Yoav Kaddar, director of the Dance Program at West Virginia University, recently returned from a residency at the Department of Theatre and Dance at the University of Texas, Austin, as part of the Big XII Faculty Fellowship he received.

While in Texas, he worked with the UT Dance Program’s 73 dance majors, as well as a new class of 37 freshmen. The University of Texas offers both a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Dance, as well as a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theatre and Dance.

I’m grateful to have been chosen to participate in this special opportunity,” Dr. Kaddar said. “The visit was very productive. My hosts scheduled a week that focused primarily on re-staging one of my dances, titled ‘Raw,’ and I also taught three master classes, including two in modern dance technique and one in modern dance partnering.”

“Raw” will be featured in UT’s premier dance concert, “Fall for Dance,” scheduled for November.

The week began with a technique class for the upper classmen, which also served as an audition for casting Kaddar’s dance. Daily rehearsals were scheduled for the afternoons and evenings, during which time Kaddar made alterations and added new choreographic material to “Raw.” He also met with costume and lighting designers.

They finished staging the piece in three days and the week culminated with an informal showing of “Raw,” that was open to the entire dance program. This was followed by a question-and-answer session between the audience and Kaddar. The questions focused on his choreographic processes and specifically on “Raw,” as well as on his professional dance experiences and his teaching philosophy.

As part of the Big XII Faculty Fellowship exchange program, Professor Holly Williams, the head of the UT Dance program, came to WVU in October, where she visited Kaddar’s dance studio to choreograph an original work with students for WVU’s “Dance Now!” concert scheduled for February 6-8, 2014.

Professor Williams also presented a number of master classes for the WVU dance majors and minors.

“I hope that the Big XII fellowship program continues, as it gives us the opportunity to engage in productive and informed research and creative activities with colleagues at Big XII schools,” Kaddar said.

“I plan on re-staging “Raw” with our students for the 2015 Dance Now! concert, as well as teaching material from the dance in several of the courses I teach this fall semester.”

Kaddar is a graduate of the Juillard School, where he earned a BFA and received the Martha Hill Award for Outstanding Achievement and Leadership in Dance. His MFA is from the University of Washington, Seattle, and his doctorate is from the State University of New York, Albany.

He has performed nationally and internationally as a guest artist and has been a member of such modern dance companies as the Jose Limon Dance Company, the Paul Taylor Dance Company, Pilobolus Dance Theatre, Peter Pucci Plus Dancers and Jacob’s Pillow’s Men Dancers. He has also danced with numerous independent New York City choreographers and has choreographed more than 60 works for dance and theater.

-WVU-

cl/11/01/13

CONTACT: Charlene Lattea
304-293-4359, Charlene.Lattea@mail.wvu.edu

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