SUNY Potsdam and St. Lawrence University Welcome Choreographer JoAnna Mendl Shaw for Residency

NYC Choreographer Creates Work for Outdoor Performance and Presents Documentary Screenings During Residency, from Sept. 12 to 19

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The choreographer JoAnna Mendl Shaw will be in residence at SUNY Potsdam and St. Lawrence University from Sept. 12 to 19.

POTSDAM, NY (09/10/2015)(readMedia)-- SUNY Potsdam Department of Theatre and Dance and St. Lawrence University's Department of Performance and Communication Arts are pleased to host the groundbreaking choreographer JoAnna Mendl Shaw in residency, from Sept. 12 to 19, in partnership with the New York State DanceForce.

During her residency, Shaw will lead masterclasses in the dance programs at SUNY Potsdam and St. Lawrence, as well as presenting performances, documentary screenings and open outdoor rehearsals. All events are free and open to the public.

The New York City choreographer's residency will culminate with two performances of a site-specific dance that she will create with SUNY Potsdam dance students. Over the course of a week, Shaw and members of the cast will create a 45-minute work that weaves together elements of dance and theatre in the large, open space of the Crane Plaza on the SUNY Potsdam campus. The choreographer is noted for transforming ordinary venues into dramatic performance sites, and this should be no exception.

The performances will be held on Saturday, Sept. 19 at noon and 3 p.m., on the Crane Plaza, located between the Sara M. Snell Music Theater and the Helen M. Hosmer Concert Hall at SUNY Potsdam's Crane School of Music. Audience members will be invited to change their viewpoints throughout the dance and interact with the performers. Chairs will be available, and audience members are also invited to bring their own.

In addition, there will be two screenings of Shaw's documentary film, "Hästdans på Hovdala" ("Horse Dance at Hovdala"). In this inspiring story about the creation of a work that brought together four American dancers, four horses and a cast of Swedish performers with autism, filmmaker David Fishel follows the progression of the creation process, the equine training and the deepening connection that develops between the human and equine performers.

Screenings of "Horse Dance at Hovdala" will be offered on Saturday, Sept. 12 at 7 p.m. in the Proscenium Theater at SUNY Potsdam's Performing Arts Center, and on Thursday, Sept. 17 at 7 p.m. in the Peterson-Kermani Performance Hall on the St. Lawrence University campus. A question-and-answer period will follow each film screening.

About the artist:

JoAnna Mendl Shaw is a choreographer and teacher whose work stretches the boundaries of traditional dance. The recipient of two National Endowment for the Arts Choreographic Fellowships, numerous grants and choreographic commissions, Shaw has choreographed for ice dancers, inline skaters, gymnasts and equestrians. She works with dance therapists and equine therapists, linking the worlds together as a way of showing how art can help people. She is the artistic director of The Equus Projects, a company of professional dancers trained in natural horsemanship and committed to the investigation of the dynamic physical dialogue between horses and humans. Shaw has taught on the faculty at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, The Juilliard School and in The Ailey School/Fordham University Bachelor of Fine Arts degree program. She is currently on leave from her NYC teaching and is touring as a guest lecturer and choreographer throughout the States and in Europe.

For more information, contact SUNY Potsdam Associate Professor of Dance Dr. Robin Collen, at (315) 267-2234 or collenrl@potsdam.edu. For a schedule of events, visit www.potsdam.edu/dance.

From directing, choreographing, acting and dancing to designing and technical work, theatre and dance are highly collaborative art forms at SUNY Potsdam. To learn more, visit www.potsdam.edu/academics/AAS/Theatre.

About St. Lawrence University:

Founded in 1856, St. Lawrence University is a private, independent liberal arts institution of about 2,500 students located in Canton, New York. The educational opportunities at St. Lawrence inspire students and prepare them to be critical and creative thinkers, to find a compass for their lives and careers, and to pursue knowledge and understanding for the benefit of themselves, humanity and the planet. Through its focus on active engagement with ideas in and beyond the classroom, a St. Lawrence education leads students to make connections that transform lives and communities, from the local to the global. Visit www.stlawu.edu.

About SUNY Potsdam:

Founded in 1816, The State University of New York at Potsdam is one of only three arts campuses in the entire SUNY system. SUNY Potsdam's arts curriculum offers the full palette: music, theatre, dance, fine arts and creative writing. No matter the discipline, people from all backgrounds can find their creative compass at Potsdam, with myriad arts immersion experiences available for both campus and community.

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