Transferring Knowledge and Tradition: An Interview with Enrico Labayen

BY EMMALY WIEDERHOLT; PHOTOGRAPHS BY GREGORY BARTNING Enrico pulled together two long white ballet barres until they stood a foot apart. A mix of athleticism and emotion unfolded as he folded himself in and around the barres, building to a critical point where he slowly turned his head while balanced […]

October 28, 2013  |  Read Article

Openness to Imagination: An Interview with Kim Epifano

BY EMMALY WIEDERHOLT; PHOTOGRAPHS BY GREGORY BARTNING Physically, Kim reminded me of a lion, with her long mane of wavy hair and her muscular arms, torso and legs. In contrast, a whimsical, soft quality appeared in her when she spoke. I had never met her prior to our interview, but […]

October 24, 2013  |  Read Article

Find a Way to make it Happen: An Interview with Bonnie Lewkowicz

BY EMMALY WIEDERHOLT; PHOTOGRAPHS BY GREGORY BARTNING Bonnie’s chest concaved  and then opened. Her head tilted back and her arms circled behind her. Piano music played in the background, accentuated by the soft sound of the wheels from her chair on the polished wood floor. She pulled herself forward and […]

October 17, 2013  |  Read Article

Moving Beyond the Present Moment: An Interview with Virginia Matthews

BY EMMALY WIEDERHOLT; PHOTOGRAPHS BY GREGORY BARTNING Virginia’s dance was rhythmic, a short phrase with balancés and chaînés. She ran to the other side and began again, her face open and lifted. She transitioned into an adagio that rolled through her spine and extended out into space. In particular, I […]

October 14, 2013  |  Read Article

How Things Fell into Place: An Interview with Frank Shawl

BY EMMALY WIEDERHOLT; PHOTOGRAPHS BY GREGORY BARTNING Sunlight streamed through the windows of the upstairs studio in Berkeley’s Shawl-Anderson Dance Center, the school Frank Shawl co-founded in 1958 with Victor Anderson. Whether onstage, in a classroom, or simply in conversation, Frank had an electric energy; he seemed at times to […]

October 10, 2013  |  Read Article