The Artist-in-Residence Program at Muhlenberg College
2007 Baker Artists | History | Dance Residencies
The Baker Artist-in-Residence Program brings distinguished professional guest artists to Muhlenberg each year to teach and participate in the performance program. Artists in recent years have included vocalist Marni Nixon, dance choreographer David Dorfman, playwright Maria Irene Fornes, and jazz musician Gary Burton. Each Baker Artist is present on campus as an educator as well as an artist, and each contributes to a public performance of their work. In addition to the Baker Artists, the talents of three or more other guest professional artists are utilized each year in the theatre production program and as adjunct instructors.
The Dance Program has hosted residencies with David Parker, Frank Hatchett, Jaclynn Villamil, Juli Greenberg, Stuart Pimsler, and Danny Buraczeski among other dancers and choreographers, and lectures or lecture-demonstrations by Elizabeth Zimmer of the Village Voice, David Dorfman, Stuart Pimsler, and Chuck Davis among others.
The Baker Artist Residency is funded by the generous gifts of the Dexter and Dorothy Baker Foundation, Allentown, PA. The Baker Foundation is a private family foundation which provides grants for program development and expansion in the arts and arts education in the Lehigh Valley. Their gifts to Muhlenberg College resulted in naming The Baker Center for the Arts and the Dorothy Hess Baker Theatre. “We believe that where the arts flourish, a community prosper.”
The Baker Artists in Residence for 2007 are Ririe-Woodbury Dance and Associate Artistic Director Charlotte Boye-Christensen.
Baker Artists at Muhlenberg College have included:
• Figurentheater Vogel & Wilde (2006) - Teaching residency spring semester, create original performance piece with students and peform their own, Exit: The Hamlet Fantasy.
• Robert La Fosse (2005) - Teaching residency fall semester, direct and choreograph Pippin and create an original ballet on students for February faculty dance concert.
• The Philadelphia Singers (2004) - Teaching residency with the Muhlenberg College Choir and performance with the Lehigh Valley Chamber Orchestra.
• Mac Wellman (2003) - Teaching residency, playwriting. Commissioned new play, Anything's Dream, directed by Beth Schachter and produced on the Muhlenberg campus and at the Flea Theatre in New York City.
• Danny Buraczeski Jazzdance (2002) - Teaching residency spring semester, company residency and performance March 6-12, 2002, original choreography on students for faculty concert, February 2002.
• Dido and Aeneas (2001) - Thomas Baird, an internationally renowned Baroque dance reconstructor, performer, and choreographer. Jodi Kidwell (Dido), Robert Wallace (Aeneas).
• Doug Varone and Dancers (1998) -Teaching residency fall semester, Company performance and Residency Oct 8-10, 1998, choreography on students for faculty concert February 1999.
• John Ramsey (1997) - Equity Actor in Brecht's Galileo.
• Marie Irene Fornes (1996) - Teaching residency, playwriting. Directed MTA production of her play, Fefu and Her Friends.
• Gary Burton (1995) - Vibriphonist. Teaching residency, technique and jazz classes. Performed in concert with music department chair Douglas Ovens and the Muhlenberg Jazz Ensemble.
• David Dorfman Dance (1994) - Teaching residency fall semester, Company performance and residency October 6-8, 1994, original choreography on students for faculty concert February 1995
• Pregonés Theatre (1993) - Rolón and Alvan Colón Lespier, associate director, were faculty-in-residence at Muhlenberg College and the Pregones company worked with college and community performers to create and stage an original bi-lingual theatre piece celebrating the cultural diversity of the Allentown community.
• Marni Nixon (1992) - Teaching master classes in voice, coaching singers for the Opera Group’s recital peformance of Beggar’s Opera, and singing in concert with the Lehigh Valley Chamber Orchestra.
DANCE ARTISTS-IN-RESIDENCE, COMPANY RESIDENCIES,
MASTER CLASSES
2004/2005
• Abby Silva, The Parsons Dance Company
• Kim Maniscalco, Lehigh Valley Charter School for the Performing Arts
• Charlotte Boye Christensen, Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company
• Amanda Miller, Pennsylvania Ballet
• Charles O. Anderson, Dance Theatre X
• Tiffany Mills Company Lecture/Demonstration at Muhlenberg
• Petra Kruppers, Lecture on Disabilities Awareness/Performance Studies
• Shaw Bronner, Physical Therapy
• Kathleen Bibalo-McMyne, Director of the Muhlenberg Community Dance Center
• Frederick Augustine, Gyrotonics Instructor
2003/04
• Amanda Miller, Pennsylvania Ballet (semester teaching residency)
• Marissa Cerveris, NYCB (teaching residency & restaging Balanchine Ballet for Faculty Concert)
• Brenda Dixon Gottchild, dance scholar and performer
• Kariamu Welsh, African dance scholar and company director
• Indira Etwaroo, dance scholar
• Charlotte Boyd-Christensen, modern dance
2002/03
• The Career Skills Workshop, Catherine Jhung (Sept 25, 2002)
• Carla Maxwell - Artistic Director, Limon Dance Co (Oct 8, 2002)
• Jacques d’Amboise Residency and Performance (Oct 17-19, 2002)
• nicholasleichterdance NY based modern company performance (Dec)
• Nicholas Leichter Modern and Jazz classes(Nov 2002, Jan & April 2003)
• Marisa Cerveris, NYCB (six classes in March 2003)
• Ronald K. Brown (Mach 25, 2003)
• Charles O. Anderson (April 11, 2003)
• Lecture on Alvin Ailey by Thomas DeFrantz (April, 2003)
• Jazz & Tap, The Shelley Oliver Tap Dancers, with the David Leanhardt Jazz Trio and the Muhlenberg College JazzTap Ensemble Performances
2001/02
• Hubbard Street (Chicago Dance Company) (Oct 10, 2001)
• Nicholas Leichter (Oct 13, 2001)
• Kenneth Laws (Physics and Dance) (Oct 23, 2001)
• Tamango from Urban Tap (Nov 12, 2001)
• Susan Marshall (Feb 11, 2002)
• Arlene Sugano (Feb 15, 2002)
• Annemaria Mazzini from Paul Taylor Dance Company (Feb 24, 2002)
• Sally Banes, “Elephants in Tutus” Balanchine Lecture (April 10, 2002)
• Larry Rhodes from Lyon Opera Ballet (April 14, 2002)
• Danny Buraczeski Jazzdance (Baker Residency)
2000/01
• Bob Rizzo (Oct 1, 2000)
• Rennie Harris (Oct 4, 2000)
• Molissa Fenley (Nov 2, 2000)
• Sean Curran (Nov 15, 2000)
• Garth Fagan (Feb 5, 2001)
• Avodah Dance Ensemble from NY
• Dance Bejing - Performance
• Michelle Barber—NY jazz Dance teacher/choreographer (semester)
1999/2000
• Frank Hatchett (Sept 12, 1999)
• A Day of Tap Workshops (Sept 19, 1999)
• Randy James Modern Class (Feb 18, 2000)
• Michelle Lee Barber (Feb 29, 2000)
• Sean Curran (March 24, 2000)
• Ronen Koresh (April, 2000)
• Gregory Hines, tap dance star (January, 2000)
• Randy James Dance Works in Concert, a NJ based modern company
1998/99
• Trisha Brown (Oct. 6, 1998)
• Elizabeth Zimmer (Oct. 31, 1998)
• Nancy Bannon (Nov, 1998 & Jan, 1999)
• Doug Varone and Dancers, Baker Residency
• Clare Byrne and Friends, modern company from NYC
1997/98
• Frank Hatchett (Sept 14, 1997)
• Mia Michaels (Oct 12, 1997)
• Robert Battle (Oct. 31, 1997)
• Rennie Harris (Jan 30, 1998)
• Nicholas Leichter Dance Company, Nationally noted modern company
• David Parker Dance Company, Internationally noted modern company
• NA’ADE: Nommo American African Dance Ensemble
1996/97
• Elizabeth Streb (Feb 10, 1997)
• Claire Porter (March 19-22, 1997)
• Benita Brown—African Dance (year long residency)
• Robert Torres—Jazz/Musical Theatre Dance (semester residency)
1995/96
• Jazztap Intensive with Buster Brown, Herbin Van Carseele, and Shelley Oliver (Sept 9, 1995)
• Margarita Gueregue (Sept 14, 1995)
• Frank Hatchett (Sept 17, 1995)
• Joe Lateri (Oct 15, 1995)
• Pranita Jain (Oct 20-21, 1995)
• Danny Buraczeski (Nov 10, 1995)
• Dawn Morningstar—Lecture on Dance Therapy (March 28, 1996)
• African American Dance Ensemble with Chuck Davis, company residency
1994/95
• Stuart Pimsler (Jan 1995)
• Jacklynn Villamil (April 1995)
• David Dorfman – Baker Residency
1993/94
• Steve Krieckhaus - Contact Improvisation (Feb 5,1994)
• Karen Carlson - Modern Dance (Feb 19,1994)
• Clare Byrne - Guest Teacher (Mar 24, 1994)
• Nick Leichter - Modern Dance (March 26,1994) |