TITAS’ Command Performance will feature dancers from Parsons Dance (Courtesy photos)
Bruce Wood Dance among TITAS guest performers for Command Performance
RICH LOPEZ | Staff writer
On Saturday, TITAS/DANCE UNBOUND will host its annual gala Command Performance which will feature dance works throughout the night. Known for presenting boh international and companies from around the country through its seasons, many dancers from those companies return for this special and fundraising night of dance. Eleven performances will be showcased.
“There is no other dance performance like this in North Texas. This performance is celebrating the dancer, not a company, it’s incredibly diverse and exciting,” T/DU executive director Charles Santos said. “Command Performance is the ‘pyrotechnics of dance.’ Top dancers from major internationally touring companies, performing iconic works. It’s exciting and amazing.”
Command Performance happens on Saturday with curtains at 6 p.m. at the Winspear Opera House.
For this year’s event, TITAS also gets a bit local.
Cole Vernon of Bruce Wood Dance performs in TITAS’ Command Performance. (Courtesy photo)
On the roster of performances, dancers from Dallas company Bruce Wood Dance (BWD) join in to celebrate the night of dance. Cole Vernon and Seth York will perform along with Catherine Hurlin and Aran Bell from American Ballet Theater, Zoey Anderson and Joseph Cyranski from Parsons Dance, Adji Cissoko and Shuaib Elhassan from Alonzo King LINES Ballet, Carlos Gonzalez (ABT) and Stephanie Terasaki performing choreography by Kyle Abraham and Olga Supphozova, also known as Robert Carter, from Les Ballets Trockadero De Monte Carlo.
York will perform in José Luis Bustamante’s “Triptych,” one of two commissioned remounted works with the other being William Forsythe’s duet “In The Middle Somewhat Elevated” performed by Catherin Hurlin and Aran Bell of ABT.
“Seth is an exceptional artist. We selected him to perform a commissioned restaged work by Mexican choreographer Jose Luis Bustamante,” Santos said. “ ‘Triptych’ was created in 1986 for a great dancer from New York, Heywood “Woody” McGriff. Woody passed away in 1994 and the work was performed in 1996 by the choreographer. ‘Triptych’ is an incredible solo, and it takes a very special dancer, and Seth York is that artist. We are very excited to have this work come back to the stage with the stunning artistry of Seth York.”
TITAS also negotiated for the company to continue performing the work after the premiere with TITAS.
But this isn’t the first time T/DU has collaborated with Bruce Wood Dance. But when they do, there’s a reverberation in local arts. Collaborations are key to Santos and he says it’s the future and a key initiative for T/DU.
“What TITAS can uniquely do for our Dallas-based companies is make connections with major companies and choreographers from around the world,” he explained. “In the past, we commissioned a work that involved a Bruce Wood dancer and a dancer from Dallas Black Dance Theater, which was amazing, but what made it even better was the new connection between BWD and the renowned choreographer, Norbert De La Cruz.”
THis is a prime example of the power of collabs. De La Cruz was commissioned to create an original piece for the 2022 Command Performance. In 2023, he and BWD worked together on the world premiere of his “Arrive” in the show SOAR from November.
“The performance in our gala was amazing, but the connection that was established is what we love to see happening within the Dallas arts community” Santos said.
T/DU has presented companies from Japan, Canada and France, so working with a company in the same city has its advantages for the organization.
“Now, the difference is in the logistics. Visas, travel schedules of when foreign companies will be in North America, etc. In terms of quality, Dallas-based artists are exceptionally talented so that isn’t an issue. But many international companies that tour with us bring ethnic-specific choreography. We love bringing choreographic works that are a cultural expression from a foreign country/culture,” Santos said.
Santos adds though that the audience will not only see stars and stellar dancers from all over, but “the audience will see how great our Dallas-based dancers really are.”
Onstage champagne reception with performance at the 2023 Command Performance. (Courtesy photo)
Along with the performances and the gala dinner and onstage champagne toast, TITAS will honor Read and Steve Gendler with its 2024 Tom Adams Award of Appreciation for Dedication to TITAS and the Arts. The award is named after TITAS’ co-founder, Tom Adams, and recognizes individuals or entities that go above and beyond in supporting the company’s mission and the Dallas arts community.
The Gendlers have supported much of North Texas dance through their philanthropy. Steve Gendler is TITAS’ longest running board member of more than 30 years, and Read Gendler has served as the gala chair more than once.
“Read and Steve share a deep love for dance and the city of Dallas. As patrons of the arts for decades, they have a deep appreciation and understanding of the importance of great art in North Texas,” Gayle Halperin, Executive Director of Bruce Wood Dance stated. “They are champions of nourishing the dance field and are the ideal candidates for Tom Adams Award of Appreciation for Dedication to TITAS and the Arts. Their ongoing support has enabled dance to grow and thrive in our region and we’re grateful from the bottom of our hearts.”
While Command Performance celebrates TITAS/DANCE UNBOUND, the event truly does celebrate dance itself and even for non-dance fans, Santos declares the gala to be of enjoyment to everyone.
“ If you are not a dance person or haven’t been to a dance performance, this is the one to go to. Nothing is over six minutes and each piece is amazing,” he said. “If you are a dance lover, then you already know, it simply doesn’t get any better than this. It is a must-see performance.”
For tickets to the performance, visit ATTPAC.org.
