
Greer Reed-Jones (Education Director/ Artistic Director)	Greer began training with the Pittsburgh Black Dance Ensemble then continued on to the University of the Arts University of the Arts (Philadelphia) The University of the Arts is one of the United States' oldest universities dedicated to the arts. Its campus makes up part of the Avenue of the Arts in Center City, Philadelphia...  in Philadelphia and the Dance Theater of Harlem in New York. She then became a member of the Alvin Ailey Repertory Ensemble after completing the programs of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater is a modern dance company based in New York, New York. It was founded in 1958 by choreographer and dancer Alvin Ailey... . She then moved on to become a dancer with Dayton Contemporary Dance Company in Dayton, Ohio Dayton, Ohio Dayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census... .
Michael Walsh (Teacher/ Contracted Dancer)	Michael has danced with Shawn Womack Dance Projects in Cincinnati, Ohio Cincinnati, Ohio Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's... . He was a member of the Ohio State University Ohio State University The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...  cheer leading squad. Began teaching at Dance Alloy in 1999.
Christopher Bandy (Teacher/ Contracted Dancer)	Christopher began his career with American Repertory Ballett in 1997. Has experience with Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre The Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre is an American professional ballet company based in the Strip District of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States.- History :...  and Terpsicorps Theater of Dance in Asheville, North Carolina Asheville, North Carolina Asheville is a city in and the county seat of Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States. It is the largest city in Western North Carolina, and the 11th largest city in North Carolina. The City is home to the United States National Climatic Data Center , which is the world's largest active... .
Kadiatou Conte-Forte (Teacher)	As a teenager, Kadiatou was acceped into Les Ballets Africains Les Ballets Africains Les Ballets Africains is a the national dance company of Guineaand is based in Conakry, Guinea, Africa.Although the name might suggest the idea of European "ballet" to English speakers, the focus of the company is actually to promote traditional African dance and culture.-History:Founded in Paris... , the national dance company of Guinea Guinea Guinea , officially the Republic of Guinea , is a country in West Africa. Formerly known as French Guinea , it is today sometimes called Guinea-Conakry to distinguish it from its neighbour Guinea-Bissau. Guinea is divided into eight administrative regions and subdivided into thirty-three prefectures... . She later moved to the United States and began her own group, Balafon West African Dance Company. She then moved to Pittsburgh and became the Artistic Director of UMOJA African Arts Company.
Teena Custer (Teacher)	Teena earned a BA in Dance from Slippery Rock University and an MFA degree from Ohio State University and has taught hip hop at both schools. She has danced with Dance Alloy, Attack Theater, and Ursula Payne.
Veronica Sansing (Teacher)	Veronica is currently a member of Sahara Dance Troupe, a belly dance company in Pittsburgh. Her Middle Eastern skills include Tunisian folkloric, American tribal, Greek and Turkish rom, Lebanese cabaret Cabaret Cabaret is a form, or place, of entertainment featuring comedy, song, dance, and theatre, distinguished mainly by the performance venue: a restaurant or nightclub with a stage for performances and the audience sitting at tables watching the performance, as introduced by a master of ceremonies or... , Egyptian Cabaret Cabaret Cabaret is a form, or place, of entertainment featuring comedy, song, dance, and theatre, distinguished mainly by the performance venue: a restaurant or nightclub with a stage for performances and the audience sitting at tables watching the performance, as introduced by a master of ceremonies or... , classical and Raqs Sharqi. She also has background in modern dance Modern dance Modern dance is a dance form developed in the early 20th century. Although the term Modern dance has also been applied to a category of 20th Century ballroom dances, Modern dance as a term usually refers to 20th century concert dance.-Intro:... , hip hop Hip hop Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing... , swing, ballet Ballet Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with... , African dance African dance African dance refers mainly to the dance of Sub-Saharan Africa, and more appropriately African dances because of the many cultural differences in musical and movement styles... , and Latin dance.
Mary Ann Blair (Teacher)	Mary performs with the Sahara Dance Company. She has also performed with Ragia Hassan, Mona El Said, Mahmoud Reda, Dr. Mo Geddawi and Yousry Sharif.
Aboubacar Camara (Teacher)	Oscar has been a dancer and choreographer for Les Ballets Africains Les Ballets Africains Les Ballets Africains is a the national dance company of Guineaand is based in Conakry, Guinea, Africa.Although the name might suggest the idea of European "ballet" to English speakers, the focus of the company is actually to promote traditional African dance and culture.-History:Founded in Paris...  in the Republic of Guinea, the Ballet d'Afrique Noir in the Republic of Senegal, and Koteba D'Abidjan in the Ivory Coast. He has performed in many important venues including at the Apollo Theater Apollo Theater The Apollo Theater in New York City is one of the most famous, and older, music halls in the United States, and the most famous club associated almost exclusively with Black performers...  in New York and the Bolshoi Theatre Bolshoi Theatre The Bolshoi Theatre is a historic theatre in Moscow, Russia, designed by architect Joseph Bové, which holds performances of ballet and opera. The Bolshoi Ballet and Bolshoi Opera are amongst the oldest and most renowned ballet and opera companies in the world...  in Moscow.
Allie Greene (Teacher)	Allie created CLIMB (Creative Learning in Moving Bodies), a program used for children with special needs. She is the owner of Pittsburgh Pilates Studio at Wexford Dance Academy.
Shira Krasnow (Teacher)	Shira teaches Hip Hop at universities around Pittsburgh. She choreographs musicals at Taylor Allderdice. She has danced for Flo Rida Flo Rida Tramar Dillard , better known by his stage name Flo Rida , is an American rapper and singer-songwriter. He released his debut album, Mail on Sunday, in March 2008. His debut single "Low", featuring T-Pain, was a #1 hit for ten weeks in United States in early 2008. Two other singles resulted from... , Nas Nas Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones, who performs under the name Nas , formerly Nasty Nas, is an American rapper and actor. He is regarded as one of the most important figures in hip hop and one of the most skilled and influential rappers of all-time... , Clipse Clipse Clipse is a Virginia Beach, Virginia-based hip hop duo. Formed in 1992 by brothers Malice and Pusha T , the group is heavily affiliated with production team The Neptunes and signed to Star Trak Entertainment.- Exclusive Audio Footage :The Thornton brothers were born in The Bronx, New... , Lupe Fiasco Lupe Fiasco Wasalu Muhammad Jaco , better known by his stage name Lupe Fiasco , is an American rapper, record producer, and entrepreneur. As an entrepreneur, Lupe is the CEO of 1st and 15th Entertainment. He rose to fame in 2006 following the success of his critically acclaimed debut album, Lupe Fiasco's Food... , Young Jeezy Young Jeezy Jay Wayne Jenkins , better known by his stage name Young Jeezy, is an American rapper. He is the member of the hip hop group United Streets Dopeboyz of America and a former member of BMF...  and Vanilla Ice Vanilla Ice Robert Matthew Van Winkle , best known by his stage name Vanilla Ice, is an American rapper, extreme athlete and home improvement television personality... .
Gretchen Moore (Teacher)	Gretchen is a member of Laboratory Company Dance (LABCO). She teaches dance classes at Chatham College Chatham College Chatham University is an American university with a women's undergraduate college and coeducational graduate programs through the doctoral level, located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania's Shadyside neighborhood. The campus population of approximately 2,300 includes undergraduate women and graduate...  and West Virginia Wesleyan College West Virginia Wesleyan College West Virginia Wesleyan College is a regionally accredited private, coeducational, liberal arts college in Buckhannon, West Virginia, United States. It has an enrollment of about 1,400 students from 35 U.S. states and 26 countries. The school was founded in 1890 by the West Virginia Conference of... .
Ayisha A. Morgan-Lee (Teacher)	Ayisha Founded Hill Dance Academy Theater and is the Artistic Director of the dance company Ju-B-Lation: Spirit Filled Feet. She received The African American Council of the Arts Onyx Award for Best Choreography in a Musical for Black Nativity in 2007.
Jennifer Quinio (Teacher)	Jennifer has taught Zumba Zumba Zumba is the largest dance fitness program in the world, based on a Latin-inspired dance fitness program created by dancer and choreographer Alberto "Beto" Perez in Colombia during the 1990s....  many places around Pittsburgh including Modern Formations Gallery and Performance Space and Club 1 Pittsburgh. She is a board member of the Bloomfield Bloomfield - Canada :* Bloomfield, Newfoundland and Labrador* Bloomfield, Ontario* Bloomfield, Prince Edward Island** Bloomfield Provincial Park- United Kingdom :* Bloomfield Colliery and Bloomfield Iron Works - Canada :* Bloomfield, Newfoundland and Labrador* Bloomfield, Ontario* Bloomfield, Prince Edward... -Garfield Garfield Garfield is a comic strip created by Jim Davis. Published since June 19, 1978, it chronicles the life of the title character, the cat Garfield ; his owner, Jon Arbuckle; and Arbuckle's dog, Odie...  Corporation.
Trinidad "Trini" Regaspi (Teacher)	Trini and her husband founded PATangoS (Pittsburgh Argentine Tango Society) in 2002.
Mercedes Searer (Teacher)	Mercedes began her career with Windhover Dance Company. She has performed with Attack Theater and Tracie Yorke Dance. She choreographs and dances with Knot Dance in Pittsburgh. She has taught outreach programs for Attack Theater, Dance Alloy, and Civic Light Opera and runs her own modern dance module.
Marlon Silvia (Teacher)	Marlon choreographs, teaches and performs Salsa Salsa (dance) Salsa is a syncretic dance form with origins in Cuba as the meeting point of Spanish and African cultures.Salsa is normally a partner dance, although there are recognized solo forms such as solo dancing "suelta" and "Rueda de Casino" where multiple couples exchange partners in a circle...  and Merengue. He is the host of the Let's Dance Salsa video series.
Laurie Tarter (Teacher)	Laurie has a background in T'ai chi, contemporary dance, aerobics, and yoga Yoga Yoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual discipline, originating in ancient India. The goal of yoga, or of the person practicing yoga, is the attainment of a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility while meditating on Supersoul... .
Maribeth Maxa (Contracted Dancer)	Maribeth graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts Bachelor of Fine Arts In the United States and Canada, the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, usually abbreviated BFA, is the standard undergraduate degree for students seeking a professional education in the visual or performing arts. In some countries such a degree is called a Bachelor of Creative Arts or BCA...  from the Juilliard School Juilliard School The Juilliard School, located at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City, United States, is a performing arts conservatory which was established in 1905... . She has performed with the Metropolitan Repertory Ballet, Gleich Dances Contemporary Ballet, and Fly-By-Night, a trapeze dance company.
Stephanie Dumaine (Contracted Dancer)	Stephanie attended North Carolina School of the Arts North Carolina School of the Arts The University of North Carolina School of the Arts , formerly the North Carolina School of the Arts, is a public coeducational arts conservatory in Winston-Salem, North Carolina that grants high school, undergraduate and graduate degrees. It is one of the seventeen constituent campuses of the... . She has been a member of the Casco Bay Movers Jazz Company in Portland, Maine and Corning and Dances Company.
Adrienne Misko (Contracted Dancer)	Adrienne graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts Bachelor of Fine Arts In the United States and Canada, the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, usually abbreviated BFA, is the standard undergraduate degree for students seeking a professional education in the visual or performing arts. In some countries such a degree is called a Bachelor of Creative Arts or BCA...  in Dance Performance and Choreography Choreography Choreography is the art of designing sequences of movements in which motion, form, or both are specified. Choreography may also refer to the design itself, which is sometimes expressed by means of dance notation. The word choreography literally means "dance-writing" from the Greek words "χορεία" ...  from Ohio University Ohio University Ohio University is a public university located in the Midwestern United States in Athens, Ohio, situated on an campus...  in Athens, Ohio Athens, Ohio Athens is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Athens County, Ohio, United States. It is located along the Hocking River in the southeastern part of Ohio. A historic college town, Athens is home to Ohio University and is the principal city of the Athens, Ohio Micropolitan Statistical Area. ... .

External links

• Dance Alloy website
• Dance Alloy viewed on Mister Rogers' Neighborhood