 His work has appeared
on some of the largest opera stages across America and Europe and
on the slick of ice rinks; it’s been captured on video and
celluloid, performed in converted synagogues and seen as part of
the neon glitz of Broadway, as well as on stages he himself constructed
in New York to accommodate his choreographic ideas–and finances.
No one can say that Lar Lubovitch goes by the book. To celebrate
his company’s 35th anniversary, Lubovitch has chosen Greenwich
Village’s historic Washington Square United Methodist Church
for the world premiere of “Pentimento,” a full-length
piece specifically choreographed for this intimate, non-proscenium
site. The work will be performed May 11–22.
Incorporating aspects of Lubovitch’s past works while offering
present experiments, this artistic autobiography is designed to
be seen through a series of scrims. The accumulative effect is not
unlike an artist’s pentimento, the trace of a former painting
that has been painted over, emanating through the present work.
(It’s probably no accident that Lubovitch’s initial
involvement in the arts was as a painting student.) The scenic concept
was devised by Lubovitch, who also collaborated on the sound score
with composer Richard Woodbury; Jack Mehler is the lighting designer.
Born in Chicago, Lar Lubovitch attended the University of Iowa and
then the Juilliard School in New York, where he studied with Antony
Tudor, José Limón, Anna Sokolow and Martha Graham.
Over the past three and a half decades, Lubovitch has choreographed
more than 100 dances for his own Company, as well as for troupes
including New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Paris Opera
Ballet, Royal Danish Ballet, Stuttgart Ballet, Alvin Ailey American
Dance Theater, Baryshnikov’s White Oak Dance Project, San
Francisco Ballet and Netherlands Dans Theater, among others.
“Artemis,” his most recent ballet, was created for American
Ballet Theatre, where it received its world premiere last May. It
was commissioned by the Olympic Arts Festival for a special program
directed by filmmaker Costa Gavras to honor the 2004 Olympics in
Athens. His three-act “Othello,” created in collaboration
with American Ballet Theatre and San Francisco Ballet, was broadcast
nationwide on PBS’s “Great Performances” last
June, and has been nominated for an upcoming Emmy.
Lubovitch made his Broadway debut in 1987 with the musical staging
of “Into the Woods,” for which he received a Tony Award
nomination. In 1993 he choreographed the dance sequences for the
Broadway production of “The Red Shoes;” the final ballet
from that show was in the repertoire of ABT and the National Ballet
of Canada. For his work on “The Red Shoes,” he received
the 1993–94 Astaire Award. In 1996 he created the musical
staging (and two new dances) for the Tony Award-winning Broadway
revival of “The King and I.” He also devised the musical
staging for Walt Disney’s 1999 stage version of “The
Hunchback of Notre Dame,” which closed after a three-year
run in Berlin. His duet, “My Funny Valentine” was performed
in “The Company,” the 2003 Robert Altman film in which
Lubovitch appeared as himself.
In addition to his work for the stage and screen, Lubovitch has
choreographed dances for Olympic gold medallists John Curry, Peggy
Fleming and Dorothy Hamill as well as a full-length ice-dancing
version of “The Sleeping Beauty,” starring Olympic medallists
Robin Cousins and Rosalynn Sumners, broadcast throughout Great Britain
and America. He worked with 1992 Olympic silver medallists Isabelle
and Paul Duchesnay on a television program based on “The Planets
by Gustav Holst” in June 1995. The show was nominated for
an International Emmy Award, a Cable ACE Award and a Grammy Award.
He also created two dances for skater Paul Wylie and ice dancers
Renee Roca and Gorsha Sur.
Following its season at Washington Square United Methodist Church,
the Company will perform at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival
in Becket, MA (July 14–18), as well as in London, England
(July 2–3).
The evening curtain for the Lar Lubovitch Dance Company at Washington
Square United Methodist Church is at 8pm, Monday through Saturday.
There will also be 10pm performances on Friday and Saturday. Tickets
are $40 and are available by calling 212-868-4444 or by visiting
www.smarttix.com. Washington Square United Methodist Church is located
at 135 West 4th Street (Between 6th Avenue and MacDougal).
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