Boy, Aren’t There a lot of Men in Dance Company?!
by Michelle Milikan & Lisa Shapiro

Head South On Sepulveda
Performed by London’s Millennium 2000 Performing Arts Conservatory
Premiered July 2004 at the Royal Academy of Music, London

BIOGRAPHIES

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR,
JANET ROSTON, has worked as a choreographer in a wide variety of media.  She has created choreography for numerous commercials including Wendy’s, Disney, ABC, Barbie and Motorola.  Television credits include the mini-series Seduced By Madness starring Ann-Margret and Peter Coyote, Ned and Stacey starring Thomas Haydn Church, and a League of Their Own.  Film work inculdes choreography for The Last Shot starring Matthew Broderick and How Does It Feel starring Blair Underwood.  Last year she was nominated for the American Choreography Awards for the KCRW promo-spot Balance and received The Muses 100 Award at the Palm Desert Choreography Festival for The Tanjore Project.  Theater choreography includes the 20th Anniversary production of Tracers, Avenue X  at the Odyssey Theater (for which she received a Drama-Logue Award,) A....My Name Is Alice and Bed and Sofa at the International City Theater, and Nite-Club Confidential starring Scott Bakula (which won an L.A. Weekly Theater Award).  Janet recently received a Cine Award and Platinum Award at the Houston Worldfest Film Festival for a PSA she directed for the Penny Lane Foster Care Organization.  She also directs and produces instructional dance videos for her company, M.A.D. Degrees Productons, which have won numerous awards and are marketed worldwide. This past Spring Janet had the opportunity to create choreography for students at the London’s Millennium 2000 Performing Arts Conservatory who performed at the Royal Academy of Music in July.  The resulting dance, Head South On Sepulveda, is included in tonight’s Company ‘05 performance.  Janet’s next choreography project is Once On This Island, for Long Beach’s acclaimed International City Theater which premieres February 18th.  This is her 24th year as Artistic Director of The Company.  Janet sends special love to all of her Company Alumni.


ALUMNI CHOREOGRAPHER and ASSISTANT ARTISTIC DIRECTOR,
LIZ SROKA has worked professionally in film, television, commercials, animation and on stage.  She graduated early with honors from NYU Tisch School of the Arts’ Experimental Theatre Wing with a BFA in acting.  In New York she performed in various venues as both an actor and dancer including Urban Stages, The Ensemble Studio Theatre, Jewish Rep., HERE, Dancespace, University Settlement and P.S.122.  In college, Liz worked as a dancer, choreographer, director and bookseller, as well as creating many original works including her one-woman show Grounds For Tantrum which was produced during her final semester. Since returning to LA she has performed with Blue13 Dance Company at The Electric Lodge and the Fowler Museum, appeared in Dancescape at Cinespace and choreographed and performed for The Beverly Hills Presbyterian Church.  She plans to continue creating her own work and collaborating with her brother.  She is honored to once again be a part of this program.  Liz was a Company member and choreographer from 1997 to 1999. 


ASSISTANT ARTISTIC DIRECTOR,
RACHEL WEINSTEIN attended the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, where she majored in collage and photography.  In Boston, her collage work was featured at The Gallery Of Social and Political Art, Club Passim, and Borders.  Her work also appeared in art shows in San Francisco and many arenas throughout Los Angeles including LA Nude, ATZUM, The Metzo Gallery, and Whole Foods Market in West Hollywood.  She recently curated a mixed-media show at Gallery Soul.  Her most recent photography, a series that explores Mannequins in Los Angeles, will be featured in the 2005 Ghettogloss catalogue, which will be available in specialty art stores including MOCA, LACMA, and Booksoup.  Her current work can be seen on GlobalCollage.com and on her website, weinsteinart.net.  In the future Rachel hopes to open her own gallery.  Rachel was the student costume designer for Company ‘99 and ‘00.


GUEST CHOREOGRAPHER and LIGHTING DESIGNER,
RACHAEL ROBBINS KACHKO played a major role in dance company for the last 7 years.  For five years she was the Assistant Artistic Director and for 6 years she was the lighting designer.  Within that time she choreographed four dance pieces for The Company as the Alumni Choreographer.  Her choreography was also performed by The Company ‘00 at The National High School Dance Festival Gala performance.  Rachael graduated from Cal State Long Beach with a degree in Dance Performance/Choreography.  At CSULB she performed in works by Martha Graham, Lar Lubavich, Janet Eiber and Jeff Slayton and received the Fine Art Affiliate Scholarship for her solo, Enfold Me in Your Wings.  She recreated her dance work Green Light for the Orange County Performing Arts High school, choreographed The Music Man at Beverly Hills High School, and Once Upon A Mattress at Milken High School.  Currently Rachael is the visual merchandiser for Lisa Klein and Lisa Klein Men and has her own business called “It Starts In The Closet” which consists of closet organization and wardrobe consulting.  Rachael was a Company member in ‘91. ‘92 and ‘93. 


A.P. POSSE CHOREOGRAPHER,
BRADFORD ROBINSON is currently a student at West Los Angeles College.  Brad has created and taught hip-hop choreography for M.A.D. Degees Productions instructional videos, Hip-Hop Habit 4 and Hip-Hop Habit 5.  His choreography was included in Hot Property at the Mayan Nightclub, and for the WB Fall Season kick-off.  He has performed at Carnivale, Dance Spectrum, and The Palm Springs Choreography Festival. He is Assistant Director of the West Los Angeles Dance Company.  This is his sixth year choreographing for The Advanced Dance Theater Group.


A.P. POSSE CHOREOGRAPHER,
ANDREA RUIZ attended Mount Saint Jacinto College where she served as student director of the fall 1996 Dance Concert and choreographed and performed in numerous dance concerts and productions.  Andrea completed her BA in dance at Loyola Marymount University.  Since graduating she has worked on music videos for Sisco, Dream, Ricky Bell, and Case.  Most recently she choreographed for Xzibit on CSI Miami.  Andrea is a dance instuctor for Gold’s Gym, Paramount Studios, and LMU.  She is co-director of the Dance Program at Taft High School.   


SPECIAL THANKS:
Karen Horowitz, Denise Leiter, Maria Hamar, Sue Brucker, Melanie Cook, Barry Brucker, Jennifer Logan,
Barry Weiss, Don Weinstein, Photo Impact, Mimi Cheng, Roni and Dev Kosmal-Wernick, Liz Brockway,
Jill Myers Sapphire, Stefan Wenta, Gwen Coleman, Nili Kosmal, Warren Sroka, The White Family,
Bruce Horowitz, Mariette Hartley, Yossi Samimi of Elite Tuxedo, The Beverly Hills Courier, The Beverly Hills Weekly, Shelly’s, The Company Parent Committee, and the Physical Education and Performing Arts Departments

PRODUCTION STAFF

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR................................................................................................................JANET ROSTON
ASSISTANT ARTISTIC DIRECTORS............................................................LIZ SROKA, RACHEL WEINSTEIN

LIGHTING DESIGNER.......................................................................................................RACHAEL ROBBINS
TECHNICAL DIRECTOR..............................................................................................................ANNIE TERRY
COSTUME DESIGN.........................NIRIT LECHTMAN, JANET ROSTON, LIZ SROKA, RACHEL WEINSTEIN
COMPANY MANAGER.............................................................................................................JENNA GURNICK
COSTUME MANAGERS.................................................................................JESSICA FLON, NIKKI SHULMAN
ASSISTANT COSTUME MANAGER...........................................................................................LITAL DIAMOND
PROPS MANAGER..............................................................................................................GALI FIRSTENBERG
PUBLICITY MANAGERS.........................................................................MICHELLE MILIKAN, LISA SHAPIRO
ASSISTANT PUBLICITY MANAGER..........................................................................................DEANNA FRANK
ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER................................................................................................MICHELLE JANG
SET SHIFT DIRECTOR/FLYMASTER..........................................................................................DAVID COHAN
LIGHTING DIRECTOR............................................................................................................DOREEN SAYEGH
SOUND DIRECTORS.......................................................................................TIFFANY BROWN, BRACHA FISK
LIGHT/SET SHIFT/FLY CREW.......................DAVID DAYAN, MIKE ELIAHOZADEH, DAVID GREENSPOON,
KAZUKI TESAHISHI
COVER AND POSTER DESIGN................................................................................................JENNIFER LOGAN
POSTER PHOTO...................................................................................................................ROSE EICHENBAUM
PROGRAM PHOTOS...........................................................................................................RACHEL WEINSTEIN
PARENT COMMITTEE CHAIRPERSONS.................................................KAREN HOROWITZ, DENISE LEITER
CONCERT PROGRAM COORDINATOR..............................................................................RACHEL WEINSTEIN
CONCERT AD COORDINATOR.......................................................................................................SUE BRUCKER

AUDIO-VISUAL DIRECTOR..............................................................................................................DAVE STILES

                                 BEVERLY HILLS HIGH SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION                                                          

PRINCIPAL..............................................................................................DR. DAN STEPENOSKY
ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL.....................................................................................MS. DANA BERK
ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL...................................................................................MS. TONI STASER
ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL............................................................................MR. DAVID HOFFMAN

DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION

SUPERINTENDENT................................................................................MR. JEFFERY HUBBARD
ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT, BUSINESS..............................................MR. GARY MORTIMER
ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT, EDUCATIONAL SERVICES......................DR. SUSAN LIBERATI
ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT, HUMAN RESOURCES.............................DR. JUDY ANN ALLEN

BOARD OF EDUCATION

PRESIDENT..............................................................................................MRS. ALISSA ROSTON
VICE PRESIDET................................................................................................MS. MYRA LURIE
BOARD MEMBER.......................................................................................MR. BARRY BRUCKER
BOARD MEMBER............................................................................................MR. JOHN MILLAN
BOARD MEMBER................................................................................DR. MYRA DEMETER, PHD
STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE..................................................................................MICHAEL MA

 

 The Advanced Dance Theater Group's Role in Arts Education
by Deanna Franks

The lights dim, signaling that the show is about to begin.  Anticipation and nervous energy fill the air.  Gradually, voices soften. There’s darkness.  Then, silence.  One note reverberates through the theater.  Lights dance across the stage.  The dancers appear.  The music grows louder, the movement becomes faster, and for the next two hours, a nearly sold-out auditorium of family, friends, and members of the community sits enthralled by the performers on stage.  This moment is the culmination of long, hard hours spent in preparation for such an original, quality piece of art.  This entire night comes to life due to the efforts of the Advanced Dance Theater Group of Beverly Hills High School.  

The Advanced Dance Theater Group is only one part of the thriving arts education program currently in place at Beverly Hills High School.  Arts education at the high school incorporates not only dance, but theatre, chorus, music, photography, and architecture, as well.  As stated in the Community Arts Education Project pamphlet, sponsored by the California State PTA and the California Alliance for Arts Education, the arts are vital to a complete education.  Research has shown that students achieve at a higher level, are more motivated to learn, and tend to collaborate better with peers as a result of their involvement in the arts.  Members of the Dance Company certainly exhibit these qualities for they are fortunate enough to reap the benefits of the well-developed arts program at Beverly.  

Artistic Director, Janet Roston has been running Dance Company for 24 years.  Aside from choreographing many of the pieces, Roston also directs and produces the show.  Roston received her Masters of Arts in Dance from UCLA where she specialized in Choreography and Dance Education.  She has studied ballet, modern dance, jazz, hip-hop, and various ethnic styles, all of which she has drawn upon in her choreography.  Over the years, Roston has gained experience in a variety of arenas.  She has choreographed for film, television, commercials, corporate shows, stage and world tours; and she’s been a guest teacher at highly regarded arts conservatories in London.  Roston has also developed her own company, M.A.D. Degrees Productions, in which she produces instructional dance videos that are marketed worldwide.  Janet brings a passion, dedication, and professionalism to her role as Artistic Director.  Dancers and student choreographers may change year to year, but the level of quality she brings out in her students remains high.  

Oftentimes, Dance Company alumni are invited back to assist in the production of the show.  This year, Elizabeth Sroka, from Beverly High’s graduating class of 1999, has returned to choreograph a piece inspired by the documentary Spellbound, as well as assume the role of Assistant Artistic Director.  Sroka, since graduating, has received her BFA and graduated early with honors from NYU Tisch School of the Arts’ Experimental Theatre Wing.  She worked as a choreographer, actor, dancer, writer, and director in New York before returning to Los Angeles to be closer to her family and pursue her career on the west coast.  Sroka is now contributing her own creative thoughts to help with the development of the dance concert.  Another alumna, Rachel Weinstein, has also returned to head the production staff.  After graduating in 2000, Weinstein attended the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, where she majored in photography.  Since college, Weinstein’s collage and photography work have appeared in art shows in Boston, San Francisco, and many galleries in Los Angeles.  She is largely responsible for pulling together all the details necessary to put on a huge performance.  The contributions of former, experienced Company members are invaluable; their presence only strengthens the quality of the dance program.

The involvement of devoted teachers, such as Roston, contributes to the success of the arts.  The dance program allows for a close student-teacher ratio, which is advantageous to student development.  For example, Dance Company has 7 mature leaders; including the Artistic Director, two Assistant Artistic Directors, as well as several guest choreographers. With 32 dancers in the Company ‘05, there is less than a 5:1 student-teacher ratio.  This open, regular contact with adult figures permits students to develop closer relationships with their instructors, which will ultimately assist their growth not only as dancers, but as individuals.  

Although Beverly Hills High School has a well-rounded arts program, the current status of arts in the middle and elementary schools is missing a few vital components such as dance. While the District provides specialist teachers in visual arts, as well as vocal and instrumental music, students in kindergarten through eighth grade lack the regular exposure to all of the arts that are critical to development.   The School District recently received a grant from the Los Angeles County Arts Commission and has developed a district Community Arts Team to address this gap.  This team is comprised of community members, students, teachers, civic leaders, representatives from the Getty Museum, the Skirball Museum, the Music Center, LACMA and MOCA and meets monthly with the goal of developing Board policy and a strategic plan for teaching the arts district-wide with excellence and equity for all students K-12.   School Board President and Co-Chairperson of the Team, Alissa Roston, comments, “Beverly Hills Unified has long been a leader in the belief that arts education in music, dance, theater and visual arts is an integral part of basic education for all students.  Arts education enables children to develop critical and creative thinking skills, initiative, discipline and perceptual abilities that extend to all areas of life.” Beverly senior Margo Horowitz, who not only serves on the Community Arts Team, but is also a member of Dance Company, stated, “The arts have been a significant part of my life, both in and out of school.  As a member of Beverly Hills High School’s Dance Company, I am looking forward to playing a major role in bringing arts education back to our school district.”  With the input of individuals who have first-hand experience with the benefits of a strong arts program, the district is certainly on its way to developing a more comprehensive arts education program.  

There is a certain amount of prestige that is associated with being a member of Dance Company.  It is very difficult to be accepted into the program.  One must possess the passion, the talent, and the grace of a dancer.  But once in, students must be able to handle the challenges that push them to become better dancers.  It takes a great deal of discipline on the part of the young dancers to perform such quality art on a professional level.  Roston encourages student expression by incorporating student choreography into the dance concert.  Students are then further able to develop their talents and use dance as an art form.  Dance Company has turned out many able dancers who have found success on the professional level.  

Each year, a different group of dancers makes up the Company.  With the natural progression of time, the graduating seniors leave and the incoming freshmen join.  As a result, the ratio of male to female dancers varies.  Whereas many years there are a greater number of female dancers and only a few male dancers, there are some years where many young men participate in Company.  This year, the Company ’05 has nearly as many male dancers as female dancers; with 13 men and 19 women, the Company is particularly large.  Many of the men who have joined Company this year are former members of the football and baseball teams.  It’s interesting that given the opportunity, these athletes would pursue the dance program.  

This year, the male dancers were able to gain even more exposure to dance.  By attending weekly dance workshops (with Stefan Wenta, a talented and strict ballet instructor), the young men were given the opportunity to improve their skills.  Also, on several occasions, Dance Company has invited trained specialists to teach students a specific form of dance.  The ability to do so separates the dance program at Beverly from programs elsewhere.  Once again, Beverly students were fortunate enough to have the self-funding which goes to support these worthwhile costly ventures.  Yet, it is important that other schools develop as advanced a program as is available at Beverly High.  

Dance Company is an integral part of the arts program in Beverly Hills.  The Dance Company performance is the most attended show held at the High School.  Many people, including students, teachers, family, friends, and members of the community attend each year, expecting to see an amazing dance concert.  They have never been disappointed.  Dance Company has never failed to deliver on the audience’s expectations.  As an art form, dance allows for student ingenuity and personal expression.  The dance program is highly beneficial to the students who participate in the Company.  The importance of student involvement in the arts cannot be emphasized too much.  Hopefully, the arts program will expand to permit a greater number of students to take part in this wonderful educational opportunity.  The strong arts program at Beverly Hills High School should serve as a model for other schools interested in creating a similar, thriving arts program.  

Dance Company presents its annual dance concert each January.  This year’s group, the Company ’05, can be seen January 12th through the 15th, at 7:30p.m. in the K. L. Peters’ Auditorium at Beverly Hills High School.  Tickets can be purchased at the box office before the show, by calling (310) 551-5100 ext 8656, or by e-mail through Janet Roston at <janet@dance90210.com>.  Each year, members of the community return to support the high school and see the new dances created for the concert.  The Dance Company performance is sure to be a memorable night.

    Boy, Aren’t There a lot of Men in Dance Company?!

by Michelle Milikan & Lisa Shapiro

   Beverly Hills High School’s Advanced Dance Theater Group is renowned for its strong male participants. Over the 24 years that she has directed the dance company, Janet Roston has encouraged an unusually high number of high school men to become involved. This year in particular, there has been a dramatic increase. The Company went from last year’s 5 male company members and 1 male apprentices to this year’s four male company members and nine male apprentices.  This change brings a welcome variety of movement background to The Company, with members of the football, baseball volleyball, soccer, and fencing teams participating.
    Senior, Jared Green, company member for three years, believes that the new men “saw the amazing dances of last year’s concert and wanted to be part of the excitement.”  He added that there was now somewhat of a balance with 19 women and 14 men, which breaks the common stereotype that dancing is mainly for women.  
    Orian Ben-Artzi, senior, describes the changing atmosphere due to the large number of men in Dance Company.  “The group is definitely more social; they bring a different energy, a less competitive and lighter environment to the rehearsals,” said Ben-Artzi.  Orian also commented that the musical brought in many men who became interested in dance.  After the musical they decided to audition for the Dance Company.
    Senior, Jeff White, is a varsity baseball player and highly skilled fencer who was in last year’s musical and auditioned for Dance Company.  He was motivated to join because he was friends with Company members and heard of all the fun he could have.  “Because I was singing and dancing in the musical, I thought it would be a great experience to focus just on dance,” White commented. 
    A varsity football, basketball, and volleyball player, senior Dayvon Wright, auditioned for Dance Company to see if he was capable of dancing in the show.  Wright said, “I had a great time in the athletic department, but I really wanted a new challenge.”
    The men in Dance Company were required to attend a men’s ballet class with Stephan Wenta at The Dancer’s Studio.  They took with the ballet master in a private class just for male Company members every Wednesday night for a month to acquire basic dance technique.  Wenta remarked, “They improved immensely, starting off with minimal dance background. By the end of the five week session, they gained greater skill and understanding of the art of dance.”
    The men and women of this year’s Company will perform modern, jazz, hip-hop, African, Lindy-hop, stepping and other exciting dance techniques.  The plethora of males in this year’s concert also gives the Company the opportunity to learn partnering and complicated lifts.  The Advanced Dance Theater Group is extremely proud of their men!
    The concert will run Wednesday through Saturday, January 12-15, at 7:30, in the K.L. Peters Auditorium.  Tickets may be purchased either at the door, or in advance from a company member.  Student tickets cost $8 and $10 for adults.  For further information, please email Janet Roston at janet@dance90210.com