Yuriko Kajiya and Jared Matthews will perform as guest artists during the 7 p.m. program on Saturday, May 1, in the Cultural Center’s West Virginia State Theater when the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History presents the 2004 West Virginia Dance Festival. This year marks the 23rd year of the event.
Kajiya was born in Nagoya, Japan, and began her early ballet training at the Matsumoto Michiko Ballet. At the age of 10, she moved to China and became the first and only foreign student to study at the Shanghai Ballet School and graduate on scholarship. In January 2000, Kajiya won the renowned Prix de Lausanne Scholarship and Public Prize, enabling her to study at the National Ballet of Canada School. In 2001, she joined the American Ballet Theatre (ABT). Her repertoire includes featured roles in Martha Graham’s Diversion of Angels, Jiri Kylian’s Petite Mort, and in the company’s innovative HereAfter. In addition, she presented ABT’s documentary Dancer on Tokyo Talk Show in 2002.
Matthews was born in Houston, Texas, and was awarded a full scholarship to study at the North Carolina School of the Arts summer program. He also received scholarships to summer programs at the Joffrey Ballet and the School of American Ballet. He has danced with the Noriko Hara Ballet in Japan, the Civil Ballet of Chicago and the New England Ballet. Currently he is a member of the corps de ballet with the ABT Company. His repertoire includes the pas de deux from Don Quixote, Romeo and Juliet, The Nutcracker and leading roles in Sechs Tanze, Symphonic Variations, workwithinwork and HereAfter among others.
The festival runs April 30 - May 2. Two nights of performances, beginning on Friday, April 30, at 7 p.m., will showcase the talent of West Virginia dancers who come to perform and take classes from the nationally acclaimed festival faculty. The Friday performance will feature 12 West Virginia dance groups and a modern dance performance by Shane O’Hara, coordinator of the dance program at James Madison University and a member of the festival faculty. On Saturday, in addition to Kajiya and Matthews, 12 more West Virginia dance groups will perform.
O’Hara has been performing as a dance artist since 1986. In addition to teaching, he works professionally setting commissioned dances throughout the United States, performing a concert of Daniel Nagrin’s solo works entitled The Nagrin Project and touring as Shane O’Hara * Solo Dance. His artistic schedule this year includes performances in the New Dance Festival in Virginia, co-directing the London Institute on Contemporary Theatre and Dance, a solo concert in Washington, D.C. and a shared concert tour with dance artists from Virginia and West Virginia.
Both evening performances are free and open to the public on a first-come, first-served basis; seating is limited. A schedule of both concerts and a list of participating groups are attached.
The West Virginia Dance Festival presents dance professionals leading workshops and classes, performance situations and a focus on dance as an art form. Thirty dance groups consisting of more than 300 dancers will participate in this year’s festival. Classes begin on Friday, April 30, and continue throughout the three-day festival.
For more information about the 2004 West Virginia Dance Festival or other programs of the Department of Arts, Culture and History, call (304) 558-0220.
The West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History, an agency of the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History, brings together the state’s past, present and future through programs and services in the areas of archives and history, the arts, historic preservation and museums. The Cultural Center is West Virginia’s official showcase for the arts. Visit the Division’s website at www.wvculture.org for more information about programs of the Division. The Department of Arts, Culture and History is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.
2004 West Virginia Dance Festival Performers
Friday, April 30, 2004 Performing Groups
(in order of appearance)
The Art Center School of Dance
Ella Hay, director
feMo Dance Theatre
Bess Park Reynolds, director
Inwood Performing Arts Company
Denna Smith, director
Guest Artist
Shane O’Hara
Capital High School
A. Michelle Legg, director
Beckley Dance Theatre
Jerry Rose, director
River City Youth Ballet Ensemble
Michelle Raider, director
West Virginia Wesleyan College
Bess Park Reynolds, director
Princeton Dance Studio
Janis Gunnoe, director
Pineville Dance Theatre
Toneta Akers-Toler, director
Oglebay Institute School of Dance
Cheryl L. Pompeo, director
Huntington Dance Theatre
Amy McElroy, director
Mid Ohio Valley Ballet Company
Suzy Gunter, director
Saturday, May 1, 2004, Performing Groups
(in order of appearance)
Beckley Dance Theatre School
Jerry Rose, director
Schrader Youth Ballet
Velma Schrader, director
Tully Monster
Katie Gibson, director
Morgantown Dance Studio
Eunice Stafford/Liz Finklea, directors
Momentum Center for the Arts
Beth Weegar, director
Trillium Performing Youth
Beth White, director
Guest Artists
Yuriko Kajiya and Jared Matthews
Augusta Youth Ballet Company
Nina M. Scattaregia, director
Alchemy Dance Project
Angela Dennis, director
Inwood Dance Company
Denna Smith, director
Guest Artists
Yuriko Kajiya and Jared Matthews
West Virginia Dance Company
Toneta Akers-Toler, director
Mid Ohio Valley Ballet Company School
Suzy Gunter, director
Charleston Ballet
Kim R. Pauley, director
2004 West Virginia Dance Festival Participating Groups
Alchemy Dance Project
Angela Dennis, director
Morgantown
The Art Center School of Dance
Ella Hay, director
Huntington
Augusta Youth Ballet Company
Dance Factory
Nina Scattaregia, director
Buckhannon
Beckley Dance Theater
Dance Theater School
Jerry Rose, director
Beckley
Charleston Ballet
Kim R. Pauley, director
Charleston
Capital High School
A. Michelle Legg, director
Charleston
Dance Theater Workshop
Dawn M. Loreman, director
Beckley
Huntington Dance Theatre
Amy McElroy, director
Huntington
Inwood Performing Arts School
Inwood Dance Company
Denna Smith, director
Inwood
Mary’s School of Dance
Mary Wuletich, director
Charleston
Mid Ohio Valley Ballet Company
Mid Ohio Valley Ballet Company School
Suzy Gunter, director
Parkersburg
Momentum Center for the Arts
Beth Weegar, director
Clarksburg
Morgantown Dance Studio
Eunice Stafford/Liz Finklea, directors
Morgantown
Oglebay Institute School of Dance
Cheryl Pompeo, director
Wheeling
Princeton Dance Studio
Janis Gunnoe, director
Princeton
River City Youth Ballet
Michelle Raider, director
Elkview
Schrader Youth Ballet
Velma Schrader, director
Parkersburg
Summersville Dance Theatre School
Paige Haney, director
Summersville
Trillium Performing Youth
Beth White, director
Lewisburg
Tully Monster
Katie Gibson, director
Lewisburg
Village Dance Theatre
Elizabeth Withers, director
Huntington
West Virginia Dance Company
Pineville Dance Theatre
Toneta Akers-Toler, director
Beckley
West Virginia Wesleyan College
Dance Theatre
Bess Park Reynolds
Buckhannon
Wyoming East High School
Lisa Giffen Oxley, director
New Richmond
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