Stefanie Batten Bland

Photo Credit: Andrea Mohin

Currently a BAC/Jerome Robbins Fellow. Frequently called the Josephine of today, Stefanie Batten Bland mixes European subtleties with American ardor to explore human emotional relationships and the physical notions of community. She explores human emotional relationships and the physical notions of community. A true bridging of cultures, (the dancers French, American and Japanese and are based in New York and Paris) Stefanie Batten Bland/sbb birdlegs takes the notion of community to the next level, illustrating the synergy that can arise when artists from several experiences and cultures join forces. In New York, Ms. Bland was a soloist for the Bill T. Jones/Arnies Zane Dance Company and Lar Lubovitch of the United States. She came to Europe in 2002, guesting for Pina Bausch Tanz Theater Wuppertal (GER), Georges Momboye (FR), Project Linga (Swiss), Pal Frenak (HUN) and Angelin Preljocaj (FR). Her initial work as a choreographer was awarded first prize for young choreographers at The Biennale National de Danse du Val-de-Marne in 2005 “Though a young company, we have already performed in Europe, Asia and in the States. This career of dancer, choreographer and teacher who has worked in our concert (ballet/modern), film/commercial and musical communities, triggers me to constantly question my creative process.” Her commerical choreography credits include luxury ads for Guerlain perfums and Van Cleef & Arpels jewelry as well as the musical “Soweto” about the release of Nelson Mandela, and “Looking for Josephine: New Orleans Forever,” by Jerome Savary created for the Paris Opera Comiqu and which just had sold-out houses at the Alexander Kasser Theater at Montclair State University. Her cinematic dance shorts have played in the Danca em Foco dance cinema festival in Rio de Janerio, FMB Dance Umbrella of South Africa, Video Danza of Brazil and the Sans Souci dance film festival in Colorado. She was guest artist of Ohio University in 2008 and of Middle Tennessee State Univeristy in 2009. Ms. Bland has taught at VCU and George Mason Universities and just completed a fall residency at Ithaca College and Cornell University.

Class Description

Classes are a synthesis of Ouji yogi breath, our modern/contemporary dance heritage
( ie Limon, Graham, Lar Lubovitch, Bill T, Pina Bausch), married with classical
ballet. We examine our present tense with gravity. We move into the center
carrying the beauty of breath and line and begin juxtaposing this to our counter
relationships of our axes and weight. We eat space with our bodies and celebrate
it with our knowledge. From a tonal classical music to house, I Ignore or allow
the mathematical pushes and pulls physically stimulated by sound to constantly
create new physical/acoustic relationships. An environment is created that is
secure and safe, dancers feel at ease to take spatial risks and, more importantly,
risks within themselves.
http://www.youtube.com/sbbirdlegs