Midtown Concerts • The New York Baroque Dance Company
Ballerinas of the Baroque
Catherine Turocy and Jennifer Meller ~ choreographers
Julia Bengtsson & Irenie Melin-Gommper ~ dancers
James Richman ~ harpsichord
Sandra Miller ~ flute
Leah Gale Nelson ~ violin
Nathan Whittaker ~ violoncello
In honor of the upcoming 50th anniversary of The New York Baroque Dance Company, soloist Julia Bengtsson performs “Les Caractères de la danse” in the style of Françoise Prévost with music by Jean-Féry Rebel. Irenie Melin-Gommper dances a suite from Handel’s Terpsichore in the style of Marie Sallé. Other dances reconstructed from period notations celebrate ballerinas of the period: Mlle. Victoire, Mlle. Dangeville, and Hestor Santlow. Jennifer Meller has choreographed a special solo in the style of Marie-Anne de Camargo for Irenie MelinGommper.
The New York Baroque Dance Company (NYBDC) founded in 1976 by Catherine Turocy, Artistic Director, and Ann Jacoby leads the historical dance field today. Specializing in 17th and 18th century programs ranging from street performances to over 100 operas in its repertoire, NYBDC has toured North America, Europe and Japan with conductors James Richman, John Eliot Gardiner, the late Christopher Hogwood, Nicholas McGegan and Wolfgang Katschner. The NYBDC has performed with Concert Royal, Dallas Bach Society, Opera Lafayette, Mercury Baroque, Ars Lyrica Houston and Philharmonia Baroque.
