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Dayton Ballet names ‘New Music for New Dance’ creators

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By Terry Morris, Staff Writer 4:39 PM Saturday, January 8, 2011

DAYTON — The Dayton Ballet has announced the three composers and three choreographers who will be part of its “New Music for New Dance” project.

Four of the six live in Ohio, which company director Dermot Burke said was not taken into account by judges who reviewed the anonymous submissions.

“It was a purposely blind process” to ensure attention to the merits of the work, he said.

The three composers are: Jesse Ayers of northeastern Ohio; James Barry of New York; and James Olmstead of Massachusetts.

Two of the selected choreographers have Dayton dance connections. Daniel Karasik is a member of the Dayton Ballet, and Susanne Payne is a former dancer with the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company.

The third choreographer is Cydney Spohn, a member of the dance faculty at the University of Akron.

Composers and choreographers, who will receive cash awards, will be paired to create new works for the Dayton Ballet’s March 24-27 program at the Victoria Theatre. The music will be performed live.

Selected compositions were judged by Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra music director Neal Gittleman, composer Steven Winteregg and Dayton composer, arranger and record producer William Sellers.

Judges for the choreography were: artistic directors Gerard Charles of BalletMet Columbus; Stephen Mills of Ballet Austin; and Victoria Morgan of the Cincinnati Ballet.

Burke said 17 composers and 20 choreographers entered submissions. The project received an almost $100,000 grant from the Miriam Rosenthal Trust Fund.

For more information about the Dayton Ballet,  visit www.daytonballet .org.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2377 or tmorris@Dayton DailyNews.com.

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